Benjamin Whitaker

Ph.D. Graduate Student

Office Location: 232C South Stevens

Advisor: Dr. Daniel Sandweiss

Biographical Statement:  I am a PhD student in the Anthropology and Environmental Policy Program working with Dr. Dan Sandweiss. I grew up in Southeastern Kentucky and earned a B.A. in Anthropology and History from Eastern Kentucky University in 2016. Before attending the University of Maine, I spent over seven years working as an Archaeologist in Cultural Resource Management on numerous projects across the Continental United States, Puerto Rico, India, and Italy.

Research Area:  My research focuses on site formation processes and how environmental change affects cultural stability, with the goal of understanding how past cultures responded to natural disasters and how that data can be applied to current issues. Although I am interested in the topic on a global scale, my primary area of focus is the Caribbean.