Dr. Erik Otárola Castillo

Associate Professor

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Biography

Erik Otárola-Castillo is an Associate Professor in the College of Liberal Arts at Purdue University. He specializes in the evolution, ecology, diversity, and behavior of prehistoric and modern populations, particularly focusing on hunter-gatherers. His research addresses significant questions about dietary choices and the factors influencing them, such as climatic change and the variation in food availability and distribution affecting North American native populations. As a biostatistician and computational anthropologist, he develops quantitative tools to investigate major dimensions of archaeological research including space, time, and form. He is also adept in implementing quantitative models of human diet and utilizes 3D-morphometrics software, as well as statistical software for zooarchaeologists, integrating spatio-temporal statistics with Geographic Information Systems (GIS). Dr. Otárola-Castillo leads the Laboratory for Computational Anthropology and Anthroinformatics (LCA) and is currently accepting qualified graduate students and undergraduate interns for research opportunities.

Research Interests

Requirements for Purdue University

Master Program
Requirements
GPA Requirement
Required:3.5
TOEFL
Listening
Required:22
Reading
Required:22
Writing
Required:22
Speaking
Required:22
Total
Required:100
IELTS
Listening
Required:7
Reading
Required:7
Writing
Required:7
Speaking
Required:7
Overall
Required:7.5
Duolingo
Overall Score
Required:135
Overall
Required:135
Prerequisites
Bachelor's degree in CS or related field Foundational concepts of computer science Data structures Computer architecture Operating systems Mathematics through differential equations Linear and matrix algebra
Application Checklist
  • Official Transcripts
  • Academic Statement of Purpose
  • Personal History Statement
  • Resume
  • Three Letters of Recommendation
  • CS Supplementary Form
Specialization Notes

GRE is not required.