Melissa S. Murphy

Melissa S. Murphy is a Professor and Department Head in the Department of Anthropology at the University of Wyoming. She holds a B.A. from Haverford College (1994) and a Ph.D. from the University of Pennsylvania (2004). Her research focuses on bioarchaeology, particularly the effects of colonialism and imperialism in prehispanic and colonial Peru, with fieldwork in Mexico, Kazakhstan, Israel, and France. She established the Bioarchaeology and Stable Isotope Laboratory (BaSIL) at UW, where students analyze human remains and stable isotopes.

Her teaching emphasizes integrating anthropology subfields, offering courses like Human Osteology, Forensic Anthropology, and Bioarchaeology. Recent research explores mortuary practices, post-contact identity, and colonial health dynamics. Key themes include cultural continuity, biodistance analysis, and resistance strategies in colonial contexts.

Publications span bioarchaeological methodological innovations, colonial demography, and interdisciplinary studies of violence and health. Her work bridges archaeological, historical, and biological data to address societal transformations under colonial regimes.