Meet the Team

MHTT Project Directors

Photo of Dr. Alicia Odewale standing next to Greenwood mural

Dr. Alicia Odewale

MHTT Project Director, African Diaspora Archaeologist, Professor of Practice, Director of Undergraduate Studies, University of HoustonMeet Alicia
Photo of Parker VanValkenburgh

Dr. Parker VanValkenburgh

MHTT Project Director, Associate Professor of Anthropology, Archaeology and the Ancient World, Interim Director of Latin American and Caribbean Studies, Brown UniversityMeet Parker
Photo of Dr. Nkem Ike

Dr. Nkem Ike

MHTT Assistant Project Director, Joined the Team in 2021, Starting Affiliation – University of Tulsa (PhD Student), Current Affiliation – University of Toronto, Assistant Professor of AnthropologyMeet Nkem

MHTT Field Leaders

Photo of Tiffany Bruner

Tiffany Bruner

Photo of Billie Burden

Billie Burden

Photo of Jasmine Carter

Jasmine Carter

Photo of Kristin Coon

Kristin Coon

Gary Ervin

Photo of Victoria Harris

Victoria Harris

Orion Long

  • MHTT Field Leader
  • Joined the Team in 2021
  • Starting Affiliation – Booker T. Washington High School
  • Current Affiliation – Booker T. Washington High School Graduate

Amber Vinson

Photo of Louise Walker

Louise Walker

Photo of Patty Williams

Patty Williams

MHTT Student Interns

Photo of Heidi Hampton

Heidi Hampton

Photo of Sean Shumaker

Sean Shumaker

  • MHTT Student Intern
  • Joined the Team in 2022
  • Starting Affiliation – University of Tulsa (History Major)
  • Current Affiliation – Woody Guthrie Center (Museum Sales Assoc.)
Photo of Oscar Diaz

Oscar Diaz

  • MHTT Student Intern
  • Joined the Team in 2022
  • Starting Affiliation – Tulsa Community College
  • Current Affiliation – Tulsa Community College
Photo of Johnny Hung Irons-LaGrone

Johnny Hung Irons-LaGrone

  • MHTT Student Intern
  • Joined the Team in 2023
  • Starting Affiliation – Oklahoma State University (History Major)
  • Current Affiliation – Oklahoma State University (Public History Masters)
Photo of Christina Miles

Christina Miles

  • MHTT Student Intern
  • Joined the Team in 2023
  • Starting Affiliation – Brown University (Anthropology Major)
  • Current Affiliation – Brown University (Anthropology Major)
  • Working as Records and Collections Assistant for Joukowsky Institute for Archaeology and the Ancient World
  • Writer of Greenwood Archaeology Poetry Collection

Reagan Ballard

  • MHTT Student Intern
  • Joined the Team in 2021
  • Starting Affiliation – Booker T Washington (Junior)
  • Current Affiliation – UNC Chapel Hill (Biology Pre-Med Major, Robertson Scholar)
  • Oklahoma Public Archaeology Network – Advisory Board Member

Reagan Cheshewalla Bieligk

  • MHTT Student Intern
  • Holland Hall School
  • MHTT Origin Year: 2024
  • Dunbar Grade School: A Micro History
  • Senior at Holland Hall, working at the Oklahoma Public Archaeology Network
  • Proud Member of the Osage Nation

Elijah Whalen

  • MHTT Student Intern
  • Joined the Team in 2021
  • Starting Affiliation – University of Oklahoma (Anthropology Major)
  • Current Affiliation – OU-TU School of Community Medicine (Medical Student)
  • Worked at Oklahoma Public Archaeology Network with specific focus on Indigenous Heritage Preservation
  • Proud Member of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma

MHTT Team Member photos were provided courtesy of JW Photography.