We are thrilled to congratulate CHES graduate affiliates Dimitri Papavasiliou and Rebecca (Becca) DeCamp on being awarded National Science Foundation Doctoral Dissertation Research Improvement Grants (NSF DDRIGs) for their dissertation projects.
Dimitri Papavasiliou
Dimitri’s project, A Microarchaeological Approach to Paleolithic Fire and Bedding Technology, will examine the social and technological development of early human groups by exploring how they organized and maintained domestic living areas. Focusing on two critical elements, fire use and the placement of bedding materials, this research offers insight into cognitive complexity, changing social structures, and survival strategies in our evolutionary past. By incorporating ethnoarchaeology, experimental archaeology, and microarchaeology, Dimitri’s study presents a novel approach to understanding domestic behavior in ancient human societies.
Rebecca 'Becca' DeCamp
Becca’s project, Genomic and Transcriptomic Investigation of Reproductive Seasonality and Sperm Competition in Primates, investigates the molecular changes that the testes undergo during the breeding season in the gray mouse lemur (Microcebus murinus), a seasonally reproducing primate. This work will shed light on the genetic and physiological mechanisms underlying reproductive seasonality and mating strategies.
Congratulations to both Dimitri and Becca for receiving this prestigious award!