Please help us welcome our new graduate cohort starting in Fall 2023!
You can view their biographies below or on our Instagram page.

1
Julie Lierenz is an archaeologist who has primarily worked at pre-contact sites throughout the Ohio Valley region. Her research seeks to build collaborative relationships with descendant communities and primarily focuses on ceramic and faunal tool technologies and utilizes experimental recreation studies, geochemical analysis, and typological comparisons. 

2
Nina Wilson's research explores the bounds of research methodologies and critical anti-racist praxes in academia. Prior to studying at Ohio State, Nina completed a Master of Art in gender studies from DePaul University where she has taught for two years.  

3
Kelsey Shearer graduated from Case Western Reserve University in 2021. Her research will focus on students with Type 1 Diabetes as they navigate health, school policies, and social pressures. She loves the outdoors, making art, and sports.

4
Allyson Simon received her bachelor's degree from Ohio State University in 2020 and recently earned her master’s in forensic anthropology from Mercyhurst University. Allyson’s current research focuses on skeletal health and physiological stress in historical populations.

5
Stephanie Fannin received her bachelor's degree from Ohio State University in 2023. Her research studies breastfeeding as a biocultural phenomenon. In the past, she has conducted fieldwork in Brazil and hopes to continue doing so in graduate school. 

6
Lauren Hayden is married with four children. Her background is as a licensed radiographer, and she is focusing her studies on bioarchaeology. Her research interest is in osteology utilizing radiography and histology to study remains of past populations. 

7
Nick Mauro’s main interests within anthropology include the cognitive science of religion, the anthropology of peace and conflict, and the use of complex adaptive systems. In his free time, Nick enjoy hiking, movies, football, and most of all, reading. 

8
Génesis M. Alvelo-Colón is from Puerto Rico and a former student of the University of Puerto Rico, where she earned her Bachelor's and Master’s. Her interests in research include, but are not limited to, reproductive health, sexual health, public and health policy, as well as the impact of cultural, political and socioeconomic context.