I was born and raised in Hilo on the Big Island of Hawaii. Aside from a few years spent in Oregon, all of my childhood and most of my adult life has been lived on the windward side of the Big Island. All this http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/02/23/worst-things-about-hawaii_n_4812566.html and here http://www.buzzfeed.com/mattdekneef/38-problems-only-people-from-hawaii-will-understan-cskf , is true. The difficulties of island living have molded me into someone who is capable of withstanding even the wimpiest of Seattle rains. I even have experience with snowy weather! http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/01/31/hawaii-snow-day_n_4706064.html.

All my archaeological training and education was undertaken at the University of Hawaii at Hilo, and prior to moving to Seattle for graduate school, I worked for about two years in cultural resource management in Hilo. I now live on the outskirts of a large city – where, thankfully, there are a few dirt roads and lots of trees in case I need to roll around outside. My research interests are largely focused on archaeobotanical applications in the Pacific region. For my future dissertation work I hope to conduct research on the development of subsistence strategies and using archaeobotany to answer questions related to social complexity.