I am an anthropological archaeologist in the Department of Anthropology at the University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa. My research focuses on the daily lives of Maya communities, using a community-of-practice perspective and practice theory, alongside noninvasive techniques to analyze lithic materials and gain a deeper understanding of ancient societies. My work integrates archaeology, archaeometry, and noninvasive methods, emphasizing a bottom-up approach to ancient knowledge and technology.

As a U.S. Navy veteran, I used my GI Bill to earn a BA in archaeology from the Escuela Nacional de Antropología e Historia in Mexico City, where I collaborated on archaeological projects in Mexico and Chile. My main research is part of the Proyecto Regional Palenque at the Instituto de Investigaciones Antropológicas, focusing on ancient settlement patterns, communication routes, and exchange networks in the northwestern Maya Lowlands of Tabasco and Chiapas.

I pursued my doctorate in Anthropology at UC Berkeley, employing a multidisciplinary approach to study both the Micro and Macro level, that includes using archaeometry, household archaeology, photogrammetry, and GIS least-cost path analysis. My research investigates the circulation of people and goods among Maya settlements during the Classic Period, resulting in a geographic model for analyzing movement in the Maya Lowlands of southeastern Mexico. I also study the micro-level through household archaeology and spatial analysis of domestic and craft production areas. I continue to collaborate with UNAM, the Museo Nacional de Antropología—working with the Maya lithic collection—and with UC Berkeley’s Maya Lab on materials from Honduras.

As a binational researcher, I maintain active collaborations on projects throughout Latin America and the U.S. I also have experience in cultural resource management across California and am committed to creating pathways for students interested in careers in applied archaeology. I am currently the PI for UA’s Maya Lithic Database Project and the Lithic Materials and Archaeometry Lab. Following a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Alabama, I am now an assistant professor in the Department of Anthropology, exploring the complexities of Maya crafting practices and communities of practice through the lens of practice theory. Roll Tide!