Fall 2025, Vol. 4
A new year, a new(s)letter
Welcome to the 2025 IUP Alumni Newsletter. We are thrilled that the number of alumni and friends receiving this newsletter increases each year. Please feel free to forward it on to anyone who might be interested. They can add themselves to the distribution list here.
IUP and the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE) have been undergoing significant changes. IUP has adopted a new General Education curriculum called Crimson Core with the goal of better preparing and retaining undergraduate students. Behind the scenes, all of PASSHE is now using a unified enrollment and course management system, which should make it easier for students to take classes at different universities and for faculty to collaborate. Anthropology programs, like many social sciences, have been feeling the pressure of current changes in the political and economic environments.
Through all of this, IUP Anthropology has maintained its trajectory of high impact teaching, experiential learning, internationally recognized research, and preparing students for a variety of careers.
Some highlights from the last year that demonstrate these characteristics are the new Forensic Sciences major, the nation-wide research presentations of a core group of students from Environmental Anthropology, an anthropology student giving the winter Commencement address, and the nearly dozen students who participated in a Day of Archaeological Service using their skills to support local projects.
All of this, and more, is in the following pages.
Dr. Victor Garcia
Emeritus Professor of Anthropology and IUP Distinguished University Professor
We lost a giant of IUP Anthropology this year. Dr. Victor Garcia, who played a significant role in the lives of IUP faculty and students for three decades, passed away in December.
Dr. Garcia was more than a professor. He was a mentor, a father figure, and an advocate. Whether he was building educational pipelines from underserved communities, mentoring junior faculty, or guiding students through field research, his work was rooted in compassion, humility, and service. -Kelsey Shaulis ('14)
The photo is of Victor at his 2022 retirement party where he coached us through cooking a pig in the ground. Reflecting on these happier times, as well as Victor's roles as friend, colleague, scholar, and sage have eased the loss. We hope it will do the same for many of you.
Dr. Garcia has been one of my most important mentors. -Jessica Lott ('07)
To celebrate and extend his impact, we established the Victor Garcia Memorial Fund. Initially, this fund will support students and immediate-use projects that embody Dr. Garcia’s lifelong commitment to community-based service, educational access, and student empowerment. If you'd like to contribute to this fund, you can do so HERE.
Student Spotlight
Applied Anthropology, BA: Abby Trimble
Abby came to IUP for the challenges. Originally from Industry, PA, she was drawn to IUP by the Cook Honors College where she could complete her general education requirements while reading, writing, and discussing questions like “what is art?” and “what does it mean to be human?” A chance enrollment in ANTH 110 Contemporary Anthropology helped her see that these weren't just abstract questions but a career path.
I chose to major in Anthropology after taking ANTH 110 my first semester. I had never learned about Anthropology in high school but realized quickly that it was the perfect combination of my interests. I’ve always loved learning about people, culture, history, and language... I was excited by how broad the field was and knew that there was so much room to explore a variety of topics through an anthropological lens. That first class also gave me the opportunity to reflect on my own beliefs and ideas about the world in a very personal way, and I was drawn to the way that anthropology can help us see our own lives from an outside perspective.
She's been involved in a wide variety of Anthropology activities ever since. She completed both the archaeology field school and ethnographic research courses, and has presented her research at three conferences, including the Appalachian Collegiate Research Initiative symposium in Arlington, VA, the Society for Applied Anthropology conference in Portland, Oregon, and at the IUP Scholars Forum, where she won a Women in STEM award.
My favorite Anthropology experience so far has been presenting at the Society for Applied Anthropology conference. I had the opportunity to listen to several conversations and presentations about environmental justice and community-centered responses to climate change which left me feeling very inspired and hopeful. It was also incredible to have the opportunity to present the research we conducted about the issue of uncapped gas wells in Pennsylvania.
