Maximilian van Rensselaer is an alum of the CHRM program, having received his master's degree in 2023. His thesis is titled Machine Learning Approaches to Archaeological Predictive Modeling in the Age of Wildfire, Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit, California and Nevada. Van Rensselaer compares linear regression and machine learning approaches (random forest and maximum entropy models) to test which provided the most accurate predictive modes (answer: MaxEnt). In addition to being an archaeologist, Max is a wildland firefighter, and develops these models for preventative archaeology, including in wildland fire management.
Following below is an archived profile.
Mr. van Rensselaer has worked as an archaeologist in cultural resource management since 2013. He has more than 8 years of experience recording, excavating, and evaluating historic properties. He has worked in Nevada, California, Arizona, Texas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Indiana, and Kentucky. Mr. van Rensselaer specializes in applying Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA). His other skills include geographic information systems (GIS) and National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) desktop analysis. He is currently pursuing a Master of Professional Studies degree in Cultural and Heritage Resource Management and a GIS graduate certificate at the University of Maryland.
Mr. van Rensselaer has completed projects in all phases of archaeology: Phase I pedestrian and shovel test surveys, extended Phase I surveys (XPI), buried site excavation, archaeological sensitivity assessments, Phase II testing and evaluations, Phase III data recovery, and Phase IV monitoring. He has experience conducting background research and records searches, laboratory analysis of artifacts and preparation for curation, and technical report authoring, as well as Native American consultation and public outreach. He has worked as a cultural resources specialist with the Bureau of Land Management, Winnemucca District, and as a resident anthropologist with the University of California, Santa Cruz, and has directed archaeological assessments on behalf of private firms in a variety of industries.
His research interest is in using GIS applications to model the effects of wildfire on prehistoric cultural resources.
