CURRENT LAB MEMBERS
DR. PAUL SZPAK
Principal Investigator
Ph.D. Western University, 2013
B.A. (Honours) McMaster University, 2007
Paul Szpak is an Associate Professor of Anthropology and Canada Research Chair in Archaeological Science at Trent University. As an undergraduate Paul worked at the Stable Isotope Biogeochemistry Laboratory at McMaster University and performed isotopic research on Pleistocene mammoths and marine fauna from British Columbia. Paul completed his doctoral studies in the Laboratory for Stable Isotope Science at Western University in 2013. His dissertation involved isotopic applications in the Andean region, specifically related to plant ecology, controlled studies examining fertilizers, and animal management practices. Paul held SSHRC, Killam and NSERC Banting postdoctoral fellowships in the Department of Anthropology at the University of British Columbia from 2013-2016 using isotopic analysis to investigate the palaeoecology of Arctic marine ecosystems. Paul has worked at Trent University since 2016 and became Director of the Trent Water Quality Centre in 2021.
Paul directs a diverse research program centered on stable isotope analysis, supported by several major grants from the Tri-Council, which includes a SSHRC Insight Grant to investigate agricultural intensification and animal management practices in the Andes (2019-2024), an NSERC Discovery Grant supporting research into long term variation in Arctic marine ecosystems (2020-2025), and a SSHRC Insight Development Grant to advance our understanding of the diet and mobility of the ancestors of the Wichita and Affiliated Tribes in the American Plains (2020-2022). These projects correspond to Paul’s broader research focus on applying chemical analyses to archaeological materials to better understand the interactions between humans, animals, plants, and their environments. He is involved in isotopic research all over the world, but presently focuses on two geographical areas: the Andean regions of northern Peru and Chile and the North American Arctic (Canada, Alaska, Greenland).
TEAL Awards and Honours
🏆 2017 Lowest δ13C Value
🏆 2017 Highest δ13C Value
🏆 2017 People's Choice Award (Sample of the Year)
🏆 2018 Lowest δ15N Value
🏆 2018 Highest δ15N Value
🏆 2018 Lowest δ13C Value
🏆 2018 Highest δ13C Value
🏆 2018 People's Choice Award (Sample of the Year)
🥈 2021 Lab Olympics Silver Medal: Parafilm Shot Put
🥈 2021 Lab Olympics Silver Medal: Microbalance Speed
🥇 2021 Lab Olympics Gold Medal: Pipette transfer
🥇 2022 Lab Olympics Gold Medal: Pipette transfer
DR. MATHEW TEETER
Postdoctoral Fellow (2019-)
Ph.D. Western University, 2017
M.A. Western University, 2010
B.Sc. (Honours) Laurentian University, 2005
TEAL Publications
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Dolphin AE, Teeter MA, Szpak P, 2023. The role of status, diets, and mobility in understanding the impacts of urbanization in early medieval Bergen, Norway (St. Mary's Church): Insights from stable isotope analyses. International Journal of Osteoarchaeology. doi: 10.1002/oa.3216. [DOWNLOAD .pdf]
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Guiry E, Beglane F, Szpak P, McCormick F, Teeter MA, Cheung C, Richards MP, 2023. Changing human-cattle relationships in Ireland: a 6000-year isotopic perspective. Antiquity 97, 1436-1452. doi:10.15184/aqy.2023.163. [DOWNLOAD .pdf]
A prolific overachiever and a very busy man, Matt is simultaneously fulfilling the roles of a senior TEAL member, postdoctoral fellow, Business Manager of the Water Quality Center, and course instructor at Trent University. In addition to these professional roles, Matt is a husband, a human-father to (almost) 1 year old Max, and a dog-father to their basset/beagle mix Winston. Not one to let any opportunities for early education pass him by, Matt has already started teaching Max about topics such as skeletal structure, autosampler training (though Max ended up sleeping through this), and the disappointment that comes with being a diehard Leafs fan. When he’s not on campus, Matt loves watching pre-2000s action movies, Ghostbusters, the Dumb and Dumber movies, and The Simpsons. If he could be any character from his favourite shows/movies, he would love to be Dr. Peter Venkman (back off man, he's a scientist). If he had to fight a character, though, it would be Walter Peck (well that's what I heard!). Keeping with his movie buff ways, his dream is to conduct stable isotope analysis on Hannibal Lecter. Bio by Hazel McMillan.
