Nancy H. Bigelow

Dr. Nancy H. Bigelow is a Professor in the Department of Anthropology at the University of Alaska Fairbanks and a researcher at the Alaska Quaternary Center. Her work focuses on Arctic paleoecology, palynology, and vegetation history during the Quaternary period, with particular attention to human-landscape interactions.

• Education:
  • Ph.D. in Archaeology from the University of Alaska Fairbanks (1997)
  • M.A. in Archaeology from the University of Alaska Fairbanks (1991)
  • B.A. in Modern European History from the University of Vermont (1982)
• Research Interests:
  • Arctic paleoecology
  • Palynology
  • Vegetation history
  • Ecosystem responses to climate change
  • Human-landscape interactions
• Current Research:
  • Landscape and vegetation change in interior Alaska post-14,000 years ago
  • Alaska Range paleoecological shifts
  • Western Aleutian vegetation dynamics
  • Susitna drainage landscape evolution
• Recent Trends:
  • Focus on Late Glacial to Holocene transitions
  • Multi-proxy approaches (pollen, macrofossils, DNA)
  • Human dispersal in Beringia
  • Thermokarst lake analysis
  • Permafrost sediment studies

Contact: nhbigelow@alaska.edu