Entering her Senior year this fall, Abby is focusing on her Honors Thesis research. She is using ethnography to document the emerging concerns and hopes around the redevelopment of the former Homer City powerplant as it transitions from coal to hosting the largest natural gas-fueled powerplant in the country along with an AI data center. In doing this work, Abby takes inspiration from Nancy Scheper-Hughes. She says Scheper-Hughes' "work was crucial in setting the tone for 21st century anthropology, and I admire the courage she had to challenge the paradigm that she was trained in. At a time when anthropologists strived to be neutral, dispassionate observers of people and culture, Scheper-Hughes pushed back and demanded that anthropologists recognize their responsibility to confront structural violence and injustice in the communities that they work with."
After IUP Abby plans to attend graduate school to study environmental anthropology. She's especially interested in studying energy transitions and energy justice in the United States.
Student Spotlight
Archaeology, BA: David Nagele IV
David is originally from Reynoldsville, PA, and came to IUP for its Social Studies Education program. After being exposed to Anthropology, he found that it provided a career path to his childhood dream of being an archaeologist.
My favorite anthropology experience so far is the 2024 summer archaeological field school. I made some amazing friends there, had a lot of fun, and learned so much!
David counts Dr. Francis Allard as his role model, saying "He has been an amazing aid to me figuring out what I want to do in my future carer and has been very supportive." Pulling inspiration from Dr. Allard, David plans to go on to graduate school and specialize in Vietnamese archaeology. In the meantime, he's volunteered on several local archaeology projects and has gotten involved in the IUP Sail Club.
Student Spotlight
Applied Archaeology, MA: Rae Tuite
Rae's archaeology journey has taken them from underwater archaeology in Bermuda to the high deserts of the Southwest. Originally from Washington, DC, they lived in rural Virginia, went to school in Edinburgh, Scotland, and now lives in Taos, NM.
They came to archaeology through an interest in art history and "anthropology movies" like Indiana Jones, Tomb Raider, and The Mummy. "I loved the adventure and discovery aspects of those movies more so than the treasure itself," Rae says. "I think these elements combined into my early decision to study archaeology."
I had heard about the IUP Applied Arch program's good reputation through work and friends who were also looking at terminal master's programs in archaeology.
Rae combined these interests in their thesis, studying rock imagery in New Mexico's Rio Grande National Forest. They consulted with 25 Tribes, identifying symbols and recurring motifs, establishing cultural affiliations, and relative dating based on degree of patination. Rae is now working for CRM firms in the NM and CO region, but hopes to transition to a position with the US Forest service. They've been hooked on the potential for archaeology in the Forests since finding an obsidian projectile point on their first day working for USFS.
I'd have to say Dr. Lara Homsey-Messer is my anthropology role model. We are very similar people, I think, and seeing her success makes me feel more positive about my own career and future goals.
Forensic Archaeology Field School
Baden-Württemberg, Germany
IUP returned to Baden-Württemberg for six weeks during the summer of 2025 to investigate a World War II plane crash site. This is part of our active agreement with the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) and Henry M. Jackson Foundation for Military Medicine (HJF), allowing us to contribute to these humanitarian missions while training students. This was our fourth year at this site, and we were visited by HJF archaeologists and state archaeologists to discuss our operations at the site.
Our 2025 team members applied from universities across the US, including IUP, University of Pittsburgh, Temple University, James Madison University, University of Nevada-Reno, University of Evansville-Indiana, Colorado State University, University of Cincinnati, Brigham Young University, Franklin and Marshall University, Hood College, and Kenyon College.
With 19 US staff and students, we continued recovery efforts by expanding our GPR, metal detection, and pedestrian surveys, as well as innovative excavation strategies.
We finished the season with students placing judgmental STPs as they synthesized everything they learned about the incident and site over the course of the mission. We also had opportunities to explore Germany on the weekends, including local dripstone caves, Heidelberg, and Dachau.
Department News
The Anthropology Department will host a family-friendly Archaeology Day open house on Saturday October 11, 2025 from 1-3 pm. If you are in the area, come see us!
IUP Anthropology signed an interagency agreement with the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) to support cultural resource management in Pennsylvania state parks and forests. This program, similar to the PennDOT PHAST agreement, provides tuition support, employment, and training for students while providing DCNR with support for their cultural resource management mandates.