TEAL Awards and Honours
🏆 2020 Lowest δ15N Value
🥇 2021 Lab Olympics Gold Medal: Parafilm Shot Put
🥇 2021 Lab Olympics Gold Medal: Microbalance Accuracy
🏆 2021 Sample of the Year
🥉 2022 Lab Olympics Bronze Medal: Reagent Weighing
🥈 2022 Lab Olympics Silver Medal: Parafilm Shot Put
🏆 2022 Corrie Hyland Award for Productivity
🥉 2023 Lab Olympics Bronze Medal: Pipette Transfer Speed
🥇 2023 Lab Olympics Gold Medal: Bone Cutting
🥇 2023 Lab Olympics Gold Medal: Spigot Control
DR. ERIC GUIRY
SSHRC Banting Postdoctoral Fellow (2018-20), Postdoctoral Fellow (2023-)
Ph.D. The University of British Columbia, 2016
M.A. Memorial University of Newfoundland, 2012
B.Sc. (Honours) Lakehead University, 2009
Project: Historical ecology of the Lake Ontario Watershed.
Select Publications
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Guiry E, Kennedy R, Orton D, Armitage P, Bratten J, Dagneau C, Dawdy S, deFrance S, Gaulton B, Givens D, Hall O, Kenyon K, Laberge An, Lavin M, Miller H, Minkoff MF, Niculescu T, Noel S, Pavao-Zuckerman B, Stricker L, Teeter M, Welker M, Wilkoski J, Szpak P, Buckley M. The ratting of North America: A 350-year retrospective on Rattus species compositions and competition. Science Advances. doi:10.1126/sciadv.adm6755. [DOWNLOAD .pdf]
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Guiry E, Kennedy JR, Malcom C, Miller M, Hall O, Buckley M, Szpak P, 2024. Archaeological evidence for long-term human impacts on sea turtle foraging behaviour. Royal Society Open Science 11, 240120. doi:10.1098/rsos.240120. [DOWNLOAD .pdf]
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Guiry EJ, Orchard TJ, Needs-Howarth S, Szpak P, 2022. Freshwater wetland–driven variation in sulfur isotope compositions: Implications for human paleodiet and ecological research. Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution 10. [DOWNLOAD .pdf]
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Guiry EJ, Kennedy JR, O’Connell MT, Gray DR, Grant C, Szpak P, 2021. Early evidence for historical overfishing in the Gulf of Mexico. Science Advances 7, eabh2525. doi:10.1126/sciadv.abh2525. [DOWNLOAD .pdf]
TEAL Awards and Honours
🏆 2019 Lowest δ13C Value
🏆 2019 Highest δ13C Value
🏆 2020 Lowest δ13C Value
🏆 2019, 2020 Highest δ13C Value
🏆 2020 People's Choice Award (Sample of the Year)
Eric Guiry came to Trent as a SSHRC Banting postdoctoral fellow in 2018. He previously completed a SSHRC posdoctoral fellowship at the University of British Columbia where he also earned his PhD in 2016. He has a diverse range of research interests, but primarily focuses on applying stable isotope analyses to animal remains from archaeological sites. His previous research has emphasized dogs, rats, and pigs, and how isotopic data can be used to better understand human behaviour in the past. More recently, his research has focused on the historical ecology of the Great Lakes watershed and the application of isotopic techniques to modern, historic, and ancient fish remains. Eric is an impressively prolific writer and he has published extensively on a diverse range of subjects where stable isotopes, archaeology, and animals intersect. Eric was first runner up in the 2019 end of the year axe throwing party and is the current champ for number of samples analyzed in the lab. He made a strong showing at the 2019 lab awards with the highest and lowest δ13C values recorded in the calendar year: a sheepshead at −5.67 ‰ (TEAL-7334) and a yellow perch at −29.45 ‰ (TEAL-5420). Eric returned to the group as a postdoctoral fellow in 2023.
