Alexandra Kelly

Alexandra Kelly is an Associate Professor of History and Anthropology at the University of Wyoming, holding a dual appointment between the Department of History and the Department of Anthropology. She is also the Director of the UW Anthropology Museum and actively involved in the Museum Studies minor program. Her research focuses on historical anthropology/archaeology, examining 19th-century capitalist expansion, imperialism, material culture, and cultural heritage. Key projects include the Carbon City Archaeology Project (co-directed with Jason Toohey) studying Wyoming’s first coal-mining town and analyses of East Africa-New England ivory trade networks.

Her research interests span the American West, East Africa, historical archaeology, material culture, and settler colonialism. She teaches courses such as HIST/ANTH 2600 (Forgotten Africa: Introduction to African Civilizations) and ANTH 4010 (History of Anthropological Thought). Current projects include archaeological surveys in Wyoming and community engagement initiatives. She mentors graduate students in both History (M.A.) and Anthropology (M.A./Ph.D.) programs, emphasizing historical archaeology and museum studies.

The UW Anthropology Museum, under her direction, showcases exhibits on human evolution, Wyoming archaeology (e.g., Vore Buffalo Jump), and global hunter-gatherer heritage. The museum is housed in the George C. Frison Building and offers self-guided tours during university hours. Dr. Kelly collaborates on field schools and research projects across Wyoming, emphasizing interdisciplinary approaches to cultural heritage preservation.