People

Kristen Welch

Kristen Welch graduated from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro in May of 2012 earning a BA in Classical Studies and Archaeology. Due to her childhood obsession with digging holes in the dirt, the UNCG faculty members took her under their wing and offered her a broad assortment of research opportunities ranging from excavations in the Andean Mountains to the Greek Islands. Importantly there was much time spent on Campus in the Laboratory learning the proper technique for de-fleshing cervid carcass! In addition UNCG faculty members mentored Kristen as she presented her work at conferences and in publications. Her unique hands on experience in the department invigorated her gusto for understanding the human experience which led her to pursue a lasting and rewarding adventure in the field of anthropology. Kristen is currently a Master’s candidate at Colorado State University (CSU) where she focused her research on Paleolithic human populations, specifically investigating the foraging strategies employed by early hominins that impacted their survival. Much of her research is grounded in taphonomic and actualistic investigations of bone surface modifications, serving to reconstruct early human behaviors found in the archaeological record. Kristen continues to be in frequent contact with the UNCG faculty for support and guidance. She will spend the next 2 summers excavating in Tanzania. Upon graduating from CSU Kristen plans to pursue a PhD and seek further research opportunities!

**Read this article about Kristen:  http://source.colostate.edu/csu-student-digs-famous-archeological-site/