KATE DOUGHERTY
Environmental & Life Sciences Ph.D. Candidate (2016-)
M.A. Western University, 2003
B.Sc. (Honours) Trent University, 2000
Project: Organic Residues in Middle to Early-Late Woodland Ceramics in the Kawartha Lakes Region.
Kate Dougherty is our resident baker extraordinaire. She truly bleeds Trent green, having done her Bachelor of Science at Trent, as well as working in the university’s Department of Anthropology for over 20 years. Kate began her career at Trent as a teaching assistant, and is now the curator, demonstrator, and lab technician, a job with many responsibilities, including handling collections and helping to run the Department’s field school. Her doctoral research investigates the transition from hunter-fisher-forager foraging to food production in the Woodland Period in the Great Lakes region through residue analysis of ceramics. A Jack of all trades, Kate’s hobbies are numerous, and include reading (anything from Jane Austen to science fiction, to historical non-fiction), growing unusual produce in her garden (one day she will make quince jam!), sewing quilts and clothes, and playing D&D. She is perhaps best known for baking delicious cakes for the lab, and enjoys having TEAL members as taste testers for baking experiments. Bio by Alex Derian.
TEAL Awards and Honours
🏆 2021 Best Analytical Session (Shared with Jen Routledge)
🎖️ 2021 Special Recognition for Achievement in Social Media (Lab Coat of Arms)
JENNIFER ROUTLEDGE
Environmental & Life Sciences Ph.D. Candidate (2020-)
M.A. Student (2018-20)
M.A. Trent University, 2020
B.Sc. (Honours) Trent University, 2018
TEAL Publications
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Routledge J, Sonne C, Letcher RJ, Dietz R, Szpak P, 2023. Unprecedented shift in Canadian High Arctic polar bear food web unsettles four millennia of stability. Anthropocene 43, 100397. doi: 10.1016/j.ancene.2023.100397. [DOWNLOAD .pdf]
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Hyland C, Scott MB, Routledge J, Szpak P, 2021. Stable Carbon and Nitrogen Isotope Variability of Bone Collagen to Determine the Number of Isotopically Distinct Specimens. Journal of Archaeological Method and Theory. doi:10.1007/s10816-021-09533-7. [DOWNLOAD .pdf]
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Louis M, Routledge J, Heide-Jørgensen MP, Szpak P, Lorenzen ED, 2022. Sex and size matter: foraging ecology of offshore harbour porpoises in waters around Greenland. Marine Biology 169, 140. doi:10.1007/s00227-022-04123-x. [DOWNLOAD .pdf]
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Rey-Iglesia A, Wilson T, Routledge J, Skovrind M, Garde E, Heide-Jørgensen MP, Szpak P, Lorenzen ED, 2022. Combining δ13C and δ15N from bone and dentine in marine mammal palaeoecological research: insights from toothed whales. Isotopes in Environmental and Health Studies, 1-12. doi:10.1080/10256016.2022.2145285.
Project: Sulfur isotopes in Arctic marine ecosystems.
Jen is one of the OG crew and a stalwart of the lab. On track to complete a hat-trick of degrees through TEAL, her research has spanned polar bear ecology in her BSc to her PhD work addressing sulfur isotope variation in Arctic marine organisms. Although Grade 3-Jen is very proud of some of the things she has accomplished, Now-Jen muses that in the mirror universe, she is probably an accounts payable clerk, holed up in a room with columns of numbers, a trusty adding machine, and no people. Jen loves to travel and collect cultural phenomena experiences. Her favourite places visited to date are Iceland and Australia. Svalbard is on her wish list to visit one day because it is above the Arctic circle and is home to polar bears and several other taxa frequently analysed in the lab. Jen's best skill acquired in graduate school to date is knowing when to leave out a comma and her advice to new TEAL members is to wear gloves or "you will burn your fingies". Bio by Kate Dougherty.
