Dr. Kristina Douglass

Biography

Kristina Douglass is an award-winning archaeologist whose research explores the dynamic co-evolution of people, land, and seascapes. She is a 2025 MacArthur Fellow and a 2021 Carnegie Fellow, currently serving as an Associate Professor in the Climate School at Columbia University. Before joining Columbia, she was the Joyce Doug Sherwin Early Career Professor at the Rock Ethics Institute and an Assistant Professor in Anthropology and African Studies at Penn State University. Douglass is also a Research Associate at the Smithsonian Institution and a leading voice in climate-centered archaeology. Her work is grounded in ethical, collaborative partnerships with local, Indigenous, and descendant communities, ensuring they are equal partners in the co-production of knowledge. Douglass directed the Morombe Archaeological Project, based in the Velondriake Marine Protected Area in Madagascar, focusing on how communities have adapted to environmental change over time. She emphasizes interdisciplinary, community-centered science and has received numerous accolades for her innovative approaches integrating archaeology, paleoecology, and climate studies. Douglass's research informs global conversations on climate resilience, cultural heritage, and environmental justice. In addition to her academic pursuits, she is a multifaceted individual: a mother, singer, dancer, Capoeirista, scuba diver, and avid gardener, integrating creative embodied practices in her archaeological work to foster community-building and social memory.

Research Interests

Awards