PhD Student
Pronouns: he/him
Education
MS Anthropology, University of Utah
BS, Anthropology, University of Utah
Year Admitted
2026
Faculty Advisor
Brian Codding
Bio
Ishmael is broadly interested in understanding human-environment interactions in the past, present, and near future. He is currently a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellow, with the primary goal of integrating data from the archaeological record and contemporary Indigenous ecological knowledge with novel artificial intelligence models to restore Indigenous landscapes and develop effective and inclusive management plans. Ishmael received his Bachelor of Science (2021) and Master of Science (2023) in Anthropology from the University of Utah, where he reconstructed the ancestral Indigenous maize farming niche of Utah and partnered with local Tribes to help restore fragile wetland-riparian ecosystems. His recent work focuses on partnering with Tribes to support Indigenous-led restoration efforts and on modeling potential beaver habitats for beaver reintroduction programs to support sustainable watershed restoration. He has also worked as an archaeological field technician in the private and non-profit sectors throughout the West. In his free time, Ishmael enjoys rock climbing, snowboarding, hiking, and wandering the desert.