TEAL Awards and Honours
🏆 2019 Lowest δ15N Value
🥇 2021 Lab Olympics Gold Medal: Bone Cutting
🏆 2021 Matt Teeter Award for Most Glassware Broken
🏆 2021 Best Analytical Session (Shared with Kate Dougherty)
🏆 2022 Best Sample Replicate
🏆 2023 Highest δ13C Value
🥉 2023 Lab Olympics Bronze Medal: Reagent Weighing
🥉 2023 Lab Olympics Bronze Medal: Bone Cutting
🥉 2024 Lab Olympics Bronze Medal: Microbalance Speed
🥈 2024 Lab Olympics Silver Medal: Microbalance Accuracy
ALEX DERIAN
Environmental & Life Sciences Ph.D. Candidate (2022-)
B.A. Simon Fraser University, 2020; M.A. Simon Fraser University, 2022
Project: Historical and Palaeoecology of Arctic Fox
Originally from Vancouver, British Columbia, Alex Derian is a 3rd year PhD. candidate at Trent University. Before venturing to Ontario, Alex attended Simon Fraser University, where she completed her B.A. and M.A. with a research focus on zooarchaeology, specifically the subsistence practices of the Secwepemc in the interior plateau of British Columbia. Currently, Alex is investigating the effects of human subsistence practices on the diets and life histories of Arctic foxes in Inuit Traditional territory. Alongside her academic journey, Alex enjoys rock climbing, playing multiple musical instruments such as the bass, drums, violin and piano as well as her newfound talent of crocheting whimsical items and cute accessories for her niece. She also likes to bake and once made an entire wedding cake for her brother! One fun fact about Alex is that she went to bartending school and is interested in exploring as well as collecting souvenirs from scotch lounges when visiting new destinations. Bio by Dawn Bari.
TEAL Awards and Honours
🥈 2023 Lab Olympics Silver Medal: Bone Cutting
🏆 2023 Best Sample Replicate (with 2022-23 Graduate Class)
🏆 2023 Best Sample Analytical Session (with 2022-23 Graduate Class)
🥈 2024 Lab Olympics Silver Medal: Pipette Transfer
MOSES AKOGUN
Visiting Scholar (2023-),
Anthropology Ph.D. Student at University of Toronto
Project: Animal Management Practices in the Neolithic of Eastern Mongolia
Moses is a third-year PhD student in Anthropology at the University of Toronto and has been an important member of our lab for more than a year. His research focuses on the Early Neolithic management of horses and cattle in eastern Mongolia, and he uses stable isotope analysis to understand their migratory and dietary patterns. Moses’ research aims to understand how changing climate and human interaction have influenced these species' diets, foraging environments, and demography over the last 40,000 years.
Before beginning his PhD under the supervision of Dr. Lisa Janz from University of Toronto, Moses earned his BSc from the University of Ibadan in Nigeria. His work on faunal analysis as an undergraduate student sparked his interest in horses and the potential of using stable isotope analysis to address significant archaeological questions. Moses hopes to use these approaches to address a number of significant archaeological questions in the future, including his ongoing work studying the interactions with horses across different archaeological sites in Nigeria.
When he’s not doing research, Moses likes to watch soccer, with Chelsea FC being his favorite team, and play chess. He even brought back a unique Mongolian chess set from his fieldwork trips. He also enjoys listening to Afrobeats, which is his favorite musical genre. Bio by Nuri Aydemir.
TEAL Awards and Honours
🥉 2024 Lab Olympics Bronze Medal: Spigot Control
NURI AYDEMIR
Environmental & Life Sciences Ph.D. Student (2024-)
B.A. Ankara University, 2019; M.A. Ankara University, 2022
Project: TBD
Nuri is a PhD student in Environmental and Life Sciences. He moved to Peterborough from Ankara, Türkiye, where he completed his Bachelor and Master of Arts degrees (Ankara University, 2019 and 2022, respectively). Nuri first became involved in archaeological science while on exchange in South Korea during his bachelor’s degree. He has participated in excavations at Kültepe, a Bronze Age settlement in central Anatolia, and Kizilin Cave, an epipaleolithic settlement in Türkiye. His master’s thesis evaluated the stable isotope literature on Neolithization process in Anatolia. His PhD research will investigate Neolithization in southwest Asia, focusing on heavy metal isotopes and collagen extraction in poorly preserved skeletal remains. Outside of the lab, Nuri is an accomplished climber. He was a national athlete in Türkiye and won three gold, and two silver medals for lead climbing and bouldering. He also enjoys reading science fiction and fantasy, is interested in astronomy and astrophysics, and has a cat named Lassie (for her dog-like personality). A fun fact about Nuri is that he used to be an EMT! Bio by Alex Derian.
