معرفی
Whittaker Schroder serves as Assistant Professor in the Department of Anthropology at the University of Florida, where he directs the Proyecto Arqueológico Bajo Lacantún in Chiapas, Mexico, and collaborates with the Florida Institute for Built Environment Resilience on socioclimatic resilience projects across multiple continents.
Education:
- Ph.D. from University of Pennsylvania
- B.A. from Brown University
Research Focus: Schroder investigates how communities shape landscapes to address socioenvironmental risks through historical and political ecology frameworks. His work integrates drone-based LiDAR, photogrammetry, and machine learning to analyze archaeological landscapes, emphasizing household archaeology, resilience mechanisms, and indigenous knowledge systems in Mesoamerica. Current fieldwork examines ancient Maya water management and agricultural intensification in the Lower Lacantún River region.
Publication Trends: His recent research demonstrates increasing integration of remote sensing technologies with traditional archaeological methods, particularly using Google Earth Engine and UAV LiDAR for landscape analysis. Publications reveal a strong focus on Maya settlement patterns, defensive structures, and cross-cultural resource conservation, with growing emphasis on applying archaeological insights to contemporary climate vulnerability.
Research Support:
- Ongoing: Dumbarton Oaks Research Grant (PI), Gerda Henkel Foundation Grant (PI), NASA Interdisciplinary Science Grant (co-PI)
- Completed: NSF grants on Maya warfare and terracing systems, American Philosophical Society Franklin Grant, Penn Museum Director’s Funds, Rust Family Foundation
Field Operations: Schroder directs excavations at Benemérito de las Américas and Quiringüicharo in Chiapas under INAH permit, focusing on the Maya kingdom of Lakamtuun. His international collaborations with the Florida Institute for Built Environment Resilience develop community-based adaptation strategies in Florida, Ecuador, and Italy.
