Dr. Kirsten Green Mink is an Assistant Professor of Biological Anthropology at ISU. She is a Native researcher and former Sloan Indigenous Graduate Scholar. She has been at ISU since 2021. Her research focuses in two areas: In bioarchaeology, Dr. Mink uses stable isotope analysis to identify diet, health changes, and mobility in Classic period Maya burials from the Belize River Valley. Dr. Mink also conducts research in forensic anthropology where she focuses on missing persons cases and unidentified human remains. She currently works with law enforcement across Idaho on casework consultation. She is currently working on a project with ISU geosciences colleague, Dr. Donna Delparte and two graduate students, to create a predictive probability location tool to help law enforcement identify likely search areas for missing adults in Southeast Idaho. This project was funded by an ISU Office of Research Faculty Grant in 2023. She received the Ralph E. Powe Junior Faculty Enhancement Award in 2022 as well as several internal ISU funding opportunities to study Childhood in the Classic Maya.
Miles Rhoads is a 3rd year Master’s student in Biological Anthropology. He is a member of the Pomo tribe and a Native graduate student at ISU. His research focuses on creating an ethically sourced and inclusive reference database for missing adults in Southeast Idaho. His masters project is part of the tool development project overseen by Dr.’s Mink and Delparte. Mile’s has worked in law enforcement as a Search and Rescue technician and human remains dog handler for over 20 years. He is passionate about bringing Native voices to high-level research, particularly focusing on the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Person’s endemic in the United States.
Longer summary
Dr. Kirsten Green Mink and graduate student Miles Rhoads, both from the ISU Department of Anthropology and Languages, discuss their research related to the endemic of missing and murdered indigenous people. They talk about unique research that promises more culturally appropriate ways to understand and address this often overlooked issue. Mink and Rhoads describe biological anthropology as the study of all things “human” and how this discipline helps us better understand ourselves, our relationships, our communities and society. They describe how they got to ISU and what keeps them engaged as scholars and scientists.
