Karin Larkin

Dr. Karin Larkin serves as Associate Professor and Curator in the Department of Anthropology at the University of Colorado Colorado Springs (UCCS), within the College of Letters, Arts, and Sciences. She additionally directs the Museum Studies program and leads the Cultural Heritage and Environmental Studies MA program, with cross-appointment in Humanities. With 25 years of field experience across the US West, Southwest, Chihuahua, and Colorado sites including Ludlow and Pikes Peak, her work bridges academic research and community engagement.

Her educational foundation includes:

• PhD in Anthropology, University of Colorado Boulder (2006)
• MA in Museum Studies, University of Colorado Boulder (1998)
• Dual BA in Art History and Comparative Literature, UC Santa Cruz (1993)

Dr. Larkin's research centers on community collaboration, labor history, health humanities, and material culture analysis, with signature projects at the Ludlow Massacre Site and Cragmor Sanatorium. Her approach emphasizes participatory methodologies that empower communities in heritage interpretation, as evidenced by her co-edited volume Communities of Ludlow (2022) and award-nominated work on tuberculosis archaeology.

Recent publications (2017-2024) reveal three interconnected trajectories: 1) Labor conflict archaeology (Ludlow-focused work), 2) Health humanities through institutional archaeology (sanatorium studies), and 3) Collaborative public scholarship frameworks. These strands consistently examine how material culture mediates social discord and community resilience, with increasing emphasis on decolonial approaches since her 2019 article 'Decolonizing Ludlow'.

Scientific recognition:

• No formal awards listed in source materials
• Editorial leadership for University Press of Colorado volumes
• Peer-reviewed publications in top historical archaeology journals

As Graduate Director for the CHESS MA program and instructor of courses from Archaeological Lab Methods to Exhibit Design, Dr. Larkin integrates students into active research through field practicums and curation projects. Her Colorado Coalfield War Archaeology Project provides sustained grant-supported opportunities for student involvement in community-based fieldwork and public scholarship initiatives.

The anthropology curation facility she oversees serves as a living laboratory where students gain hands-on experience in collections management, exhibit development, and archaeological analysis, directly supporting her mission to connect academic training with professional museum and heritage practice.