TEAL Awards and Honours
🥇 2024 Lab Olympics Gold Medal: Reagent Weighing
DOROTHY MAWEUNA BUATSI
Environmental & Life Sciences Ph.D. Student (2024-)
B.A. University of Ghana, 2020; Erasmus Mundus Scholar (Archaeological Materials Science) 2023, University of Evora, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Sapienza University of Rome
Project: TBD
Dorothy joined the lab in 2024 as a PhD student with the Environmental and Life Sciences graduate program. She began her academic career at the University of Ghana Legon where she completed a joint major degree in archaeology and political science; Dorothy won the Professor Merrick Posnansky Award for the Best Graduating Student in Archaeology. While at the University of Ghana she also worked as a student journalist with campus radio. Her undergraduate degree emphasised anthropological and ethnographic perspectives, but Dorothy took her Master’s in a decidedly scientific direction. As an Erasmus Mundus Joint Master’s scholar, she completed a two-year Master’s degree in archaeological materials science that took her all over Europe, studying at the University of Evora (Portugal), Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (Greece), and Sapienza University of Rome (Italy). Her thesis used stable carbon and nitrogen isotopes to conduct a paleodietary examination of late antiquity and early Medieval Roman populations. For her PhD research, Dorothy will examine animal husbandry practices in Chile and Peru to answer questions about interactions between humans and their environment. In addition to her impressive academic resume, Dorothy is an avid volunteer, spending time with seniors and children. She also enjoys singing, dancing and experimenting in the kitchen. No doubt our potluck lunches will benefit from her culinary inquiries. Dorothy is TEAL's resident polyglot, being fluent in five languages! Bio by Jen Routledge
ALEXIS RAUSCH
Anthropology M.Sc. Student (2022-)
B.A. Grand Valley State University, 2020
Project: Isotopic Perspectives on the Life Histories of Victims of the 1847 Typhus Epidemic in Kingston, Ontario
Alexis joined TEAL in 2022 and is now in the second year of her Masters degree. Originally from Ohio, Alexis graduated with her B.A. in 2020 from Grand Valley State University, where she majored in Anthropology and double minored in Archaeology and French. She is conducting a stable isotope study on the teeth of victims of the 1847 typhus epidemic, which were excavated at a 19th century archaeological site at Kingstone General Hospital in Kingston, Ontario. Alexis has successfully proven herself to be the nightowl of the lab with many late autosampler fills and has also been a TA for a lot of night classes. When Alexis is not coming in for more lab work on the weekends, she has some very cool hobbies that include finding and petting as many cute animals as she can, video games (currently Baldur’s Gate and Dave the Diver), rewatching The Great British Bake-Off, Dungeons and Dragons, martial arts, and crafting! Bio by Janelle Priodoehl.
TEAL Awards and Honours
🥇 2023 Lab Olympics Gold Medal: Reagent Weighing
🥉 2023 Lab Olympics Bronze Medal: Microbalance Accuracy
🥈 2023 Lab Olympics Silver Medal: Spigot Control
🏆 2023 Best Sample Replicate (with 2022-23 Graduate Class)
🏆 2023 Best Analytical Session (with 2022-23 Graduate Class)
🏆 2023 Eric Guiry Award (325 EA-IRMS and 358 MC-ICP-MS samples analyzed)
🏆 2023 Tess Wilson Award for Instrumental Perseverance (shared with Olivia Hall)
🏆 2023 Best Lab Meeting Presentation (Alex's Memes)
RACHEL DICKENSON
Anthropology M.Sc. Student (2023-)
B.Sc. Trent University, 2023
Project: Diet and Life History of Thule and Birnirk Ancestors
Rachel is entering the second year of her Masters, which she began after completing her undergraduate degree in Forensic Science at Trent University in 2023. Her thesis focuses on the applications of stable carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur isotope analysis to reconstructing dietary patterns of the Thule and Birnirk of northern Alaska. Rachel was originally drawn to this project through her interest in studying people of the past and she values the unique questions that may be studied through stable isotope analysis. Over the summer, she began working hard on preparing her thesis samples for analysis later this year. Notably, her favorite “lab-task” is using the micropipette during the collagen extraction process. Rachel’s favorite part of graduate school is getting hands-on experience in the lab and working with her friends at TEAL. Outside of the lab, Rachel enjoys reading, baking, crafting, keeping her air plants alive, and building Lego. You can frequently catch Rachel at trivia with her friends, despite being somewhat mediocre at it. Although, her geography skills are improving, and she can point out Spain on the map with a 90% success rate! Slay! Bio by Janelle Pridoehl.
