Kelly Knudson

Kelly Knudson is the Associate Dean of Faculty in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at Arizona State University (ASU) and a Professor in the School of Human Evolution and Social Change. She directs the Center for Bioarchaeological Research and specializes in biogeochemistry, focusing on human responses to climate change and mobility patterns in prehistoric societies. Her research is funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the National Institute of Justice (NIJ), yielding over 110 peer-reviewed publications and two textbooks.

• Educations: Ph.D. in Anthropology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
• Grants: Includes NSF-funded projects on migration, community interaction, and bioarchaeological studies.
• Courses: Teaches courses like 'Understanding Archaeology' and 'Death & Dying Cross-Cultural Perspectives.'
• Labs: Leads the Archaeological Chemistry Laboratory and the Center for Bioarchaeological Research.

Her work integrates stable isotope and strontium analyses to trace human and animal mobility, with a focus on Andean and pre-Columbian contexts. Key projects include studies on Tiwanaku collapse, Wari Empire social dynamics, and Neandertal ranging behaviors in France.

Future research emphasizes climate change impacts on ancient societies, leveraging interdisciplinary methods to explore resilience and adaptation.