Day 8: Post 1, Crew Bios

Here are some short biographies of the great crew we have out here. In previous posts you have read some short narratives of their experiences out here. Here is a little bit about them:

I’m Jenn Babiarz, an archaeologist with the Maryland State Highway Administration, with a Master’s of Applied Anthropology from the University of Maryland at College Park. Right now I’m in the dissertation writing phase of my Ph.D. work at the University of Texas at Austin. My main interests are in African Diaspora archaeology, particularly in the Chesapeake, and activist archaeology. I’ve been particularly interested in the SHA’s War of 1812 archaeology project because of its public component; I spent six years teaching at the University of Maryland’s Field School in Public Archaeology. Getting people engaged in the retelling of their community’s history is always fulfilling and exciting.

Hi my name is Tara Giuliano and I work for the State Highway Administrations cultural resource section. I grew up in upstate New York and I received my B.A from the University at Buffalo. I really enjoy working in the field of archaeology and discovering new and exciting things- and I am super excited to be a part of the Bladensburg project!

Hello! My name is Kristen Heasley, and I have been in CRM for three years. I love the excitement of being able to travel and discover fun things in my work. I am especially interested in prehistory, and in the fall will be traveling to the UK to earn my MA from Southampton University in Paleolithic Archaeology and Human Origins.

John Lewis: My interest in Archeology began with a survey course in the mid 70’s. I then went on to the Maritime side after getting certified in Scuba with a course in the Florida Keys about ship construction and exploring Spanish ship wrecks. Moving to Maryland in 1980 gave me the opportunity to join the volunteers working under the guidance of Bruce Thompson. Terrestrial experiences came through participation in the C A T program with Bruce, Jim Gibb, Charles Hall and Julie Schablitsky. I’m currently working the Magruder House site and have been washing and sorting a great variety of artifacts.

Susan Peltier
Received BA-H Anthropology from McMaster University, Ontario, Canada in 1992 and moved to Utah shortly after. Began CRM in 2004 and have worked in Utah, Wyoming and Colorado. Moved to Maryland in 2007 and have continued CRM work.

My name is Vincent Shirbach, I am an archaeologist out of Gaithersburg, MD. I have a bachelor’s in History with a concentration in archaeology from Hood College in Frederick, MD. I plan on obtaining a master’s in Cultural Anthropology from one of multiple great institutions in the DC area.

Hi, I'm Nichole Sorensen-Mutchie and I'm the director for the Bladensburg Archeology Project. I've been an archaeologist and lab manger at the Maryland State Highway Administration for the past two years. I received my BS in archaeology from the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse and my MS in anthropology from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. I think this is a really exciting project and I'm happy to be a part of it!

Hello I am Benjamin Stewart from Greenfield Ohio. I graduated from Ohio University with a bachelor’s degree in anthropology and have been working as an archaeological field technician for the better part of the past ten years. I am currently a URS employee. I am excited to be part of the excavation of the Magruder and Market Master houses. I have not had the opportunity to work on a late colonial site nor a site associated with a battlefield, and this area has both present.

My name is Michael Roller. I am a graduate student at the University of Maryland, Department of Anthropology and a resident of nearby Riverdale Park. I am working for the State Highway Administration to help organize the public outreach for this project. It has been really interesting to speak with members of the public about their ideas of history, preservation, community and the environment. The Magruder House is a really interesting site because, though it has lots of well known historical figures and events associated with it, there are also thousands of years of human occupation that are a mystery. I also like working here because I can bike to work along the peaceful Anacostia River every morning.