Dr. Putsavage is the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Coordinator at UCAR. In this role, she promotes diversity, equity, and inclusion in STEM research and policy by facilitating conversations with majority populations about inequity in science and society. Dr. Putsavage previously worked as an Assistant Professor at Eastern New Mexico University. As an Assistant Professor, she mentored and taught undergraduate and graduate students in anthropological and archaeological research. She also worked at the ENMU Museums, curating archaeological collections and working with researchers. Dr. Putsavage enjoyed her role as mentor and teacher because she was able to engage students in diverse topic such as evolution, gender, race theory, migration, and archaeology of the American Southwest and northern.
She completed her undergraduate degree at the University of Maryland with a BA (2001) in Anthropology. Because the University of Maryland is so close to D.C., she was able to access the rich cultural and historical resources of the area. From 2001 to 2004, she worked at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian. In 2005, Dr. Putsavage started her master’s work in the Museum and Fields Studies Department at the University of Colorado, Boulder. In 2008, she started her doctoral research in the Department of Anthropology at the University of Colorado, Boulder. Her current research focuses on the social transition in the Mimbres region of southern New Mexico from the Classic Mimbres to the Black Mountain phase around A.D. 1150, the role of migrants in this transition, and the refinement of chronology in the region.
Dr. Putsavage notes that, “To succeed in this field you need to read and write and network! The Anthropology Department at Maryland provided a great start to my career. I had the advantage of being able to access the resources of a big campus, yet also had the personal relationships and hands-on training that comes from a small and strong department. The faculty and staff in the department and the location of the University helped me to develop my network early. This network allowed me to pursue experiences at the Smithsonian and provided a strong foundation for my graduate work at the University of Colorado and my current job at ENMU.”
https://enmu.academia.edu/KatyPutsavage
