Raghda El-Behaedi

Raghda (Didi) El-Behaedi is a Lecturer in Classics, Archaeology & Religion at the University of Missouri-Columbia and co-director of the Memphis Kom el-Fakhry Archaeological Project (MKAP), a joint mission with Egypt’s Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities. She holds a B.A. (Honors) in Anthropology (Archaeology) from the University of North Carolina Wilmington (2017) with a minor in Geospatial Technologies.

Her research focuses on integrating remote sensing, GIS, and 3D modeling to study ancient Egyptian settlement patterns and landscape changes. Notable projects include analyzing the Fayum’s paleolake dynamics, safeguarding Abu Simbel temples from flooding, and exploring Hermopolis via satellite imagery. She has conducted fieldwork in Egypt, France, and the U.S., and held research roles at NASA Langley and Goddard Space Flight Centers.

Her work emphasizes cultural heritage preservation through digital tools like SOAP (Satellite Observations for Archaeological Preservation). Awards include a National Geographic Society grant supporting her Fayum research. Current MKAP efforts focus on uncovering Memphis’s Old Kingdom layers, blending excavation with geospatial innovation.