MASA
The University of Montana
MASA
The University of Montana
Liz Agosto is a graduate student pursuing her MA in Forensic Anthropology under Dr. Ashley McKeown. She received her BA from the University of Montana in Anthropology, focusing in Forensic Anthropology and Archaeology; she also received a Certificate in Forensic Studies. Liz has interned at JPAC, attended a mortuary archaeology field school, and has worked on both human and non-human forensic cases. Research interests include: geometric morphometry, population history, paleopathology, trauma, biological anthropology, forensics, bioarchaeology, osteology, human variation, human rights violations, and mass grave analysis. Liz has conducted research with Dr. McKeown using geometric morphometry to investigate the Arikara cemetery site, Sully; this research was presented at the 2012 AAPA annual meeting. Her thesis research involves using geometric morphometry to assess the effect microevolutionary processes have on craniofacial morphology and how this information can be applied to a forensic context.
E-mail: elizabeth.agosto@umontana.edu
Alexis Berger is a graduate student seeking his MA in Forensic Anthropology. He graduated from St. Cloud State University in 2006 with a general Anthropology BA and an emphasis in archaeology and two minors: one in French and the other in Forensic Sciences. After graduating from St. Cloud, he came to the University of Montana and is working with Dr. Randall Skelton. His research interests include forensic anthropology, forensic science, zooarchaeology, museum studies, osteology, human variation, and human evolution. I have worked on several projects with my student peers since becoming a graduate student, including: human and non-human skeletal remain identification, sex estimation of Ursus arctos using craniometrics, and several burn projects conducted during the summer of 2012 with the help of the Missoula Fire Department. His thesis involves the analysis of heavy metal pesticide use on the ethnographic collection at the University of Montana.
Rosie is a Ph.D. student studying biological anthropology with a focus in forensic anthropology. Her dissertation research centers on the effects of parturition on the accuracy of skeletal age estimation of the pelvis. She looks forward to being involved with MASA this year and being available to fellow students who may have questions or simply want to bounce ideas past an extra set of ears :)
Email:
rosanne.bongiovanni@umconnect.umt.edu
My name is Kelli Bradley. I am a first year graduate student pursuing my Masters in Anthropology under Dr. Gilbert Quintero. I graduated from the University of Rhode Island in 2011 with a Bachelors in Anthropology and a Bachelors in Psychology. I’m interested in the evolution of drug use, drug use during prolonged periods of stress and mental illness as viewed by different cultures. I have experience working with special needs population in the community, home and educational setting.
My name is Kelsey Collins, and I am a first year MA student studying forensic anthropology. I received my BA in Psychology with a minor in Biology and a certificate in Forensic Identification from California State University, Chico. I have previously interned at the CSU Chico Human Identification Laboratory and conducted comparison research using panoramic radiography. My research interests include taphonomy, trauma analysis, human rights, mass grave analysis, comparative radiography, and quantitative methods.
Before attending the University of Montana, I earned a BA in Economics from the University of Illinois and later a BA in English with foci in technical writing and TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) from Illinois State University. While at ISU I did research on politeness theory, second language acquisition, and idiolect theory.
I entered the University of Montana because of an interest in language documentation and because of my experience teaching English as a second language. In working closely with the UM faculty and teaching ESL class, I am further refining my abilities in both of these fields.
As a first year graduate student I have not yet chosen a research focus or potential thesis topic. However, I am fascinated by complexity theory and evolutionary linguistics, with particular interest in the neuro- and cognitive science as well as the philosophical issues that are intrinsically tied to these topics.
I am currently a 3rd year PhD physical anthropology student. My interest is broadly in prehistoric migration studies, especially the peopling of the Americas and population differentiation after arrival of the first Native Americans. The focus of my dissertation is the coastal and inland Native peoples of California from a skeletal biology/bioarchaeology perspective.
Sara is a second year master's student studying Archaeology. She received her BS in Anthropology from Central Washington University. Her research interests include Lithics, Zooarchaeology, and Geoarchaeology. For her thesis, she is examining lithic technological organization during the Fur-Trade occupation at Housepit 54 of the Bridge River Site. Feel free to contract her with any questions you might have.
