Ask a Graduate Student
These are our graduate student ambassadors. They are available to answer questions relating to the William & Mary graduate program in Anthropology. Feel free to contact them with your questions.
Jules Mileski is a 3rd year Ph.D. student. Contact Jules
Hi y'all! I'm a third year Ph.D. student in Anthropology under Dr. Michelle Lelievre. I work primarily in the southeast, and have been interested in practices of placemaking, identity, value, emotion, and memory in small, rural history museums. Between finishing my Masters in 2021 and starting at William & Mary I had a brief stint in the National Parks Service where I became interested in artifact research, collections management, and archives. This summer (2023) I'm interning locally at the Mariners Museum doing archaeological conservation of ship timbers from the Princess Carolina, and exploring several subjects of interest as potential dissertation topics.
I live less than 10 minutes from campus and am a frequent visitor to farmers markets and antique/vintage stores between here and Richmond, so would love to answer any questions about housing or activities in the area. Additionally, I'm a member of William & Mary's United Campus Workers Union (UCW VA) and the treasurer for the Anthropology Graduate Student Collective (AGSC), so would happily chat about all things student collectives and community. Welcome to William & Mary!
Charlotte Russell is a one-year MA student. Contact Charlotte
Hello! I’m a one-year MA student in Anthropology with a concentration in Historical Archaeology under the direction of Dr. Neil Norman. My research interests include gender, agency, identity, discipline, and landscape archaeology, and my region of interest is the Southeast. I completed my BA in Anthropology at William & Mary where I conducted a Senior Honors Thesis titled “A Look Down the Well: Exploring Co-educational Femininity through a Twentieth-century Dormitory Feature at William & Mary, 1926-1944.” My MA thesis will deepen this research on a collection of artifacts from William & Mary’s campus. Outside of my thesis, I am interested in public archaeology and using GIS for archaeological applications.
I’ve lived in Williamsburg for over four years, so I am happy to answer any questions about what it’s like to live here or give any recommendations for housing! I love to bike, so I have many outdoor recreation recommendations. I’m also happy to answer questions about the one-year MA program for any undergraduate student at W&M.
Leah Stein is a 1st year Ph.D. student. Contact Leah
Hello! I’m a 2nd year MA/PhD student in Anthropology, working under the direction of Dr. Audrey Horning. My research focuses on the historical archaeology of the Sephardic Jewish diaspora, looking specifically at Sephardic life in colonial America and the Caribbean. My research interests also include placemaking practices, dress and material culture studies, and the politics of heritage management!
Before coming to William and Mary, I received my BA in archaeology and anthropology from the University of Oxford, so I’ve had experience doing archaeology on both sides of the pond. I’m also currently working as an intern for the Colonial Williamsburg archaeology crew. I’m happy to answer any questions you might have about the MA/PhD program, living in Williamsburg, getting involved with clubs or activities on campus, opportunities to get involved with Colonial Williamsburg, and more!
Maia Wilson is a 4th year Ph.D. student. Contact Maia
Hi Griffin hopeful! I am a 4th year Ph.D. student working under the supervision of Dr. Michelle Lelievre and Dr. Joe Jones. My research interests are Black history, Black repatriation politics, and Black feminist archaeology in the southeast United States. One site, Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park, is Indigenous ceremonial homeland, which I am comparing to two historically Black sites- Belle Grove Plantation and the Travis-Champion plantation. I work with legacy collections. I’m an archaeologist who is not digging for her PhD.
I received my M.A. at Uni of Idaho (yeah… Idaho) in Anthropology, but I am very at home in Williamsburg, Va as the daughter of Portsmouth, Va natives. Currently, I have external as a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellow, and I have just concluded my tenure as a Kelso Fellow which is internal funding. I am very familiar with the processes for applying to and navigating NSF external funding while at William & Mary. If you’ve got questions about the NSF, please reach out. Further, I most recently served as the Social Media Chair for the Anthropology Graduate Student Collective. I am a registered archaeological volunteer at Colonial Williamsburg (which comes with a lovely parking sticker), and I have interned with Colonial Historical National Park’s Cultural Resources team at Yorktown and Jamestown. So, if you are looking for ways to get involved here at William & Mary and beyond in the greater Williamsburg area, I’m happy to chat and connect you with folks if I can. I participate in the Graduate Student Assembly’s DEI Peer to Peer Mentoring Program for graduate Arts & Sciences students. I also have connections with the Black Student Organization. I take BIPOC, Queer, and mental health resources and support very seriously, and many of us carry multiple marginalized identities that deserve greater services. I’m here to help you get connected to them. I love to explore this area, so if you want recommendations on what to do and some information on potential areas to live in Williamsburg, I can offer insight. We can chat about grad life, the Graduate Arts & Sciences program, anthropology at W&M and more!
