Graduate Students

This information is updated twice yearly. Not all graduate students submit bios.

Name/Email

Bio

Andie Ang

(BS Life Sciences, 2008 National University of Singapore; MS Biology, 2010 National University of Singapore).  Andie's research interests are in the social behavior and feeding ecology of Asian colobine primates, in particular the threatened and untended species. She has worked on the banded leaf monkeys in Singapore and Malaysia, and the white-handed gibbons in Thailand. Through her research, Andie hopes to contribute to a greater understanding of these charismatic primates and help in their conservation. Some of her work can be found here: http://mystory.sq/publication/bemuse/project_bemuse_2010_09/index.html?pageNumber=48.  Her advisor is Bert Covert.

Michelle Beach (BS Anthropology, 2007 James Madison University; MA Anthropology, 2012 University of Colorado at Boulder). Michelle is interested in political ecology and nutritional anthropology. She is currently studying the relationship between conservation policy and livelihood diversification in Tanzania. Her advisor is Terry McCabe.
Traci Bekelman (BA Biology, 1998 UC Berkeley; MPH, 2002 Johns Hopkins University; MA Anthropology, 2008 University of Colorado Boulder). Traci studies variation in diet and body size in urban areas in Central America. Thesis title: Evidence for a Positive Secular Trend in Obesity in Colombia. Her advisor is Darna Dufour.
Richard Bender (BA Anthropology, 2005 University of Colorado; MA Anthropology, 2009 University of Colorado).  Bender is primarily interested in nutritional anthropology and human biology. His dissertation research focuses on transitions in diet and physical activity, and on field methods for assessing energy expenditure.  His advisor is Darna Dufour.
Adam Blanford (BA Anthropology, 2004 University of Cincinnati; MA Anthropology, 2006 Kent State University). Adam studies cultures of west Mexico, as well as applications of geographic information systems and remote sensing to archaeological field research. His advisor is Payson Sheets.
Wm. Porter Bourie

(BA Anthropology, 2004, The College of William and Mary; MA Cultural Anthropology, 2009, CU-Boulder). Bourie's dissertation research focuses on the interrelationships between the religious beliefs of rural communities of Niger and the development programs of international aid agencies. Specifically within these dynamics he is interested in how the landscape becomes a site of social meaning that is appropriated, contested, or negotiated. His advisor is Dr.Terry McCabe.

Jeff Brzezinski

(BA Anthropology, 2007, University of Florida; MA Anthropology, 2011, University of Central Florida). Jeff specializes in the archaeology of Mesoamerica, particularly southern Mexico. His dissertation research focuses on the collapse and regeneration of early complex societies in coastal Oaxaca during the Terminal Formative period (150 B.C. - A.D. 250). His advisor is Art Joyce.

Rachel Egan (BA Anthropology, 2008 University of Colorado Boulder; MA Anthropology, 2011 University of Central Florida). Rachel's research area of interest is Mesoamerica with a focus on the ancient Maya. She is interested in the sub-field of geoarchaeology, particularly the interrelationship between human societies and natural disaster. Her advisor is Payson Sheets.
Kate Fischer

(BA Latin American Studies, 2003 Carleton College; MA Anthropology, 2008 University of Colorado). Fischer's research examines socioeconomic change among coffee farming families in Costa Rica's Orosi Valley. She is particularly interested in what Orosians' changing relationship with the state may reveal about the increasing inequality between Costa Rica and the United States. Her advisor is Donna Goldstein.

