People
Who are We?
The project comprises a diverse group of people, yet the 'we’ constitutes family, friends and colleagues who have worked together for a long, long time. The project directors over the years have included: Dr Samuel Connell, an Andeanist and Mesoamerican archaeologist who teaches Anthropology at Foothill College; Ana Gonzalez, MA, who also teaches at Foothill and runs the archaeology labs on our field projects; Dr Chad Gifford from Columbia University (who first met Sam in 1994 working on settlement survey in the jungles of Belize and then started the Ecuador project with him in 2001); Dr Kathryn Maurer, a folklorist and cultural anthropologist, who also teaches Anthropology at Foothill College (and drove to Mexico with Sam in 1994 to work with modern Maya communities in Belize); Dan Cearley, MA, an Anthropology professor at Las Positas College who worked for many years at Foothill and has co-directed many local field schools with Sam; Siobhan Boyd, MA, Senior Manager and Curator at Gardiner Museum Toronto, Canada, who also has worked in Belize and Ecuador with Sam and family; Dr Rachel Brody, who recently earned her Ph.D. at Boston College but was a professional archaeologist for years before returning to academia; Andrew Bair, MA, who is a PhD candidate at Harvard University and geophysical/survey specialist; and finally Dr Niall Brady from Ireland whose PhD in Medieval Studies is from Cornell University. Niall ran a very successful field school in Ireland in the early 2000s as project director of Ireland's institute of advanced archaeological research, the Discovery Programme, where he led the Medieval Rural Settlement Project (2002-10). He now runs his own company, ADCO, which is the leading underwater archaeology consultancy in Ireland.
We are all equally involved in the process leading up our trip. We will all be joined by our families as we have children who accompany us on our field projects. It’s a family affair, and we have many other very experienced archaeologists from around the world working on the project too.
2023 Team
Niall Brady, MA, PhD, FSA (ADCO), Co-Director
Niall received his PhD in Medieval Studies from Cornell University and is a central figure in the Irish archaeological community. Niall from 2002-2010, successfully ran a field school with the Discovery Programme, Ireland's institute of advanced archaeological research, called the Medieval Rural Settlement Project. Currently, Niall runs his own company, ADCO Ltd, which is the leading Underwater Archaeology research firm in Ireland. In our Library you will see a snapshot of his extensive publications. He is central in leading local heritage conservation efforts with the Ballintober community. Drop him a line at: nbrady@adco-ie.com
Rachel Brody, PhD, Co-Director
Rachel is our lead Field Supervisor, directing all excavation efforts. Her doctoral work at Boston College focuses on early medieval northern Europe with particular interests in environmental history, landscape archaeology, and paleoethnobotany. Her extensive experience in CRM archaeology has helped students better understand professional career pathways in archaeology.
Andrew Bair, Co-Director
Andrew trains students in using all of our high tech field equipment (Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR), Magenetometry, GPS, DGPS, and Laser Theotolites). He started his archaeological career with our program in 2016 which led to an MA at the University of Denver and now he is a doctoral candidate at Harvard University. Leveraging his background in geophysical methods and computer science, he exposes our students to the cutting edge of survey.
Daniel Cearley, Co-Director
Dan oversees all survey and geophysical work on the program from processing the data to visualizing our results. As the map maker of the project, he directs our efforts to leverage program and public GIS data sets for the project and aids the community using this information in their own heritage efforts.
Amber Anderson, PhD, Lab Director
Amber is an archaeologist who has worked all the world and currently have brought her talents to Ireland. She is a leader in the field of soils analysis, in particular at Inka fortresses in Ecuador.
Brian Kranzler
Can be found at the bottom of the Grand Canyon on most days or in Kenny's.
Supporting Team
Sam Connell, PhD, Co-Director
Is also at Foothill College and every summer brings students to places like Ireland, Ecuador, Belize and Hawaii. He cannot believe he gets paid for what he does. He also used to idolize Tom Brady but now finds himself rooting against his hero.
Kathryn Maurer, PhD, Co-Director
Is a folklorist masquerading as an anthropologist at Foothill College. She often can be found wandering through Ballintober asking people questions about their lives.
Ana Lucia Gonzalez, Co-Director
Is a Latina from L.A. who grew up in a neighborhood where kids weren’t expected to go to college. Ella venció las probabilidades and transferred to UCLA to pursue archaeology; Earned a MA degree from University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa in Anthropology. She codirects el Proyecto Arqueológico Pambamarca en Ecuador and the CIC-ASS project in Ireland where she also runs the archaeology field lab.
Chad Gifford, PhD Co-Director
Chad holds a B.A. from Brown University and a PhD in Anthropology from Columbia University. He regularly leads archaeological research projects in Ireland and Ecuador; adores his wife and daughter; and is easily distracted by friends, good books, travel, skiing and cooking.
Siobhan Boyd, Co-Director
Siobhan is a Field Director at Archaeological Services Inc. (ASI) located in Toronto, Canada. Over the past 15 years, she has collaborated with Foothill College's Anthropological Field Programs in Ecuador and Ireland. Her expertise in artifact curation and field methods has allowed our students to flourish.