Joan Wozniak

Joan Wozniak serves as a Courtesy Research Associate within the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Oregon, contributing to anthropological research initiatives.

Her academic credentials include:

• M.A. in Anthropology from the University of Oregon
• Ph.D. in Anthropology from the University of Oregon

Dr. Wozniak specializes in geoarchaeological investigations of human-environment interactions, particularly focusing on soil composition and microfossil analysis in archaeological sediments. Her primary research examines subsistence practices—including food production and foraging—on Rapanui (Easter Island) resulting from Polynesian colonization, alongside ongoing studies of Micronesian and Western Pacific ceramics that extend her master's research. This work integrates environmental science, archaeological methodology, and Pacific cultural history.

Her professional activities emphasize field-based analysis of agricultural soils and ceramic artifacts to reconstruct historical ecological changes and human adaptation strategies in Oceania.