Applied Anthropologist Profile: Dr. Kristina Killgrove, Science Writer

Today’s blog post revisits a topic that has not been addressed in a long while: applied anthropologist profiles.  This delay was primarily due to a lack of contacts with individuals who both fit this category (of being applied anthropologists) and are willing to contribute to such a blog post about the topic, but luck would have it that an applied anthropologist (who I do not know personally) has been making the rounds on several anthropological boards and groups I follow and/or are a part of, and I have been re-inspired to cover this topic once again.  Therefore, it is with great pleasure that I get to discuss the applied anthropological contributions of Dr. Kristina Killgrove, research anthropologist and science writer (Figure 1).

Figure 1: Dr. Kristina Killgrove (Photo from Forbes Magazine's Website)

Dr. Killgrove was inspired to become an anthropologist due to a childhood experience where she broke a bone and was fascinated to learn (through her doctor) what could be learned from the study of bones.  As a result of this curiosity she focused on classical archaeology at the University of Virginia during her undergraduate studies, and she continued her studies in classics and expanded into bioarchaeology during her graduate work at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill (UNC).  She worked with Roman collections, focusing her bioarchaeological studies in isotopic anthropology, learning more about the diets and migratory patterns of ancient Roman populations. 

She landed a teaching position in Florida shortly after completing her Ph.D., but she found herself dissatisfied with the work, in part due to unfilled dreams and promises and the realization that her passions lies in research and writing.  With the support of her husband and family she left her job and pursued alternative to academic (alt-ac) employment opportunities.  Her previous blogging experience and professional contacts led her to find employment as a  science writer, first working for Science Uncovered, a British publication.  She eventually was hired to write for both Forbes Magazine and Mental Floss, specifically focusing on Roman bioarchaeology and other anthropological topics.  Additionally, she provides public lectures on various anthropological topics.  She finds this work very fulfilling as it fulfills her research and writing passions.  She also currently teaches at her alma mater, UNC, and is a research scholar at the Ronin Institute.  She has also served as the Chair of Social Media Committee for the Society of American Archaeology, a position she was actively sought to have due to her prolific social media presence.

Bibliography

Killgrove, K. (N.D.). Writer, Anthropologist, Scientist . Retrieved from Kristina Killgrove, Ph.D.: https://killgrove.org/