Our faculty is actively engaged in research in all four sub-fields. Although our focus understandably emphasizes the North, several of our faculty have expertise in Siberia , Canada and other circumpolar areas. Our archaeologists and biological anthropologists work, as well, in Europe and Africa . The faculty publish regularly in journals appropriate to their fields. Publications and presentations reflect the diversity of interests and are congruent with both departmental and university missions.

Our research has an immediate impact on our instruction. We illustrate fundamental principles with data from our fieldwork and engage students in the analysis of complex issues found in our own work. Comments on IASs frequently note that the material was made much more accessible by the instructors' ability to relate it to actual research experience.