My research sits at the intersection of environmental anthropology and archaeology, where I study how past land use shapes present land-use options and constraints. I'm particularly interested in landscape legacies the ways people engineered, managed, and sometimes degraded their environments, and how those decisions determine what's geographically and ecologically feasible for communities today.
I work across time periods, from pre-Columbian through colonial to modern landscapes, using anthrosols and a range of technologies to reconstruct how people interacted with their environments. My toolkit includes pXRF, remote sensing, GIS, lidar, and 3D modeling to understand not just erosion patterns, but deliberate landscape engineering and its long-term consequences.
What really drives my work is figuring out how emerging technologies can help us address real challenges facing local communities, stakeholders, and policy makers. A lot of this centers on multi-scalar 3D modeling—I scan everything from entire landscapes down to individual artifacts, from plazas and ball courts to burials, and most recently, underwater environments using our ROV. With a high-resolution 3D scanner, I'm building detailed models that can be integrated into AR and VR environments and mobile apps. These aren't just for public engagement (though that's important)—they're tools for understanding spatial constraints and informing land-use planning.
I'm also exploring gaming environments as a space for environmental and cultural heritage research. As we face ongoing losses in biodiversity and cultural heritage, I'm interested in what digital recording can preserve for future generations and how these virtual spaces might help us reimagine conservation and heritage management.