I am second year graduate student working on my Masters in forensic anthropology under Dr. Ashley McKeown. I received my B.A. from San Diego State University under Seth Mallios. I have interned at the North American Archaeology Research institute in San Diego, California, along with the San Diego Museum of Man. I have worked on several human and non human forensic cases while being here in Montana. I have CRM field experience as well. My research interests are forensics, taphonomy, pathology, disease pathology and virulence, bioarchaeology, stable isotope analysis, ancient Egypt, post mortem interval, forensic archaeology, osteology, anatomy and zooarchaeology. My thesis research is looking at decomposition rates of mature pigs in West Central Montana, with one pig on the ground surface, and one buried 2ft deep. I currently T.A. for Human Sexuality and Osteology here at the University of Montana, and love helping students. So if you have any questions about the program or graduate programs in general feel free to contact me!
Email: Tory.Huey@umontana.edu
I am a second year graduate student in Forensic Anthropology under Dr. Ashley McKeown. I received a BA in Psychology from Eastern Washington University, and later a BA in Anthropology with a focus in Forensics from the University of Montana. My research interests include biological anthropology, forensics, taphonomy, pathology, and trauma. My thesis research will aim to systematically examine the effects of sodium hydroxide on cut marks in bone. I have been involved in two burn studies with Amanda Williams, Alexis Berger, Rachel Summers, Lilly White, and Victoria Swenson while examining the assessment of trauma patterns in a fatal fire scene.
Email: Heidi.johnson@umontana.edu
Tommy Livoti is a doctoral student in Cultural Heritage and Applied Anthropology. His research focus and title is “Counterinsurgency Approaches to the Archaeological Record on the Asymmetric Battlefield”. The research examines global insurgency and how it is relevant to current issues in archaeology—specifically the destruction of cultural property in areas of conflict. Tommy employs an applied archaeological model within a counterinsurgency context and explores real-world contemporary issues ranging from anthropological and archaeological ethics; archaeology and nationalism; American military culture; and the destruction of cultural property in asymmetric environments. His research stresses the need for archaeologists to be directly engaged on and off the battlefield. Counterinsurgency approaches encourage cooperation among diverse groups such as the American Military, American civil service, academia, non-government organizations, international organizations and allies, the private sector, and concerned groups and citizens. Tommy has interned and or worked for organizations within the Department of State, the Department of Defense, and the Department of Justice where he served as an archaeologist with the Iraq Mass Graves Investigative Team. His objective after completing his doctorate is to serve as an archaeologist in order to save lives and mitigate the loss of cultural property in both humanitarian and combatant contexts. He is dedicated to applying archaeology as a force multiplier for world peace, security, and stability. Tommy is a Marine Corps combat veteran and currently serves in the Army National Guard. He is married to the former Tracy Smith of Fresno, California. They have two biped children named Cade and Kara and five quadruped children, one canine (Dixie) and four feline (Mr. Parris, Alonzo, Shasta, and Vorena).
Email : Thomas.Livoti@umontana.edu
My name is Melody Ratliff and I’m a first year Master’s student in the Forensic Anthropology program. I was born and raised in Sevierville, TN and received my B.A. in Anthropology this past May from the University of Tennessee in Knoxville. Go Vols! My interests include craniometrics, non-metric ancestral attributes, decomposition, and the post-mortem interval. I worked at UT’s Anthropological Research Facility for 4 years processing skeletal remains and spent my senior year doing skeletal collections and body placements. I’m excited to be here and in MASA!
I am a second year MA student in the Linguistics Program. My research interests over the last year have been language documentation and revitalization, Blackfoot linguistics, spatial deixis, demonstrative systems, how languages encode space, and general topics in neuro- and cognitive linguistics. My thesis will be a description of the demonstrative system of Blackfoot, with emphases on spatial and discourse demonstrative uses and on historical and dialectal variation in the system. I have a background (and a BA from Grand Valley State University) in Classical Languages and have studied Attic Greek, Classical Latin, and Ancient Hebrew for a number of years. Last year I produced an Optimality Theory account of compensatory lengthening in Attic Greek and a diachronic account of the PIE origins of Attic Greek /s/ via Mycenaean.
Email: shannon.schupbach@umontana.edu
Lisa Sprowls is a first year Linguistics graduate student and EASL teaching assistant. She comes from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and received her bachelor’s degree in German Language and European Area Studies with translation certification from American University in Washington, DC. Her interests include phonological variation, American dialects, historical linguistics, and (seemingly irrelevant to linguistics) hockey.
