Staff Profile

Current Research Projects/Groups

• 2022 Ballast Hills Burial Ground
• 2024 ViTAL Living Lab
• ongoing GrahAM Research Group

Qualifications

• BA (Honours) in Anthropology, Wichita State University (USA) 1984
• MA in Anthropology, Wichita State University (USA) 1986 Thesis Title: Dental attrition and alveolar resorption: a case study of Williams 1 (34-Lf24)
• PhD in Anthropology, Ohio State University (USA) 1992 Dissertation Title: Late prehistoric populations in the Ohio area: biological affinities and stress indicators

Publication and Research Summary

• ORCiD
• Google Scholar
• ResearchGate
• Academic.edu

Previous Positions

• 2021-24 Research Associate, Empower Project, Newcastle University (NU)
• 2018-21 Research Associate, School of Engineering, NU
• 2017-18 Research Impact Development Officer, School of Engineering, NU
• 2015-16 Development Officer, Learning and Teaching Development Service, NU
• 2006-16 Lecturer, ICCHS and/or HCA, NU
• 2008-13 Academic Tutor/Lecturer, University of Sunderland
• 1995-06 Physical Anthropologist, US Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation)
• 2001      Guest Lecturer, NU
• 1995      Instructor, Baker University
• 1994-13 Adjunct Faculty, Department of Anthropology, University of Kansas
• 1994-95 Archaeologist, Reclamation
• 1993-94 Research Technician II, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center
• 1993      Certified K-12 Substitute Teacher, Tucson Unified School District
• 1990-92 Graduate Research Assistant, Ohio State University (OSU)
• 1992      Contractor, US Corps of Engineers
• 1990      Research Assistant, Peabody Museum, Harvard University
• 1990      Contractor, Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT)
• 1989-92 Contractor, Archaeological Data Services
• 1989-90 Staff Osteologists, OSU Excavations at Isthmia
• 1987-92 Teaching Associate, OSU
• 1987-92 Contractor, Franklin County Coroner's Office in Ohio
• 1987      Field Archaeologist, ODOT
• 1987      Teaching Assistant, OSU
• 1985-87 Contractor, Sedgwick County Coroner's Office in Kansas
• 1985      Research Assistant, Wichita State University (WSU)
• 1984-85 Teaching Assistant, WSU

With a diverse professional journey spanning cultural and heritage resource management, collection curation, anthropology, and perception studies, I bring a unique blend of expertise to every project I undertake.

My career has been guided by a passion for preserving and understanding our collective past while navigating the delicate balance between preservation and progress. Through my work in cultural and heritage resource management, I've honed the ability to curate and preserve diverse resources, transforming them into compelling social history outputs, including educational materials and interpretive panels.

My studies in human osteology and mortuary archaeology have offered insights into the lives and customs of past cultures, while my exploration of physical anthropology has deepened my understanding of human biology and evolution, revealing fascinating connections between the past and present.

Central to my work is the engagement of stakeholders, fostering collaborative efforts to protect and promote our shared cultural heritage. I've also dedicated myself to addressing critical global challenges, particularly in the realm of water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH). Collaborating with informal settlements in India, I'm identifying the barriers and enablers in addressing WASH shortcomings. Additionally, I'm employing a social scientist's lens to emphasise the significance of gathering baseline information about people to measure behavioural change alongside technological advancements, whether it is for WASH or Net-Zero effort.

My involvement with the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) has underscored the importance of respecting everyone's rights and beliefs, enhancing my understanding of diverse worldviews regarding the treatment of human remains and burial places.

Through public education initiatives, I strive to promote cultural diversity, heritage preservation, and WASH awareness, and recently Net Zero initiatives. My experiences working closely with marginalised communities have provided invaluable insights into their histories, traditions, and contemporary challenges, enriching my professional journey and deepening my commitment to meaningful cultural exchange and social impact.

• Articles

  • Hirst RW, Giesen MJ, Peppa MV, Jobling K, Jadhav D, Ahammad SZ, Namdeo A, Graham DW. Modeling of Air Quality near Indian Informal Settlements Where Limited Local Monitoring Data Exist. Atmosphere 2024, 15(9), 1072.
  • Iyer G, Giesen MJ, Juneja R, Graham DW. Strategic value of interviewer training and local community-based organisations for WaSH and antibiotic resistance surveys. Journal of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene for Development 2021, 11(4), 535-545.
  • Graham DW, Giesen MJ, Bunce JT. Strategic approach for prioritizing local and regional sanitation interventions for reducing global antibiotic resistance. Water 2019, 11(1), 27.
  • Mazel AD, Giesen MJ. Engagement and Management: Developing a Monitoring System for Open-air Rock Art in the UK and Ireland. Conservation and Management of Archaeological Sites 2019, 21(3), 160-183.
  • Turner M, Dowsland S, Mazel A, Giesen M. Rock art CARE: A cross-platform mobile application for crowdsourcing heritage conservation data for the safeguarding of open-air rock art. Journal of Cultural Heritage Management and Sustainable Development 2018, 8(4), 420-433.
  • Mazel A, Giesen M. Mobile app developed to support the protection of UK and Irish rock art. International Newsletter on Rock Art 2018, 82, 22-25.
  • Giesen MJ, Ung A, Warke PA, Christgen B, Mazel AD, Graham DW. Condition assessment and preservation of open-air rock art panels during environmental change. Journal of Cultural Heritage 2014, 15(1), 49-56.
  • Giesen MJ, Mazel AD, Graham DW, Warke PA. Care and Management of Ancient Stone Monuments during Environmental Change. International Journal of Heritage and Sustainable Development 2011, 1(1), 60-71.
  • Giesen MJ, Czaplicki JS. Over Fifty Years of Dam Good Archeology: An Introduction to the Bureau of Reclamation's Cultural Resources Program. Cultural Resource Management 2000, 23(1), 3-4.