The Anthropology office in McElhaney Hall got a facelift this year. Through a combination of new purchases, donations, and some raiding of university surplus, an unused desk area was converted to a sitting area where students and faculty can visit (photo in background).
There is a new Collegiate Soil Judging team led by Lara Homsey-Messer. The team is supported by a grant from the Agronomic Science Foundation and will put their skills to the test at the competition at Pitt-Johnstown in October.
New Forensic Sciences, BS
Beginning Fall 2025 IUP is offering a Bachelor of Sciences degree in Forensic Science. This multidisciplinary degree draws from expertise across the campus but relies heavily on the Anthropology faculty and is based in the department of Anthropology, Geospatial and Earth Sciences.
Students can specialize in one of three tracks: Applied Field Investigation, Laboratory Forensic Sciences, and Digital Forensic Sciences.
The diversity of tracks is unique among forensics programs in the region, allowing students a wide range of opportunities and future careers. The forensic program draws on existing IUP capabilities including the Forensic Archaeology Field School, the Forensic Outdoor Research Station, a partnership with the Indiana County Coroner Office, and existing programs in Criminology, Forensics Bioscience, and Cybersecurity.
Student News
Hope Wright was the first recipient of the Victor Garcia Scholarship. An Applied Anthropology major, first-generation college student, military veteran, and mother, Hope exemplifies the values Dr. Garcia lived by. She is passionate about using research to drive social change, particularly in underserved communities. Hope will continue her studies in the IUP Public Affairs graduate program.
Victoria Albert was the Winter Commencement student speaker. Tori gave her address to the more than 500 graduates and their families in the KCAC. She was the 2024 Olin-Fahle scholarship winner and is planning to go onto graduate school for archaeology.
IUP had a strong showing at the Society for American Archaeology annual meeting with seven Applied Archaeology students giving papers. Nate Coughlin chaired a session on “The Future of Geoarchaeology: Student Research and Insights.” IUP also continued its tradition of participating in the SAA Ethics Bowl, this year joining with the University of Oregon for a combined team.
Anthropology and Applied Archaeology students brought back six awards from the IUP Scholars Forum. The Women in STEM Undergraduate Podium Presentation Award went to Abigail Trimble (pictured) for "Learning from the land: The role of gendered recreation in environmental stewardship and gas well monitoring in Appalachia." Seth Koch (pictured) won the Kopchick College Undergraduate Outstanding Podium Presentation for "Roots in the wild: A student’s journey with nature." Dakota Dickerson wowed the crowd and won the Three-Minute Thesis Judges Award with "Fetal pig decomposition in Western Pennsylvania: Characterization of burial environment and decomposition processes in a Western Pennsylvania non-human outdoor decomposition facility." She also won the Kopchick College Graduate Outstanding Poster award. Elena Frye and Emma Kinsinger tied for the Kopchick College Graduate Dean’s Award. Their respective presentations were "Reconstructing urban geography: Spatial analysis of Homestead, PA from 1891 to 1901" and "From Quarry to village: Lithic resource exploitation in Monongahela cultural tradition Johnston phase sites"
Applied Archaeology students Jennifer Ross and Jiahan Liu got married (to each other).
Seven students participated in the Appalachian Collegiate Research Initiative (ACRI) in Washington, DC. The team partnered with Indiana County Thrives, a program of the Center for Community Growth, to engage local communities in identifying, assessing, and remediating orphan wells. "Orphan Wells: Sustainable Development through Environmental Remediation in Northern Appalachia," focuses on mitigating the environmental and public health risks posed by abandoned and orphaned oil and gas wells in Indiana County, Pennsylvania.
Twelve IUP archeologists participated in service events at Historic Hanna’s Town in Westmoreland County and at the historic Lebanon Cemetery in York, PA. These events included mapping the Lebanon Cemetery so that it can be better preserved by the community and conducting a shovel test pit survey at Hanna's Town ahead of erecting a log building at the site.
Applied Archaeology MA program students traveled to Fort Ticonderoga, NY, to take part in an Advanced Metal Detecting for the Archaeologist training. The students joined archaeologists from across the region to learn how to systematically metal detect an area to identify sites and how to record the findings. This experience was partially funded by the Deanne Snavely Fund for Experiential Learning.
