Remarkable scientific achievement by UMaine archaeologist Dr. Daniel H. Sandweiss
Dear University of Maine and University of Maine at Machias communities,
I am pleased to share with all of you that longtime UMaine professor and world-renowned archaeologist Dr. Daniel H. Sandweiss was elected to the National Academy of Sciences this week. Membership to this prestigious organization of leading researchers is one of the highest honors internationally that a scientist can achieve. Members are elected by their peers in recognition of their distinguished research accomplishments. This is an extraordinary honor for Dan and for the University of Maine, where he has been a faculty member for more than 30 years. We are extremely grateful to have Dan as an educator and researcher at UMaine.
Dan is a professor in the Anthropology Department and the Climate Change Institute, as well as a cooperating professor in the School of Earth and Climate Sciences and the School of Policy and International Affairs. His achievements in original research are many, and he has a distinguished record of major awards and leadership roles internationally.
Through his pioneering research into the origins of El Niño and the fluctuations of its frequency and intensity over time, Dan provided a scientific foundation for exploring the impact of climatic disasters on cultural change in the Andes and demonstrated the value of archaeological remains as records of past climates and early maritime adaptations.
In 1993, the same year he joined the UMaine community, Sandweiss became the first American archaeologist to conduct fieldwork in Cuba following the Cuban Revolution. In collaboration with Norwegian explorer Thor Heyerdahl, he excavated South America’s largest pyramid center: Túcume in Peru. He also discovered evidence of the most ancient fishing community in the Western Hemisphere in southern Peru.
We are incredibly proud of Dan, who joins George Denton, Libra Professor of Geological Sciences, as the second full-time UMaine faculty member to achieve this esteemed honor.
Congratulations, Dr. Sandweiss!
Sincerely,
Joan Ferrini-Mundy
President