Rachel Fleming

(BA Anthropology, 2000 Dartmouth College; Masters Regional Planning, 2005 University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill; MA Anthropology, 2009 University of Colorado).  Rachel's research is in cultural anthropology, with a focus on urbanization, class mobility, and gender role change for young professional women in Bangalore, India.  Her advisor is Carole McGranahan.
Jamie Forde (BA Anthropology, 2002 University of California Santa Cruz; MA Anthropology, 2006 University of Colorado). Forde's research focuses on the archaeology of central and southern Mexico, particularly Oaxaca, and the interdisciplinary uses of epigraphy and ethnohistory to better understand the transition from Postclassic to Colonial periods. His interests include social theory, ideology and relationships of power, iconographic analysis, and text-aided archaeology. His advisor is Art Joyce.
Alexandria Halmbacher

(BA Anthropology, 2011 University of Cincinnati). Alexandria has worked at the Archaeological site of Cerén in the Zapotitán Valley in El Salvador. She is interested in studying the political relationships between the Zapotitán Valley Archaeological sites. Her advisor is Payson Sheets.  

Amy Harrison-Levine (BS Natural Resources/Anthropology, 1992 Michigan State University; MA Anthropology, 1998 Kent State University). Harrison-Levine has participated in a wide range of studies regarding the behavior and ecology of living primates. Her dissertation will focus on human/non-human primate forest resource overlap in Vietnam. Results of this research will help target limited resources to conservation interventions identified as most important for the preservation of the critically endangered Tonkin snub-nosed monkey. Amy works full time as the Conservation Biology Manager at Denver Zoo. Her co-advisors are Bert Covert and Michelle Sauther.
Jessica Hedgepeth (BA Anthropology & History, 2003 Brandeis University; MA Anthropology, 2009 University of Colorado). Hedgepeth is examining human land use in the Río Verde Valley of Oaxaca, Mexico for her PhD research. She is approaching her analysis through geospatial techniques (GIS). Hedgepeth also has research interests in ceramic production using statistical and petrographic analysis. Her advisor is Arthur Joyce.
Guy David Hepp (BA Anthropology and English [Creative Writing], 2004 University of Colorado; MA Anthropology, 2007 Florida State University). Hepp specializes in the archaeology of southern coastal Mesoamerica. His research has focused on the analysis of iconographic material culture as an indicator of past social interaction. Hepp’s dissertation research explores the origins of sedentism in coastal Oaxaca, Mexico during the Early Formative period (ca. 1550-850 B.C.E.). His advisor is Art Joyce.
Ivy Hepp (BA Anthropology, 2005 Georgia State University; MA Anthropology, 2007 Florida State University). Ivy works in the Mixtec community of San Juan Mixtepec, located in Oaxaca, Mexico, and investigates the ways in which members of this transnational migratory community negotiate various identities through the lens of their fiesta cycle. She will begin her dissertation research in 2013 and will live and work in San Juan Mixtepec for a year while participating in and observing the complete cycle of religious fiestas celebrated in this indigenous community. Her advisor is Kaifa Roland.
Michaela Howells (BA Anthropology/BS Primate Behavior and Ecology, 2002 Central Washington University; MA Anthropology, 2005 Iowa State University). Michaela is primarily interested in reproductive ecology and human biology. Her dissertation research addresses the relationship between psychosocial stress and pregnancy outcomes in Samoan women. Her advisor is Darna Dufour.
Ben Joffe

(BSocSci Social Anthropology and French Language and Literature, 2008 University of Cape Town; MA Social Anthropology 2009 University of Cape Town). Ben has conducted fieldwork around issues of belief and ritual practice in contemporary occultism, magic(k) and Neo-Paganism in South Africa. Working with the very few Tibetans living in South Africa, his MA dissertation explored questions surrounding Tibetan identities in exile. Currently, his doctoral research focuses on the dynamics of grassroots spirit mediumship and possession in the South Asian Tibetan diaspora context. His advisor is Carole McGranahan.

