Professor of Anthropology and Curator of Great Lakes Archaeology – University of Michigan
John O’Shea received his Ph.D. in prehistoric archaeology at Cambridge University and has directed major field projects in Hungary, Romania, and the United States. His research is concerned with understanding how middle-range societies operate and evolve. He has been the principal investigator for research on submerged landscapes in the Great Lakes since 2008. Beyond serving as a principal investigator, John captains Research Vessel Blue Traveler and is a member of the Discovering the Submerged Prehistory of the Alpena-Amberley Ridge in Central Lake Huron expedition dive team.
Maritime Archaeologist and Research Coordinator - Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary
Stephanie Gandulla is a maritime archaeologist and the Research Coordinator for NOAA's Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary, based in Alpena, Michigan. She has participated in projects around the world including the Great Lakes, the South Pacific, Sweden, Jamaica, and the Arctic. As a NOAA scientific diver, she enjoys exploring and documenting the dozens of historic shipwrecks in Lake Huron's sanctuary waters.
Assistant Professor of Anthropology – University of Texas at Arlington
Ashley Lemke is an assistant professor at the University of Texas in Arlington and chair of the Advisory Council on Underwater Archaeology. She researches hunter-gatherers in the archaeological record and is a remotely operated vehicle pilot. Ashley is an expert on submerged ancient sites in the Americas and has researched such sites in the Gulf of Mexico, Great Lakes, and Atlantic Ocean. Ashley obtained her B.A. at the University of Texas, and her M.A. and Ph.D. from the University of Michigan.
Maritime Archaeologist - Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary
John Bright is a maritime archaeologist with NOAA's Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary. He has over 12 years of experience working in marine science operations. John's expertise with geophysical surveys, remote sensing, and seafloor mapping allow him to serve as the technical lead during this expedition's geophysical and hydrographic mapping operations including mobilization, data acquisition, data QA/QC, file management, data processing, and reporting. Bright holds a B.S. in biology and M.A. in maritime studies from East Carolina University.
Maritime Archaeologist and Unit Dive Supervisor - Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary
Phil Hartmeyer is a maritime archaeologist and unit diver supervisor with NOAA’s Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary, joining the research team in 2014. Phil conducts archaeological and historical research to characterize, interpret, and protect sanctuary cultural resources using advanced digital imaging techniques, marine remote sensing, and scientific diving. He has a B.A. in archaeology from Saint Mary’s College of California and a M.A. in maritime studies from East Carolina University.
Dive Trainer - University of Michigan Human Powered Sub Team
Tyler Schultz is the lead diver for the underwater testing and assessment portion of the expedition. Tyler has extensive experience in dive training and research diving and is a licensed emergency medical technician. He has worked with the University of Michigan team in Lake Huron since the program’s inception. Tyler is also the dive trainer for the University of Michigan Human Powered Sub Team.
Graduate Student - University of Michigan
Brendan Nash is a Ph.D. candidate in the anthropological archaeology program at the University of Michigan. He studies hunter-gatherer societies in the Americas and focuses on underwater archaeology, stone tool technology, and quantitative methods. He received his B.A. at Texas State University and subsequently worked for the Gault School of Archaeological Research investigating some of the earliest peoples in the Americas.
Graduate Student - Texas A&M University
Michael “River” Rivera is a current graduate student at Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas. Here he studies various aspects of maritime archaeology, with a focus on ships, shipwrecks, and the people who used them. His area of research is on Viking and Medieval-Age seafaring and maritime communities. He has assisted Dr. Ashley Lemke in her Underwater Archaeology Field School through the University of Texas at Arlington and continues to assist in other projects at Texas A&M University. River obtained his B.A. at the University of Texas at Arlington.
