I am an environmental archaeologist and Professor of Anthropology at Southern Methodist University. I received my MA and PhD from the University of Arizona (2002 and 2008) and my BA from the University of Cincinnati (2000).
My primary areas of interest and expertise are in human pyrogeography and behavioral geoarchaeology. For two decades, I have been directing interdisciplinary research projects on the long-term interactions of human societies, climate, and wildfire in the Southwest USA. More recently, I have expanded my fire work to include collaborative research projects in Montana, Fiji, and Australia. I also work closely with archaeologists in the Southwest and the northern Great Plains to apply earth science methods and techniques to the reconstruction of spatial patterns of human behavior in ritual and domestic contexts.
At SMU, I teach undergraduate courses on Southwest US archaeology, interdisciplinary fire science, archaeological perspectives on human-environment impacts, and sustainability. At the graduate level, I teach survey courses on archaeological science and geoarchaeology. My graduate students tend to focus on long-term human-environment dynamics in their research.
My research in the Southwest is ongoing. Prospective students are encouraged to contact me directly about their interest in working with me on these projects.
You can access many of my publications here or on Google Scholar, ResearchGate, and Academia.edu. You can also follow me on Twitter at @croos_SMU.
Last updated: 13 June 2022