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New Professors

Rhiannon Stevens, who has been promoted to Professor of Archaeological Science, undertakes research onÌýhuman-animal-environment relationships and examining past diets, subsistence practices and lifeways, using biomolecular techniques such as stable isotopes, ZooMs, and radiocarbon dating to address theseÌýthemes.ÌýHerÌýwork bridges archaeology, biology, geography and earth science disciplines.

Rhiannon leads Leverhulme Trust-funded research to develop fossil bone isotope signatures as a new proxy for creating high-resolution chronologically-constrained Ìýrecords Ìýof Ìýpast Ìýpermafrost Ìýthaw as well as NERC-funded projects on 'Unlocking wetland ecologies and agriculture in prehistory through sulphur isotopes' and 'Expanding the prospects of zinc isotopes as palaeodietary and palaeoenvironmental proxies.' She alsoÌýleads on our BSc Archaeology degree programme andÌýteaches modules onÌýApplications in Archaeological Science (undergraduate) and Biomolecular Archaeology (postgraduate).

Rhiannon manages the Institute's Biomolecular Laboratories,Ìýis on theÌýSteering Committee ofÌýthe Bloomsbury Environmental Isotope Facility (BEIF) andÌýco-ordinatesÌýthe London Biomolecular Forum. SheÌýisÌýjoint Head of the Archaeological Sciences Section,Ìýa member of the Institute's Senior Management Team. SheÌýchairs the Institute's Women's ForumÌýand is leading on the department's next Athena Swan submission.

Congratulations Rhiannon!

Yijie Zhuang, who has been promoted to Professor of Chinese Archaeology and Geoarchaeology, undertakes research onÌýthe ecology of early agriculture, long-term land use and landscape change, irrigation and water management and diverse trajectories to social complexity across East, South and Southeast Asia.

Yijie was recently awarded a British Academy Mid-Career Fellowship for his research on 'Power and historicity of water: An interdisciplinary investigation on the origins of hydraulic societies in late prehistoric China.' He was also co-applicantÌýDr Hai Zhang's British Academy Newton Advanced Fellowship on 'Water and early enclosed settlement on the Huai floodplain, central China: Geoarchaeology of water management and landscape of the late-Neolithic site of Pingliangtai.'Ìý

Yijie co-ordinates our MA in Archaeology and Heritage of Asia degree programme and teaches modules onÌýArt and Archaeology of Ancient China and Art and Archaeology of Early Imperial China (undergraduate) as well as Archaeologies of Asia, Archaeological Heritage Management in Asia and Social Complexity in Early China: from the Neolithic to the Early Empire (postgraduate).

YijieÌýis also the Institute's International Tutor (for undergraduate students).

Congratulations Yijie!

New Associate Professor (Teaching)

Borja Legarra Herrero,Ìýwho has been promoted to Associate Professor (Teaching),Ìýspecialises in the study ofÌý
Aegean Prehistory, the later prehistory of South East Spain, ceramic studies state formation, archaeology and anthropology of death, landscape archaeology and survey methods, and computer games and archaeology.Ìý

His current research projects include 'Minoan gold: an archaeometallurgical analysis of Crete's place in the east Mediterranean world' and 'Verasur: Human Mobility and long-term social change in the west Mediterranean: The case of the Vera Region (Almeria, Spain).'Ìý

Borja contributes to our MA in Mediterranean Archaeology degree programme andÌýteaches on a range of topics related to Late Prehistory in the Mediterranean, with particular interest on Greek Archaeology and Iberian Prehistory - including Social and political dynamics, interaction and cultural contact and material analyses. He has been nominated for UCLU Student Choice Awards for Inspiring Teaching Delivery (2021-22 & 2020-21) for Exceptional Feedback (2018-19).

Borja isÌýleading our BA degree programmes on Classical Archaeology and Classical Civilisation as well as Archaeology with a Year Abroad and is the Institute's Connected Learning Lead.

Congratulations Borja!

This was the 7th round of promotions to be based on the new UCL Academic Careers Framework and saw 25Ìýmembers 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 »Ê¼Ò»ªÈË.

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 2024.

Read more

• UCL Senior Promotions 2023-24