TEAL Awards and Honours
🏆 2023 Corrie Hyland Award for Positivity (shared with Julia McCuaig)
🥇 2024 Lab Olympics Gold Medal: Bone Cutting
RYAN PAWLOWSKI
Anthropology M.Sc. Student (2023-)
B.Sc. University of Toronto, Mississagua, 2023
Project: Effects of Decomposition on the Isotopic Composition of Human Soft Tissues
Ryan Joseph Pawlowski is in his second year in the lab and has big plans for his research in the field of Forensic Anthropology. As a driven researcher and MSc candidate in Forensic Anthropology, Ryan is passionate about unlocking the secrets related to human decomposition. His undergraduate degree laid the groundwork for his current research focusing on stable isotopes and their role in estimating post-mortem intervals and isotopic enrichment patterns during human decomposition and its correlation with time of death. Ryan is often immersed in lab work, but outside academia, he enjoys outdoor activities like fishing and swimming and cherishes family time. Ryan is also passionate about acting and has appeared as an extra in films and series, including "Pixels" alongside Adam Sandler. His beloved pet gecko and remarkably long golden hair (grown since grade four!) showcase his fun-loving side. When asked about his favorite quote, he shared one by Albert Einstein which is that "Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving," Ryan embodies this philosophy, constantly seeking growth in his academic, professional, and personal life. He said, "I'm here because I didn't want to stop moving, "I've developed significantly as a student and a professional, and I'm thrilled to be part of this community." Bio by Dorothy Buatsi.
TEAL Awards and Honours
🥉 2023 Lab Olympics Bronze Medal: Reagent Weighing
HAZEL McMILLAN
Environmental & Life Sciences M.Sc. Student (2024-)
B.Sc., Trent University, 2024
Project: Palaeoecology of Atlantic walrus
Originally from South Mountain, and now residing in Campbellford, Ontario, Hazel is working towards an undergraduate degree in Conservation Biology (B.Sc.). As part of their degree, Hazel is working towards completing a thesis project by reconstructing the palaeoecology of Alaskan pinnipeds through the stable isotope analysis of tissues from both modern and ancient seal samples. Hazel is no stranger to wildlife! With 3 horses and a donkey at home, and a previous life as a barrel racer & pole bender, Hazel spends a lot of time around non-humans. When not working hard towards their degree or feeding and taking care of the animals, Hazel enjoys relaxing with the books Tuck Everlasting, and Slewfoot, or watching shows like Parks and Rec, Brooklyn 99, and Good Omens. When time affords them, and not one to bend to lab pressure, Hazel also enjoys musicals like Moulin Rouge. Hazel’s love of animals, and marine mammals specifically, has made for a seamless transition to the world of archaeology and the TEAL laboratory from the backwaters of Biology. Bio by Matt Teeter.
