Ph.D. 2008 University of Arizona
Assistant Professor
Heroy Hall 406
(214) 768-2753
croos@smu.edu
Bio
I am an environmental archaeologist with primary research interests concerning the fire-climate-society nexus, particularly from the long-term vantage of archaeology and paleoecology. My regional expertise is in the Southwestern US, but I maintain active research interests in the Northern Plains as well as Pacific island environments. My research projects are multidisciplinary by necessity, often including the use of tree-ring based climate reconstructions, archaeology, ethnography, and sedimentary paleoecology.
I maintain theoretical interests in ecosystems ecology, particularly in the study of human impacts on social-ecological resilience and vulnerability. The questions that drive my research projects are informed by sustainability concerns as framed by resilience theory. How do human activities alter the response of ecosystems to climate change? What lessons can we learn for contemporary ecosystem management or restoration?
I maintain additional research interests in archaeological method and theory, particularly the role of geoarchaeology in building and testing inferences about village societies. To this end, I use stratigraphy, micromorphology, and sediment chemistry to reconstruct the life histories of ancient dwellings, ritual structures, and community spaces.
Graduate student training and mentorship are important components of these projects. If you are interested in learning more about my research and opportunities for graduate study in environmental archaeology at SMU, please feel free to email me.
Memberships and Affiliations:
Society for American Archaeology
American Anthropological Association
American Quaternary Association
Association of American Geographers