Patricia Lambert

Patricia Lambert is a Distinguished Professor in the Department of Anthropology within the School of Social Sciences at Utah State University. Her research and teaching are centered on bioarchaeology, skeletal analysis, and the anthropological study of prehistoric violence, health, and disease. She has been a leading figure in the field, publishing extensively in top journals and mentoring graduate students in biological anthropology and bioarchaeology.

• University: Utah State University
• School: School of Social Sciences
• Department: Department of Anthropology
• Academic Rank: Professor
• Email: patricia.lambert@usu.edu
• Office: Logan (MAIN 245E)
• Phone: +1 435 797 2603

Educational Background:

• PhD, Anthropology, University of California at Santa Barbara, 1994
• MA, Anthropology, University of California at Santa Barbara, 1989
• BA, Physical Anthropology, University of California at Santa Barbara, 1980
• Other, Bioarchaeology/Skeletal Analysis, Smithsonian Institution, 1997

Her research interests span prehistoric warfare, paleopathology, bioarchaeology, North American prehistory, and Peruvian prehistory. She investigates trauma patterns in human skeletons to understand social conflict, health impacts of agricultural transitions, and the spread of diseases like treponemal infections. Her work integrates biological data with cultural and environmental contexts to reconstruct past lifeways and societal dynamics.

The most recent publications reflect a sustained focus on violence, trauma, agricultural intensification, and ethical issues in bioarchaeology. Her studies span North America and coastal Peru, using osteological analysis to explore patterns of injury, disease, and mortuary behavior. She frequently collaborates with other leading scholars and contributes to both empirical research and theoretical debates in the field.

Scientific Awards and Honors:

• Distinguished Professor Award, 2017 (CHaSS, USU)
• Certificate of Excellence in Reviewing, 2013, 2014 (International Journal of Paleopathology)
• USU Diversity Award, Community Member category, 2014
• Fellow, 2012 (American Association for the Advancement of Science)
• Researcher of the Year, 2002 (College of Humanities, Arts & Social Sciences)
• AAUW Emerging Scholar Award, 1999
• Smithsonian Fellowship Award, 1996
• Andrew Isbell Award, 1992
• Regents Fellowship Award, 1989

She has advised graduate students including Geena Black and Garnet Kwader, and has secured research grants supporting fieldwork and laboratory analysis. Her technical reports indicate active engagement in NAGPRA-related inventories and bioarchaeological assessments. She teaches core courses such as Biological Anthropology, Osteology, Anthropology of Disease, and The Anthropology of War, demonstrating a strong commitment to both undergraduate and graduate education.

Dr. Lambert is involved in major research projects related to the Cerro Oreja site in Peru, the Tuqan Man remains from California, and prehistoric conflict on the Colorado Plateau. Her interdisciplinary collaborations include work with archaeologists, geochemists, and paleopathologists. She continues to publish on ethical issues in human remains research and the repatriation of ancestral materials, positioning her at the forefront of contemporary debates in bioarchaeology.