• Book Chapters

  • Mazel AD, Giesen MJ, Turner M, Dowsland S. Rock Art Monitoring in the UK and Ireland: the CARE Toolkit – Going Online and Using Mobile Data. In: Batarda Fernandes, António; Marshall, Melissa; Domingo, Inés, ed. Global Perspectives for the Conservation and Management of Open-Air Rock Art Sites. London and New York: Routledge, 2023, pp.141-160.
  • Giesen MJ. Human Remains. In: François Mairesse, ed. Dictionary of Museology. London: Routledge, 2023, pp.227-229.
  • Mazel A, Giesen M. CARE Rock Art Monitoring App and Portal. In: Agnew, N., Deacon, J., Hall, N., Little, T., McClintock, T., Robinson, P., Sullivan, S. and Taçon, P, ed. Networking for Rock Art: Global Challenges, Local Solutions. Los Angeles: The Getty Conservation Institute, 2022, pp.89-92.
  • Giesen MJ, Mazel AD, Graham DW, Warke PA. The Preservation and Care of Rock-Art in Changing Environments: A View from Northeastern England, United Kingdom. In: Darvill T; Batarda Fernandes AP, ed. Open-Air Rock-Art Conservation and Management: State of the Art and Future Perspectives. New York: Routledge, 2014, pp.38-52.
  • Giesen M. The Protection and Repatriation of Native American Cultural Items in the United States. In: Redfern, R; Bekvalac, J; Bonney, H; Clegg, M, ed. Global Ancestors: Understanding the Shared Humanity of our Ancestors. Woodbridge, USA: Oxbow Books, 2013, pp.34-49.
  • Giesen M. Introduction: Human Remains Curation in the United Kingdom. In: Giesen, M, ed. Curating Human Remains: Caring for the Dead in the United Kingdom. Woodbridge, Suffolk: Boydell & Brewer, 2013, pp.1-11.
  • Giesen M, White L. International Perspectives towards Human Remains Curation. In: Giesen, M, ed. Curating Human Remains: Caring for the Dead in the United Kingdom. Woodbridge, Suffolk: Boydell & Brewer, 2013, pp.13-23.
  • Giesen M, McCarrison K, Park V. Dead and Forgotten?: Some Observations on Human Remains Documentation in the UK. In: Giesen, M, ed. Curating Human Remains: Caring for the Dead in the United Kingdom. Woodbridge: Boydell & Brewer, 2013, pp.53-64.
  • Giesen MJ, Mazel AD, Graham DW, Warke PA. The resilience and care of ancient stone monuments in changing environments. In: Amoêda, R; Lira, S; Pinheiro, C, ed. Heritage 2010: Heritage and Sustainable Development. Barcelos: Green Lines Institute, 2010, pp.515-523.

• Conference Proceedings (inc. Abstracts)

  • Turner M, Dowsland S, Mazel A, Giesen M. Rock Art CARE: A cross platform mobile application for crowdsourcing heritage conservation data for the safeguarding of open-air rock art. AUGUST 28 - SEPTEMBER 1, 2017, OTTAWA, CANADA. In: Digital Workflows for Heritage Conservation. 2017, Ottawa, Canada.
  • Mazel AD, Graham D, Warke P, Giesen M. A responsibility of CARE: heritage and science in the service of safeguarding threatened ancient rock art. In: Sustaining the Impact of UK Science and Heritage Research: Contributions to the AHRC/EPSRC Science and Heritage Programme Conference. 2013, London: AHRC/EPSRC Science and Heritage Programme.
  • Giesen MJ. Native American human remains in UK collections: implications of NAGPRA to consultation, repatriation, and policy development. In: Ninth Annual Conference of the British Association for Biological Anthropology and Osteoarchaeology. 2009, Department of Archaeology, University of Reading: Archaopress.

• Edited Book

  • Giesen M, ed. Curating Human Remains: Caring for the Dead in the United Kingdom. Woodbridge: The Boydell Press, 2013.