TEAL Awards and Honours
🥉 2023 Lab Olympics Bronze Medal: Bone Cutting
JANELLE PRIDOEHL
Archaeology M.Sc. Student (2024-)
B.Sc., Trent University, 2024
Project: Stables Isotope Sourcing of Camelid Fibre using Sulfur Isotope Analysis
Janelle is joining us here for her second year of TEAL membership, now pursuing her MSc. in anthropology. Previously, Janelle examined the stable isotope values of high-altitude archaeological camelids from the highlands of northern Chile during her bachelor’s degree here at Trent. Today, Janelle is expanding her camelid knowledge through stable isotope analysis of camelid fibre textiles for her Master's thesis. Janelle’s love of archaeology runs deep – as a kid, she used to hold birthday parties at her local archaeology museum! Even this past summer, her favourite memory was working with her field crew, excavating in Thunder Bay. One day, she would like to try outdoor rock climbing, and if she could, she would love to excavate in Belize again – though, she would have to survive the airport, which she hates for its bustle and noise. It’s clear that archaeology is a huge passion of Janelle’s, but when she isn’t working or excavating, you can find her rock-climbing, reading, or playing The Legend of Zelda on her Nintendo Switch, probably eating something super sugary. Bio by Ryan Pawlowski
DAWN BARI
Archaeology M.Sc. Student (2024-)
B.Sc., Trent University, 2024
Project: Geographic Origins of 19th Century Individuals from Quebec City
Dawn is a first year M.Sc. student in TEAL, and her thesis will use sulfur and strontium isotopes to study the geographic origins of individuals that likely perished in an 1833 cholera outbreak in Quebec City and may have recently migrated from Ireland. While she may be new to TEAL, she is not new to Trent, having done her undergraduate degree here as a joint major in Anthropology and Biology. Dawn got in to anthropology because she is fascinated by the skeleton and all its working parts; this fascination has taken her on trips to the Kingston General Hospital in Kingston, ON (see the thesis work of Alexis Rausch for more on this) and the Kourion site in Limassol, Cyprus. At both sites, Dawn worked cataloguing skeletal remains and studying signs of disease; concha bullosa in Limassol and typhus in Kingston. Dawn is looking forward to learning more about stable isotope analysis and making new friends on campus, which we are all sure she will! In her spare time, Dawn is both an athlete (hiking, badminton, volleyball), amateur builder (Legos), and film buff. We are thrilled to have Dawn joining us in TEAL, especially if she shares her mean charcuterie board-making skills and pictures of her adorable cats (Pebbles and Sprinkles) and dog (Austin). Bio by Rachel Dickenson.
DASHIELL IVES
Anthropology B.A. Student (2023-24)
B.A., Trent University, 2025 (Expected)
Dashiell is a final-year undergraduate student at Trent University. He recently completed his honors thesis in 2024, where he investigated whether dogs are a suitable proxy for human paleo-diet reconstructions in Birnirk and Thule (northern Alaska, AD 6th–12th centuries). He is generally interested in human evolution and primatology and hopes to combine his skills in isotope analysis to study human evolutionary history and Apes during his graduate program. Dashiell also has a passion for 3D printing. He got his first 3D printer through an impulse purchase during Covid and has since built so many 3D models. Some of his paleoanthropological and osteological models are used as teaching materials at Trent University. His most exciting 3D printing is that of a fossil Ape from Turkiye called Anadoluvius. A 3D model of Anadoluvius by Dashiell was recently sent to Turkiye. Dashiell is a delight on many fronts. First, it is undebatable that he is quite eccentric, but many lab members would instead describe him as excessive, curious, talkative, though charismatic. He is perceived to talk like an 18th-century Englishman, but he is actually from Whitby and lived in Ontario for most of his life. Secondly, Dashiell is a poetic and flowery writer and a lover of classical or medieval terms. His writing is primarily influenced by books he read growing up and his mum, an English teacher. He was a competitive go-kart racer and enjoys mixed martial arts (Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, wrestling, and judo) and lifting weights. Bio by Moses Akogun.
JOY
Lab Mascot (2017-), Post-dog-toral Fellow (2024-)
No known degrees
Project: Diet-tissue discrimination factors for canids provisioned with a wide range of meats and cheeses.
Joy's past is shrouded in mystery but she joined the group from Istanbul, Turkey in 2017. She has a cauliflower ear and a friendly disposition. Her favourite piece of anthropological literature is "How Dogs Dream" by Eduardo Kohn, although she admits that she doesn't really understand it. Her primary research interests include the anthropology of sleeping and laziness, experimental archaeology focusing on the taphonomy of large mammal bones exposed to carnivore gnawing, and the behavioural ecology of squirrels, chipmunks, and rabbits. Her main contribution to the lab is the initial processing of animals bones that are used in methodological studies such as the VIP, DATA, PATRICIA, and TIBIA graduate class projects.
