Derek A. Boyd, PhD (He/Him), Lab Director
Dr. Derek Boyd is a biological anthropologist who specializes in applying knowledge of human phenotypic (skeletal) variation to questions about life, health, and death in archaeological and forensic contexts with the ultimate goal of promoting health in living populations. His current project seeks to map the burden of respiratory disease among urban dwellers from 18th and 19th century England who experienced varying levels of social and economic marginalization in life. In addition to this work, Dr. Boyd is a practicing forensic anthropologist. He received training through the Human Identification Lab at California State University-Chico and the Forensic Anthropology Center at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. He also completed internships with the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences, the U.S. Department of Defense, and the New York City Office of Chief Medical Examiner. Dr. Boyd previously consulted for the Hamilton County Medical Examiner in Chattanooga, TN, and currently consults for the Clark County Office of the Coroner/Medical Examiner in Las Vegas, NV.
Graduate Students
Elise J. Adams, MA (She/Her), Lab Manager
Elise received her MA in Applied Anthropology, with focuses in forensic anthropology and bioarchaeology, from Mississippi State University (MSU). While at MSU, she co-founded the Mississippi State Forensic Recovery Team, and assisted Mississippi law enforcement on bioarchaeological/forensic search and recoveries as a Team Lead. Her research focuses on deciphering structural and systemic barriers present in demographic groups that might influence the recovery time of human remains in the Southeastern U.S., and she has participated on research relating to NAGPRA, addressing structural violence and vulnerability in forensics, etiologies of traumatic brain injuries secondary to cranial depression fractures, and paleopathology. She is the current Student Liaison for the Anthropology section of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences (AAFS), and a Professional Archaeologist through the Register of Professional Archaeologists (RPA). Outside of forensic anthropology and bioarchaeology, her past experiences include research and applications of museum studies, particularly through work at the Field Museum.
Affiliated Graduate Students
Karl Pittman (She/They)
Karl is a first year Ph.D. student with a focus in cultural and medical anthropology. A former McNair Scholar, they hold a BA in Anthropology from University of Nevada, Las Vegas (2024). Their broad background includes interning with the Nevada State Historic Preservation Office as well as demographic data collection and vaccine hesitancy research for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). They have engaged in communal advocacy work with incarcerated individuals in both California and Nevada, working to push for improved conditions, with an emphasis on mental healthcare and nutrition. Karl’s intended doctoral research is centered in the impact of acculturation on working-class bodily perceptions and wellness, focusing on Mexican migrants employed in the Las Vegas’ extensive hospitality industry. Their other research interests include the reflection of Christian eugenics in contemporary wellness trends as well as exploring what constitutes the perception of biological ‘wholeness’ in human bodies through the lens of western biomedical scholarship.
Undergraduate Research Assistants
Marcus Klainer
Marcus is an undergraduate anthropology major in his junior year. He has research interests in bioarchaeology, forensic anthropology, paleopathology, and trauma analysis. Marcus is currently working on a project seeking to develop an open-access database of historic mortality records from 18th and 19th century England.