Student News (cont.)
Kaylee Becker-George, Emma Lashley, Elizabeth McCreary, Elena Frye, and Eric Goins joined Ben Ford, Erin Conlin, Chris Schaney, and Jeanine Mazak-Kahne from the departments of Anthropology, Geospatial and Earth Sciences and History, Philosophy, Political Science, and Religious Studies in the Untold Stories of Western Pennsylvania Parks and Forests project. This research on the racially integrated Laurel Hill Settlement outside of Johnstown, culminated in three storymaps and presentations at the Pennsylvania Historical Association meetings. Becker-George, Lashley, McCreary, and a Frye led a panel discussion titled “Untold Stories Above Johnstown: Student Research on an Early African American Settlement.” Ford, Conlin, and Schaney joined Kimberly Peck from DCNR and Elaine Adams, an independent researcher, in presenting a lunch plenary session.
Untold Stories has also led to two MA theses with Emma Lashley studying the Laurel Hill cemetery through GPR and historical research (photo at right), and Abdul Jones excavating a portion of the house foundation at the center of the site.
Student News (cont.)
Kathleen Gollmer (Biology), Samantha Langly (Applied Anthropology), Abigail Trimble (Applied Anthropology), and Katie Vigue (Criminology and Applied Anthropology) presented their individual research as part of a panel at the Society for Applied Anthropology conference (pictured). The panel "Orphan Wells: Sustainable Development through Environmental Remediation in Northern Appalachia" was a collaboration between Environmental Anthropology (ANTH 420) and Ethnographic Methods (ANTH 456) courses
Nathan Coughlin received the 2025 Friends of White's Woods Volunteer Service Award. In the last two years, Coughlin volunteered over 60 hours to help with invasive Japanese barberry removal in White’s Woods. Coughlin’s service was especially valuable because he was able to step into a leadership role in the fall-spring large group barberry-removal events from 2023-2025, teaching new volunteers how to successfully remove the invasive plants.
Seven students attended the Society for Pennsylvania Archaeology meetings with five of them winning awards (photo on next page). Connor Winslow was awarded the Student Presentation Award for his oral presentation “A Ground-Penetrating Radar Survey of the Camp Security Revolutionary War Prisoner Camp in York County, Pennsylvania,” as well as the Kinsey Scholarship. Nate Coughlin, Elena Frye, and Emily Briggs swept the poster competition with their outstanding poster presentations. Tyler Fanell, Elena Frye, and Emily Briggs received the Hatch Award.
Dakota Dickerson presented her research on fetal pig decomposition as a proxy for human decomposition at the American Academy of Forensic Sciences conference.
The following Applied Archaeology MA students successfully defended their theses: Rae Tuite: A Crossroad of Cultures: Rock Imagery in the San Luis Valley’s Dry Creek. Shannon Boyne: Investigating Village Organization at the Monongahela Cultural Tradition Squirrel Hill Village Site (36WM0035) Through an Analysis of Artifact Patterning and Distribution. Dion DeGarmo: Identifying Signs of Late Archaic Whelk Tool Use at Pockoy Shell Ring #1, 38CH2533, South Carolina. Laura Broughton: Pittsburgh’s Chinatown: A Study of Chinese Diaspora Archaeology in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Jacob Ulmer: Geochemical Characterization and Investigation of Eighteenth-Century Musket Balls From The Battle of Fort Necessity. Andrew Malhotra: Agency Theory & Social Signaling: Alliance Formatting Within the Terminal Middle and Late Monongahela Tradition. Heather Alvarado: Carnegie Museum of Natural History internship.
If you would like to take an active role in supporting student research, mentoring students, or advocating for Anthropology, please feel free to email your favorite professor, or Ben Ford (ben.ford@iup.edu).
Alumni News
We heard from Jessica Lott ('07) who is now Assistant Professor of Anthropology at Northern Kentucky University, where she is also the Director of the Culture, Society & Health Program. Between IUP and NKU, Dr. Lott earned a Ph.D. from Southern Methodist University. Her research focuses on gender, health, and reproduction.
