Kirsten earned her PhD from Indiana University in Anthropology and Earth Sciences in 2025. Her multi-disciplinary research integrates geochemistry, archaeology, underwater science, and community engagement.
My dissertation research investigates the cultural landscape of La Altagracia Province, Dominican Republic by revealing archaeological site formation processes through compositional analysis of Late Ceramic Age (LCA) (1150-450 BP) pottery and identifying localized cultural practices in the past and present.
The living museums in the sea (LMS) is a conservation model that promotes the study and protection of submerged cultural resources while encouraging ecological resiliency, public outreach and sustainable tourism.
This paper presents results of a diver-based photogrammetric survey and preliminary interpretation of a 16th-century shipwreck near Punta Cana, Dominican Republic.