I received my Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology with the option in Forensics from the University of Montana in 2010 and in the Fall of the same year was accepted into the Master’s program. I also possess a biology background in which I received a minor in. My main interests within Forensic Anthropology are looking at fracture patterns associated with trauma. In particular my thesis project has dealt extensively with looking at determining the perimortem and postmortem fracture characteristics associated with applied blunt force trauma. My future endeavors are yet to be determined however my goal for the future includes taking the applied route in Forensic Anthropology and working in a lab environment, particularly applying my knowledge and training to medicolegal purposes. I am a born and bred Montana native from the small town of Columbus, Montana, where my family still resides. My family comes from a life of farming and ranching where our respect for the land is everlasting. My personal interests include horseback riding, hiking the many trails that Missoula has to offer, and traveling (I could easily offer up a few good suggestions)!
Email: Elizabeth.Nagengast-Stevens@umontana.edu
Jessi is a Masters student focusing on forensic anthropology under Dr. Ashley McKeown. She received her B.S. from Oregon State University with an option in historical archaeology and physical anthropology. Jessi’s areas of interest include forensic anthropology, bioarchaeology, human osteology, vertebrate osteology, dentition, decomposition of human remains, skeletal trauma, pathology, and taphonomy. Her research is contributing to the building of a baseline data set for documenting decomposition in western Montana’s highly variable and unpredictable weather, specifically looking at cold weather induced stasis in the decomposition process. Jessi has interned at JPAC-CIL, participated on human and faunal casework with the Missoula crime lab, and is currently a teaching assistant for osteology and forensic osteology.
Email:jessica.spencer@umontana.edu
Rachel Summers-Wilson is a graduate student pursuing her MA in Forensic Anthropology under Dr. Ashley McKeown. She received her BA in 2012 from the University of Montana in Anthropology, with a focus in Forensic Anthropology. Rachel has interned at University of Tennessee Knoxville Anthropological Research Facility aka "The Body Farm", and completed a internship under the direction of Dr. Ashley McKeown. My research interests include: Forensic Anthropology, Skeletal Biology, Quantitative Methods, Fire Science, Trauma, Biological Anthropology, Forensics, Bioarchaeology, Osteology, Human Variation, Decomposition, Entomology, and, Mass Gravbe Analysis. In the summer of 2012 I participated in two research burns studies involving the Missoula Fire Department with five UM Forensic Anthropology graduate students. Those graduate students were Teresa "Lilly" White, Amanda Williams, Victoria Swenson, Heidi Johnson, and Alexis Berger. I have presented two posters at the Rocky Mountain Anthropology Conference With Teresa "Lilly" White, and I have conducted my own research on Bone Weathering in the Rocky Mountains of Montana. I am married to my best friend, Brent Wilson, I have a daughter, Mercedes, and an English Mastiff named "Hoo Bear".
My name is Victoria Swenson.In 2009 I earned my BA at the University of TN in Anthropology, and I earned my MA in 2011 in Criminal Justice at East Tennessee State University.My research interests include: Forensic Anthropology, Forensic Science, Skeletal Biology, Paleopathology, Quantitative Methods, Arson and Fire Science, Underwater Taphonomy, Biometrics, Vertebrae Osteology, Criminal Justice, Domestic Violence, Human Evolution, Human Variation, Zooarchaeology.
I have conducted several research projects with my fellow peers. The first research project I worked on was with Alexis Berger. We conducted a discriminant analysis to correctly classify the sex of Ursus arctos. We presented this research at the University of Montana Graduate Conference, and we are presenting at The Wildlife Society Conference in Portland in October 2012.Alexis Berger, Heidi Johnson, Rachel Summers, Lily White, Amanda Williams, and I also conducted two burn studies with the Missoula Fire Department during the summer of 2012.Finally, my thesis research is titled “Ancestral and Sex Estimation Using E.A. Marino’s Analysis of the First Cervical Vertebra applied to Three Modern Ancestral Groups.”
