UCL Senior Promotions success for Institute of Archaeology staff

New Professors

Mark Altaweel, who has been promoted to Professor of Near East Archaeology and Archaeological Data Science, undertakes research and teaching concerned with applications of complex system modelling and use of machine/deep learning methods for insights on heritage and archaeological topics. He contributes to teaching on the MSc in Computational Archaeology degree programme at the Institute and has helped establish the UK’s first data science focus in archaeology. His courses on the Near East explore material culture and its change over time and space. Mark is currently Graduate Tutor at the Institute as well as SHS Faculty Vice-Dean for Innovation, Enterprise and Knowledge Exchange. Congratulations Mark!

Andrew Gardner, who has been promoted to Professor of the Archaeology of the Roman Empire, has interests focusing on both Roman archaeology and archaeological theory, and his teaching in these areas encompass both undergraduate and Masters-level modules. He was part of the Institute’s Education Team winning a Faculty Award in 2020 and was nominated for UCLU Student Choice Awards in 2020-21 and 2018-19. Andrew is passionate about the communication of archaeology to different audiences and leads on developments in the discipline, being a co-founder of University Archaeology Day, which held its inaugural event at UCL in 2017, as well as being appointed co-Chair of University Archaeology UK (UAUK). Congratulations Andrew!

Louise Martin, who has been promoted to Professor of Zooarchaeology, has research and teaching interests covering zooarchaeology of the Middle East, Anatolia and Arabia, early pastoral societies and animal domestication. Louise has contributed to the MSc in Environmental Archaeology degree programme at the Institute for many years and teaches modules on Environmental Archaeology and Zooarchaeology In Practice. She has been nominated for UCLU Student Choice Awards in 2021-22, 2020-21 and 2018-19. She is Chair of the Institute’s Teaching Committee, co-ordinator of the Zooarchaeology Research Network and leader of the Zooarchaeology Research Lab at the Institute. Congratulations Louise!

Theano Moussouri, who has been promoted to Professor of Museum Studies, explores how people construct knowledge and make meaning of their museum experiences. More recently, she has been undertaking research on food heritage, food security and sustainable food systems. She is joint UK co-ordinator of the UCL-UGOT Centre for Critical Heritage Studies and is currently leading an ESRC-funded project with Korean colleagues on Digital Museum Innovation. Theano jointly co-ordinates the MA in Museum Studies degree programme and placements at the Institute. She teaches modules on Museum Communication and Audience Engagement as well as Collections Curatorship and supervises the development of student-led exhibition projects. Congratulations Theano!

New Associate Professors

Rachel King, who has been promoted to Associate Professor, is currently leading Leverhulme-Trust funded research on ‘Evaluating the cultural cost of development in the New South Africa’ and AHRC-funded research on ‘Empowering heritage: understanding the cultural costs of South Africa’s energy futures’. Rachel, who is Deputy Chair of the Institute’s Teaching Committee, has led on discussions around decolonising the curriculum and is co-lead of a new, highly innovative, BA in Heritage degree programme at UCL East. She contributes to the MA in Cultural Heritage Studies degree programme at the Institute and teaches modules on Critical Heritage Research Skills, Interpreting Collections and Presenting the Past to the Public. She was nominated for a UCLU Student Choice Award in 2020-21. Congratulations Rachel!

Claudia Naeser, who has been promoted to Associate Professor, undertakes research on archaeology in Egypt and Nubia from prehistory to Islam with specific interests in funerary archaeology, the social and political dimensions of archaeological practice, and the production, appropriation and consumption of archaeological heritage places in the contemporary world. She is joint co-ordinator of the Archaeology of Egypt and Sudan Research Network. Claudia, who is Deputy Departmental Tutor at the Institute, co-ordinates the BA in Archaeology of Egypt and Sudan degree programme and teaches modules on the archaeology of Sudan and themes and debates in Egyptian archaeology. She has been nominated for UCLU Student Choice Awards in 2021-22 and 2020-21. Congratulations Claudia! 

Miljana Radivojevic, who has been promoted to Associate Professor, specialises in the emergence of early copper making in the Balkans with research collaborations across Europe and northern Eurasia, especially central and southeast Europe, Anatolia, China, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. Her other research projects include the prehistory of the Silk Roads, linking Central Asia, the Eurasian Steppe and most of Europe during the 4th - 1st millennium BC, and more broadly addressing the pre-modern globalisation of Eurasian continent by looking at the (technological) knowledge economy at the time.  Miljana is Tutor for International Students at the Institute. She teaches modules at undergraduate and Masters-level on archaeometallurgy, technology within society and archaeology in the world. Congratulations Miljana!

This was the 5th round of promotions to be based on the new UCL Academic Careers Framework and saw 39 members of UCL academic staff from the Faculty of Social and Historical Sciences gaining promotions for their outstanding contributions to research, education and enabling and leadership at UCL.

The UCL Academic Careers Framework is designed to support every type of academic career path, making sure that personal impact is measured consistently across UCL.

Promotions are effective from 1 October 2022.

Read more

• UCL Senior Promotions 2021-22