David R. Braun

David R. Braun is a Professor of Anthropology at George Washington University and a Core Faculty member of the CASHP program. He directs the Koobi Fora Field School in Kenya, focusing on early hominin archaeology and stone tool technology. His research emphasizes hominin evolution in East Africa, particularly the relationship between technological innovation and environmental adaptation. Dr. Braun holds a Ph.D. in Anthropology from Rutgers University (2006), following an M.A. (2002) and B.A. (1998) from the same institution and Haverford College, respectively.

Research Interests: Braun’s work spans hominin behavioral evolution, lithic technology analysis, and paleoenvironmental reconstruction. He has pioneered methods linking stone tool production to cognitive development and environmental pressures, with a focus on sites like Koobi Fora and East Turkana. His fieldwork integrates geoarchaeological and ecological data to contextualize hominin adaptations.

Publications Trends: Recent work emphasizes interdisciplinary approaches, combining experimental archaeology, morphometrics, and biomarker analysis. Key themes include fire use by early hominins, tool selection patterns comparable to primates, and the impacts of climate change on pastoralist societies. Over 50% of his recent publications address human-environment interaction in arid/semi-arid regions.

• Awards: 2017 Trachtenberg Prize for Teaching Excellence
• Teaching: Courses include Paleoanthropological Field Methods, Lithic Technology, and Archaeological Theory

Labs/Teams: Director of Koobi Fora Field School; collaborator on multi-institutional projects in Turkana Basin and South African sites. His work often involves geoscientists, primatologists, and health researchers to address holistic questions about human origins and adaptation.