East Carolina University at Biscayane National Park
The 2016 East Carolina University Biscayne National Park Field School Crew
Sean Cox – Student Sean has a background in classical studies and after a decade in Istanbul as an educator, editor, project manager, and investigative consultant, chose to return to graduate school at East Carolina to study maritime archaeology. Primarily focused on the Eastern Mediterranean, he is fascinated with connecting material remains found in shipwrecks and sunken cities to the lives of people who used them.
Kristina Fricker – Student Kristina graduated from the University of Rochester in May of 2015 where she double majored in History and Archaeology, Technology, and Historical Structures (ATHS). Her academic interests include ancient navies in the Mediterranean, specifically the naval arms race of the Hellenistic period with focus on Ptolemaic warships, and the social history of ancient warfare and submerged sites in the Nile Delta. She has participated in a number of excavations in locations such as Spain, Italy, Romania, and Bermuda.
Trevor Hough – Student Trevor was born in Laguna Beach, CA, and spent his formative years sailing around the world on his family’s home built trimaran. He attributes his interest in archaeology as a whole, and maritime archaeology especially, to those years. After getting his B.A. in Anthropology with an emphasis in Archaeology, from the University of California Santa Barbara, he spent the next five years working in Cultural Resource Management throughout the western United States before deciding to return to school. He owns an iguana named Monty and is recently engaged.
Dorothy Sprague – Student Dorothy did her undergraduate work in Marketing and Management at Emory University in Atlanta, GA. Upon graduating, she spent three months living with the Ju’/hoan San, a tribe of hunter gatherers, before returning to New York to work for an NGO that is active in the area. Last year, she spent six months working as a dive master in the Seychelles before returning to Africa for another three months with the Ju’/hoan San.
Olivia Thomas – Student Olivia attended Indiana University and received a B.A. in Anthropology, Classical Art and Archaeology, and Underwater Archaeology, as well as a minor in Medieval History and a certificate in Underwater Resource Management. While in college, she did fieldwork on terrestrial archaeological sites in Greece, Portugal, and Indiana and underwater archaeological sites in the Dominican Republic. After graduating from IU, Olivia moved to St. Croix, USVI where she spent the last few years working as a SCUBA instructor and as a volunteer with The Nature Conservancy’s coral reef restoration project. Olivia’s thesis topic is 18th century Spanish cooking artifacts.
Annie Wright – Student Annie attended Transylvania University where she graduated magna cum laude with a B.A. in Anthropology and a minor in Environmental Studies. She studied abroad in the Turks and Caicos Islands, completing a program in Marine Resource Management. She also worked on underwater archaeology projects in Honduras, Spain, and the eastern Mediterranean. Annie’s main research interests are in underwater 3D imaging systems and their use in cultural heritage tourism. She enjoys spending time with her dog, Cayo, a rescue from the Turks & Caicos.
Kelsey Dwyer – Crew Chief Kelsey is a bilingual graduate of Davidson College in Davidson, North Carolina where she studied Anthropology and Hispanic Studies with a focus in archaeology. She has previously conducted excavations in Croatia, Spain, Italy, and Ireland, as well as conducting ethnographic research throughout Nicaragua. Apart from being an avid fan of Game of Thrones, she enjoys playing the piano, painting, playing field hockey, and being near the water.
Allyson Ropp – Crew Chief Allyson attended University of North Carolina at Asheville where she received degrees in History and Classics. She has experience with terrestrial work in Italy and underwater work in Florida. She is studying topics concerning the Golden Age of Piracy, including piracy in the Caribbean and North Carolina.
Dr. Jennifer McKinnon – Principal Investigator Jen is an Associate Professor in the Program in Maritime Studies and is the Principal Investigator for the Pillar Dollar Shipwreck Project. She spent the 2014 fall field school season excavating the site and has returned for more. Jen is originally from Florida where she worked on several colonial sites above and below the water while at graduate school at UF and FSU and then as a Senior Underwater Archaeologist for the State of Florida.
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