Quyet Khac Le (BS Biology,1999 & MS Biology, 2007 College of Science - Vietnam National University, Hanoi).
Quyet studies the behavioral ecology and conservation of Vietnam primates. He is interested in primate positional behavior, especially the Tonkin snub-nosed monkey (Rhinopithecus avunculus). His work focuses on biodiversity conservation in Vietnam. His advisor is Bert Covert.
Jennifer Leichliter (BA Anthropology, 2008 Colorado College; MA Anthropology, 2011 University of Colorado). Jen is interested in the paleoecological context of early hominin evolution. Her focus includes the reconstruction of faunal community structure and isotopic ecology in South Africa during the Plio-Pleistocene. Her advisor is Matt Sponheimer.
Willi Lempert

(BA Interdisciplinary Studies, 2007 Miami University; MA Cultural Anthropology, 2010 University of Denver). Willi is working with communities and indigenous media organizations in the Kimberley region of northwestern Australia. His dissertation project seeks to understand the various social benefits and upcoming challenges for community media production and circulation. Willi is also interested in indigenous film festivals and the emerging film genre of Native American science fiction. His advisor is Jennifer Shannon.

Danielle Merriman

(BA Sociology/Anthropology and Studio Art, 2009 Cornell College ; MA Anthropology, 2011 University of Colorado). Dani’s research currently focuses on the development of community museums or ecomuseums in Latin America, specifically Costa Rica.  Through the lens of the community museum, she seeks to address decolonization processes, cultural tourism, indigenous and national identities and rural development.  Her advisor is Kaifa Roland.

Meryleen Mena

(BA Anthropology, 2005 Columbia University; MA Anthropology, 2010 University of Colorado). Meryleen's research is in cultural anthropology and examines state violence vis-à-vis the use of radical theatre and human rights activism in Brazil. Her advisor is L. Kaifa Roland.

James Millette (BS Anthropology, 2003 Emory University; MA Anthropology, 2007 University of Colorado). Jim is interested in understanding the behavioral, ecological and biological effects of primate tooth wear. His work combines both field and lab based approaches to better understand how loss of dental function may impact health status, reproductive success and the ability to survive, as well as the role of behavior in mediating such effects. His current work is on ring-tailed lemurs at the Beza Mahafaly Special Reserve, in Southwestern Madagascar, where he is carrying out his doctoral field research. His advisor is Michelle Sauther.
Christopher Morris

(BA Germanic Studies and Anthropology, 2001 University of Colorado; MA Anthropology, 2007 University of Colorado). Chris's research concerns pharmaceutical bioprospecting, medicine and bioangst, indigeneity, NGOs and traditional governance in Eastern Cape, South Africa and Germany. His advisor is Donna Goldstein.

Cody Newton (BA Anthropology, 1996 University of Wyoming; MA Anthropology, 2008 Colorado State University).  Cody studies the archaeology of the western Great Plains and middle Rocky Mountains.  His dissertation research focuses on the early contact period and the development of Plains Indian equestrianism.  Other research foci include Paleoindian studies, early European exploration and settlement, the historic bison robe trade, and the Plains Indian Wars.  His advisor is Doug Bamforth.
Jonathan O'Brien

(BA Anthropology, 2000 University of Florida; MA Anthropology, 2006 University of Colorado at Boulder). O'Brien studies the feeding and sensory ecology of South East Asian colobines. Specifically, he is looking at habitat variation within black shanked doucs (Pygathrix nigripes) and the status of silvered langurs (Trachypithecus margarita) in Cat Tien National Park, Vietnam. His work focuses on the conservation of primates within Vietnam. His advisor is Bert Covert.

Lindsay Ofrias

(BA Individualized Study, 2008 NYU; Permaculture Design Certification, 2009 The Center for Bioregional Living). Lindsay studies Cultural Anthropology with a focus on Social Ecology. Her advisor is Donna Goldstein.

Oliver Paine

(BA Anthropology 1996, Pomona College ; MA Anthropology, 2011 University of Colorado). Paine is interested in the dispersal and speciation patterns of the australopithecines, focusing on the broad ecological and biogeographical context in which they occurred. His advisor is Matt Sponheimer.

Katy Putsavage

(BA Anthropology, 2001 University of Maryland; MS Museum and Field Studies, 2008 University of Colorado). Putsavage's research interests are in museums and archaeology of the Southwest US. Her master's thesis research focused on Mesa Verde ceramic mugs.  Katy's dissertation research is focusing on the social changes which occurred in the southern Southwest after AD 1130.  She is working at the Black Mountain Site (LA 49) near Deming, NM.  Her advisor is Steve Lekson.