Ricky Martinez ('22) checked in. He's been working CRM across the nation from east Texas, to the Virginia shore, to frozen Iowa, to downtown Miami, to Louisiana swamps. More recently he's settled into a position with the Burau of Land Managment in Ely, Nevada.
Recent grads are off to a variety of new adventures. Isabel Srour is starting a new position as the Director of Education at the Center for American Archeology. Connor Winslow is working for GAI. Tyler Fanell started as a PI at ERM. Liz McCreary and Heather Alvarado are working for the National Park Service at the Statue of Liberty and Craters of the Moon National Monument/Minidoka National Historic Site, respectively. Nicolette Cloutier will be attending Mississippi State University and Dakota Dickerson is starting a PhD at University of Florida.
Luke Nicosia ('23) published the article "Daming the Country: Digging into the Impacts of Flood Control at New Alexandria, PA" in Westmoreland History.
Michele Troutman ('13) graduated from Binghamton University and started work with Richard Grubb & Associates, Inc.
Nikki Wilcox ('21) is starting a new job as the University NAGPRA Specialist for Western Kentucky University.
Alumni News (cont.)
As part of a Society for Pennsylvania Archaeology trip, emeritus professors Sarah Neusius and Phil Neusius, as well as Kate Peresolak ('17), stopped in Cortez, NM where they met up with Lydia DeHaven ('14) and Ryan Spittler ('14), and their two kids (photo in background). Lydia is currently Mayor pro tem of Cortez (that’s a volunteer gig, she’s still doing archaeology full-time). Turns out that Kate and Ryan had worked some CRM jobs together. It's a small world.
Ashley McCuistion ('19) started a new job as Membership and Projects Manager for Civil War Trails.
Hilary Jebitsch ('94) visited IUP in fall 2024 to speak with students about careers in historic preservation. Hiliary teaches historic preservation at Bucks County Community College and works as a historic researcher.
Emily Sykora ('24) presented on the zooarchaeology of the Mississippian Mulberry Mound Complex to the Native American Studies Center (USCL) Lunch and Learn Series. Her trip was funded by the Archaeological Society of South Carolina. She also was the recipient of the 2025 IUP Graduate Student Outstanding Research Award.
The current IUP-DCNR cultural resources crew and a number of IUP Applied Archaeology alumni are featured in a short video about the Bark Shanty Camp African American CCC camp.
We'd really like this section to be longer and we want alumni to know what each other are up to. Please submit any updates HERE.
Faculty News
Lara Homsey-Messer is now the Editor in Chief of North American Archaeologist.
Francis Allard spent two months in Taiwan with the Center for Chinese Studies to study maritime networks that emerged during the 1st millennium BCE in the South China Sea (photo of prehistoric site in Taiwan in background). As part of this work, he visited several museums and archaeological sites. He also gave talks including "Taiwan and Early Maritime Interaction: Environmental, Cultural and Economic Perspectives" and "Early Maritime Interaction in the South China Sea. A View from South China and Taiwan."
Andrea Palmiotto received both the KCNSM Dean’s Outstanding Research Award and a IUP Sponsored Programs Award for Outstanding Achievement in Research.
Ben Ford received the IUP Sponsored Program Awards for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice, along with his collaborators Erin Conlin, Jeanine Mazak-Kahne, and Christopher Schaney.
Amanda Poole coauthored a feature article in The Migration Information Source titled “Severe Repression in Eritrea Has Prompted Decades of Exodus” with Jennifer Riggan.
Ben Ford was recently sworn in as a member of the Maryland Historical Trust Board of Trustees.
Lara Homsey-Messer and Bill Chadwick co-authored, “Statement on Deep Testing for Terrestrial Sites and Professional Qualifications for Geoarchaeologists in Cultural Resources Management in the US” for the Society for American Archaeology Geoarchaeology Task Force.
William Chadwick and Andrea Palmiotto were honored to be invited by US Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III to the National POW/MIA Recognition Day at the Pentagon in Washington, DC. IUP is honored to support the DPAA in the identification of missing service members.
