RYAN H. COLLINS

With 15 years of experience, I am an archaeological anthropologist dedicated to fostering public engagement. I have contributed to projects in the United States, Italy, Mexico, Guatemala, and Belize for private sector and government organizations, including DPAA, NPS, and the US Space Force. Actively involved in professional organizations such as the Society for American Archaeology, the American Anthropological Society, the Massachusetts Archaeological Society: Gene Winter Chapter, the Florida Anthropological Society, and the Heritage Education Network, I am committed to advancing the field. 

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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.

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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. 

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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. 

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