Kristin Schwagerl (BA Anthropology & Sociology, 2011 Gustavus Adolphus College). Kris is a biological anthropology student currently working towards her MA. Her research interests include hominin origins and dietary reconstruction. She has done field work in South Africa as part of the Mossel Bay Archaeology Project. Her previous independent research and experimentation has focused on ostrich eggshell and red ocher. Kris's advisor is Matt Sponheimer.
Morgan Seamont (BA Anthropology, 2007 Washington State University-Vancouver; MA Anthropology, 2009 University of Colorado). Morgan Seamont is researching how transgender men identify after transitioning to a masculine identity regarding their sexuality and community affiliation. Community belonging and sexual identity both have significant impacts on the individual life of a transgender person and in turn, transgender people have significant effects on communities to which they belong. The crossover and mutability of gender and sexuality based on transmen's experiences can shed light on how we define gay, lesbian, and bisexual identities through embodiment theory. His field work will be conducted in Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota. His advisor is Kaifa Roland.
Jakob Sedig (BS Anthropology, 2007 Illinois State University; MA Anthropology, 2010 University of Colorado). After completing a Master's Thesis examining projectile points from the northern Southwest, Jakob has moved south, into the Mimbres region. His dissertation research will examine how the Mimbres people adapted to environmental changes, and how they interacted with their prehistoric neighbors (the Hohokam and the Ancestral Puebloans). Jakob gives updates on his research dissertation work at Woodrow Ruin on his blog: http://woodrowruinarchaeology.wordpress.com. He has also started a Crowdfunding project at: http://gofundme.com/2s9fm8. Jakob's advisor is Cathy Cameron.
Magdalena Stawkowski (BA Anthropology/History, 2003 University of Delaware; MA Anthropology, 2007 University of Colorado). Stawkowski examines the social consequences of six decades of nuclearism that left a legacy of radioactive contamination in Kazakhstan. She argues that the radioactive realities of communities living in close proximity to the nuclear test site known as the Polygon and the current nuclear activities in uranium mining have created dynamic tensions that structure human lives in light of these toxic realities.  Her advisor is Donna Goldstein.
Kendall Tallmadge (BA Anthropology & Museum Studies, 2009 Beloit College). Tallmadge is interested in indigenous self-representation and collaboration in museums and other cultural tourist attractions. Her thesis research examines Ho-Chunk cultural tourism and the role it played and continues to play in both the Native and non-Native Wisconsin Dells community. She is also a dual degree student in the Leeds MBA program with a focus in management and entrepreneurship. Her advisor is Jennifer Shannon.
Marnie Thomson (BA Anthropology, 2004 Washington University in St. Louis; MA Social Sciences, 2006 University of Chicago). Thomson's research is in cultural anthropology, with a focus on the politics of humanitarian intervention across the borders of Tanzania and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Her advisor is Carole McGranahan.
Larry Ulibarri (BA Anthropology and Interdisciplinary Studies, 2002 University of Northern Colorado; MA Anthropology, 2006 University of Colorado). Larry's studies involve the conservation and ecology of Southeast Asian colobine primates, specifically those endemic to Vietnam. His advisor is Bert Covert.
Erin Van Regenmorter

(BA English, BS Biology, 2000 Hope College; BS Anthropology, 2006 Grand Valley State University; MA Anthropology, 2009 Western Michigan University). Erin’s research has focused on environmental, developmental, and biological influences on the behavior patterns of captive spider monkeys. She is currently interested in investigating the various correlates of growth and development and how they relate to life history in captive primates. Her advisor is Bert Covert.

Photo of field school students and faculty sitting on porch in Southwest.
Barb in Brazil

Field school group on porch
(Photo/Jeff Ferguson)

Barb in Brazil
(Photo/Barb Piperata)