Geoffrey M. Smith

Geoffrey M. Smith is a Professor in the Department of Anthropology at the University of Nevada, Reno, affiliated with the College of Liberal Arts. He serves as Director of the Nevada Museum of People, Place, and Time and the Executive Director of the Artemisia Archaeological Research Fund (AARF). His work integrates academic research with public outreach through collaborative teaching and community engagement.

• Education: Ph.D. in Anthropology from the University of Wyoming (2010)

Smith’s research focuses on the archaeology of the Pleistocene-Holocene transition in the Intermountain West, emphasizing human mobility strategies via lithic technology and obsidian provenance analysis. He explores how environmental, demographic, and social factors shaped hunter-gatherer adaptations in the Great Basin, with a strong commitment to incorporating Indigenous knowledge into dietary residue analysis. His fieldwork includes directing summer surveys in the northwestern Great Basin and analyzing Western Stemmed Tradition assemblages from Last Supper Cave and Nevada-Oregon border sites.

Recent publications highlight his contributions to resolving the Clovis-Western Stemmed Tradition debate, lithic technological organization, and ecological niche modeling. Smith co-leads the Traditional Nutrition Project, bridging Indigenous communities with UNR and University of Oregon researchers to study Great Basin plant use and nutritional values.

• Scientific Awards:
  • 2022 Paul and Judy Bible University Teaching Excellence Award
  • 2021 Nevada System of Higher Education Regents’ Teaching Award
  • 2019 Donald J. Tibbitts Distinguished Teacher Award
  • 2018 Alan Bible Excellence in Teaching Award
  • 2013 College of Liberal Arts Dean’s Teaching Award

Smith actively mentors undergraduate and graduate students interested in Great Basin archaeology and ecology, offering courses such as ANTH 202 (Archaeology), ANTH 446/646 (Archaeological Methods), and ANTH 740 (Great Basin Archaeology and Paleoecology). His collaborative approach includes partnerships with Indigenous communities and institutions to advance understanding of early human settlement and ecological interactions.