Doctoral Dissertation: Zooming in on a Snapshot of Care: Creating Models of Care for Individuals in the Terry Collection 

Building on my master's thesis, my dissertation took a more in-depth look at the Index of Care model using the Terry Collection. This work required rigorous research, forensic analysis, and the application of new methodologies. Throughout this journey, I continued to share my process live on Twitch, making academia accessible and engaging for a wider audience. Despite my challenges, I earned my PhD in Anthropology, demonstrating my commitment to research and education. The full dissertation is available here.

Master’s Thesis: A Snapshot of Care: Creating Models of Care for Individuals Included in the Terry Collection 

My master's thesis focused on the Terry Collection housed at the Smithsonian, where I analyzed how care practices could be reconstructed from skeletal remains. I worked directly at the Montana Crime Lab while completing this research, contributing forensic analysis and case reports. Despite the hurdles of my brain injury and learning disability, I was able to complete this challenging research and produce a meaningful thesis. You can read the full thesis here.

I began my journey into bioarchaeology with my undergraduate thesis, 'The Black Death: exploring the possible link of the Great Famine and Yersinia pestis through a bioarchaeological examination,' at Drew University in 2016. This research laid the groundwork for my future studies and demonstrated my ability to conduct complex research, even in the face of adversity. Click the image to be redirected to a link to download.

Sharing My Academic Journey Live

Throughout my academic career, I took a non-traditional approach by streaming my finals, thesis defense dry runs, and dissertation defense live on Twitch. This wasn’t just about presenting my work—it was about making academia accessible and showing others that even with a brain injury and learning disability, it’s possible to succeed in a rigorous academic environment. Click the image to be linked to the Video on Demand (VOD) of the presentation.