Email: victoria.swenson@umconnect.umt.edu
Matthew Walsh received his B.A. from the University of Washington with Honors in Anthropology. He has worked in the Kuril Islands of the Russian Far East with the Kuril Biocomplexity Project, studying prehistoric hunter-gatherers and biodiversity in insular environments and in Chilean Patagonia looking at late-Holocene hunter-gatherer adaptations to environmental perturbation. He has also worked on various CRM projects in Alaska and Montana.
My name is Teresa “Lilly” White. I am a second year MA student in Forensic Anthropology, and plan to defend my thesis in the spring of 2013. My thesis is focused on Human Decomposition, Forensic Entomology, and Black-billed Magpie scavenging. Dr. Ashley McKeown is my committee chairperson, and Dr. Randall R. Skelton, Dr. Dan Doyle, and Dr. Ralph E. Williams are my committee members. I am grateful to all of them for agreeing to sit on my committee. As a graduate student, I think it is crucial to conduct research in order to build a strong knowledge base, submit papers and present them at meetings and conferences, and to build a solid curriculum vitae. In May and July of 2012, I conducted two research burns with five UM Forensic Anthropology graduate students. Those graduate students were Rachel Summers-Wilson, Amanda Williams, Victoria Swenson, Heidi Johnson, and Alexis Berger. I presented two burn research papers at the NWAFS, in September 2012. I have also conducted decomposition research as well as forensic entomology research. In July 2012, I presented a paper and a poster at the North American Forensic Entomology Association meeting in Las Vegas. I have also presented a paper at the UM Graduate Conference, and a poster at the Rocky Mountain Anthropology Conference. I graduated in May 2011 with a BA in Forensic Anthropology from the University of Montana. I also received a BS in Liberal Studies from MSU-Billings in 2005. From May 2004-2005, I interned with the Yellowstone County Coroner’s office. In June 2012, I interned for a Medico-legal Outdoor Recovery Course at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville and the Forensic Anthropology Center. I have been married to my best friend, Stocky White, for 27 years. We have one “son,” a Boston Terrier named Auggie. I have been a Montana resident for my entire life. I have many goals in my life, which I fully intend to achieve.
Email: teresa.white@umontana.edu
My name is Amanda Williams and I am a second year graduate student in Forensic Anthropology. I spent the past few months conducting research on trauma patterns and burned remains. Currently, I am working on my thesis research which aims to examine the burn patterns on remains in relation to their position in a fire. My research interests include trauma analysis, burn patterns, fire scenes, skeletal biology, paleopathology, and forensic anthropology.
B.A University of Tennessee, Knoxville
Contact information: email- amanda1.williams@umontana.edu
Julia “Julie” Workman is a second year graduate student and Teaching Assistant in the Linguistics department at U of M. She attended the University of Pittsburgh for her Bachelor’s Degree (which was also in Linguistics) and heads up the University of Montana Linguistics Club as President. Her current foci include Algonquian languages, political discourse analysis, and the language of oppression. (BONUS: How many times can you read the word “Linguistics” in one paragraph before experiencing semantic satiation?)
Contact: julia.workman@umontana.edu
Kaleigh Best is a senior in Forensic Anthropology. She will graduate in the spring with University Scholar distinction and plans on attending graduate school in the fall. Her current research interests include taphonomy, trauma, biological anthropology, forensics, bioarchaeology, osteology, human variation, human rights violations, and mass grave analysis. She is one of the current teaching assistants for Osteology. Kaleigh has participated in the Belize Archeological field school and presented at the Northwest Anthropological Conference with Jessica Spencer on decomposition rates in the Missoula Valley on Sus Scrofa and is currently working on research involving fluctuating asymmetry rates in pre and post contact Arikara populations. She is the current MASA Vice President, as well as President of Lamda Alpha, Co-President of Golden Key Honor Society, Alumni Chair in Mortarboard Honor Society, and a member of Alpha Lambda Delta and Phi Kappa Phi Honor Societies.
Hi my name is Matt Burgess I am from Pittsburgh Pennsylvania and a senior in Biological anthropology and will be graduating in the spring with a BA in anthropology. My research interests include human evolution, human variation, primatology and bioarchaeology. I also participated in the Belize Archeological field school and volunteered in the Anthropology curation facility. I am planning on taking a year off after graduation and then pursuing a MA in Paleoanthropology.
MASA/Anthropology Department
32 Campus Drive
University of Montana
Missoula, MT 59812