RYAN H. COLLINS
Archaeologist + Educator
I am an archaeological anthropologist investigating the ancient world and promoting public outreach.
ABOUT ME
Principal Investigator and Senior Creative Specialist at SEARCH, Inc.
I have 15 years of experience conducting archaeological fieldwork, analyzing artifacts, and managing investigations in the US (Florida, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont, and Louisiana), Mexico (Yucatan, Campeche, Quintana Roo, Chiapas, Puebla, and Oaxaca), Belize, and Guatemala.
As part of a larger public engagement initiative, I have nine years of experience leading digital media and public outreach initiatives with anthropology and archaeology. With Adam Gamwell and Aneil Tripathy, I co-founded and hosted the long-running digital media project, This Anthro Life: Podcast (2013 - 2020) - a partner of the American Anthropological Association, Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage, EPIC, and the March for Science. You can tune in to Apple Podcasts and Spotify and follow the conversation with Adam Gamwell as it continues.
I received my Ph.D. in anthropology from Brandeis University and completed a postdoctoral fellowship with The Neukom Institute for Computational Science at Dartmouth College. I am a Lecturer in Art History and Design at Lesley University.
Recently, I authored Episodes of the Feathered Serpent: Aztec Imperialism and Collapse in How Worlds Collapse: What History, Systems, and Complexity Can Teach Us about Our Modern World and Fragile Future. My work has been featured by EurekAlert!, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, Science Magazine, Phys.org, and HeritageDaily. In addition, you can learn more about my research and public engagement with my TED Talk, Lessons on Social Difference from an Ancient Maya City.