Andrea Palmiotto presented at the American Academy of Forensic Sciences conference "Integrating Forensic Archaeology and Historic Battlefield Protocols at Historic Conflict-Related Aircraft Crashscapes: A WWII B-17 Case Study" with Bill Chadwick, Allysha Winburn, Parker Chadwick, Robert Ingraham, and Dane Magoon.
Lara Homsey-Messer presented at the Geological Society of America Northeast/Northcentral conference "Reconstructing the Geoarchaeology and Landscape History of the Middle Monongahela Period Squirrel Hill Archaeological Site, Western PA" with Bill Chadwick, Chris Schaney and Matt Bjorkman. She also organized the symposium "Recent Research in Late Quaternary Landscapes, Paleoenvironments and Geoarchaeology of Eastern North America" at the same conference with Todd Grote and Albert Fulton
Faculty News (cont.)
Francis Allard continues to edit the journal Asian Perspectives and Ben Ford continues to serve as the Society for Historical Archaeology Co-Publications Editor.
Francis Allard participated in the workshop “Movement and Infrastructure in Ancient Eastern Eurasia”, held in Munich in May. He will co-organize the follow-up workshop (to be held in Munich in September 2026).
Bill Chadwick presented “Geoarchaeology: A Tool to Focus CRM Archaeological Testing” and Francis Allard presented “The environmental and social dimensions of early maritime interaction networks in the South China Sea” at the Society for American Archaeology annual meeting.
Amanda Poole co-led a session at the African Studies Association annual meeting, titled "Author Meets Critic: Hosting States and Unsettled Guests: Eritrean Refugees in a Time of Migration Deterrence."
Ben Ford spent five months in Portugal as a Fulbright Scholar at the University of Porto. His research project focused on a lagoon near Nazare that silted quickly forcing residents to shift from maritime, to riverine, to agricultural lifeways in a short period. Joined by his family for the whole trip, they travelled throughout Europe with trips to North Africa and the Middle East. Archaeological highlights included Troy, Marrakech, Pompei, biking on the Appian Way, Athens, Petra, boating on the Nile, and the burial temple of Hatshepsut. Ben is pictured at left with the Portugal, Lisbon, and IUP flags.
Book Review
Covered with Night: A Story of Murder and Indigenous Justice in Early America by Nicole Eustace
While written as a history, Eustace brings an anthropologist's appreciation for language and the nuances of intercultural interactions. The book centers on the murder of Sawantaeny by two fur traders in 1722 near Conestoga, PA and the ripples the murder sent through Indigenous and white North America. Much of the story follows an Indigenous ambassador named Captain Civility as he crisscrosses Pennsylvania and New York trying to make the colonists understand just how much this murder could disrupt their world and that the execution of the murderers was not the outcome that the Haudenosaunee sought, no matter what English law might say.
As the story unfolds, it becomes clear that while the colonists regularly claim civility, they have much to learn about its practice from the Haudenosaunee. For their part, the Haudenosaunee sense of justice is centered on community, forgiveness, and reparations.
The narrative is well written and based on remarkable research, so that it feels more like an intricate novel than a book of 18th century history. The care that Eustace takes in describing both Haudenosaunee and colonial culture to help the reader understand just how far off the rails negotiations are going makes this book valuable to anyone interested in Indigenous culture, in the past or present.
Stay in Touch
We'd love to hear from you, or, better yet, see you. We'll be at the Society for American Archaeology, Society for Applied Anthropology, Society for Historical Archaeology, and Society for Pennsylvania Archaeology conferences this coming year. We might also put in an appearance at other conferences. If you are going to any of these please let us know.
We have alumni stickers to go on conference badges. Let us know ahead of time and we'll mail them to you, or you can find us at a conference to get yours.
Please drop us a note HERE to let us know if you have any news for the next newsletter.
You can also keep up with us on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, and by reading the graduate student blog: Trowels and Tribulations.
If you'd like to support the department financially you can do so through the Online Gift Form (specify Anthropology Enhancement Fund #4703; Neusius Scholarship #0729, or Garcia Fund) or through Charitable Giving.
Feel free to email ben.ford@iup.edu with any questions or comments.