Biography
Dr. Adams is a biological anthropologist who specializes in dental anthropology, bioarchaeology, and forensic anthropology, mixed methods, and ethics. They received their B.A. and B.S. from University at Albany, SUNY (2013); M.S. in Forensic Anthropology from Boston University School of Medicine (2015); and Ph.D. in Anthropology from the University of Nevada, Reno (2020).
Their bioarchaeological research focuses on the impact of changing demographic and economic trends on community identities and social practices during the Early Bronze Age in the Eastern Mediterranean. Much of this work uses dental metrics and morphology, indicators of stress, and demographic variables to understand changing biosocial trends during the period.
Their forensic anthropological research focuses on population and sex variation in the teeth and bone and the development of theoretically/quantitatively robust models for biological profile construction. This work has grown to broader research projects investigating how fuzzy logic can be used in forensic sex estimation, biological distance studies, and more. Further, Dr. Adams works with many collaborators on addressing avenues for a more inclusive, ethical, and robust practice. They also have a Secondary Joint Appointment with the National Center for Forensic Science where the Computational Anthropological Research Laboratory (CARL) is located.
Additionally, Dr. Adams has projects investigating scientific prejudice online and the misappropriation and misinformation anthropological research to reinforce extremist and prejudicial ideologies. These projects involve investigating communities like the alt-right, the Manosphere, and others using mixed methods to understand how such communities create and maintain such spaces and identities and the role anthropology plays in these factors. This work has been funded by the Wenner-Gren Foundation to understand such processes on YouTube and TikTok and deals with large amounts of video and comment data. These latter projects serve to address how biological anthropology can improve theoretical considerations, research design, and public engagement to combat such appropriation.
Research Interests
- Bioarchaeology
- Biological distance, ancient Anatolia, paleodemography, stress, kinship, microevolutionary change, community identity, social stratification
- Forensic anthropology
- Biological profile, inclusive methods and practice
- Dental anthropology
- Metrics, morphology, development, stress
- Quantitative Methods
- Machine learning, Regression and classification, Clustering, Distance-based measures, Network analysis
- Fuzzy logic
- Mixed methods
- Digital ethnography
- Scientific prejudice
- How it is produced and how to combat misuse of anthropological research
- Production and maintenance of extremist communities
- Racialization
- Ethics in research and practice
- Marginalization
Working with Dr. Adams
As my research is focused on integrating theory and quantitative methods, I aim to ensure students are well-rounded in both areas for strong anthropological questions and research projects. I also encourage students to critically examine the ethical/practical implications in all areas of their own research (e.g., language, figures, method design, statistics, etc.) and practice (e.g., public engagement, teaching, mentoring). Collaboration is important to my work, and I encourage that philosophy with students by working together on projects or promoting side projects that can foster new connections.
Your success is important, and it is my goal to be your advocate for your professional success. I work with you to discover and develop your learning, research, and professional styles; develop strong research and presentation skills; work on grant writing; publish research; and learn how to navigate the professional world.
I encourage you to reach out to me at Donovan.adams@ucf.edu to discuss potential opportunities.
Examples of past and ongoing research projects:
- Analysis of potential lived kinship structure and correlation to mortuary expression of kinship through analysis of dental stress and potential shared living environment in Early Bronze Age Anatolia
- Impact of intersectional identities (age, sex, socioeconomic status) on stress and marginalization in Early Bronze Age Anatolia
- Changing stress experiences throughout progression of Early Bronze Age in Anatolia
- Impact of the weathering hypothesis on aging of the skeleton
- Theoretical and quantitative critique of forensic sex estimation and development of non-discrete methods
Student Achievements
STUDENT HONORS, AWARDS, AND FUNDING
| 2023 | Trevor Colbourn Anthropology Endowment Award ($450)
Jasper Sharpless |
| 2023 | William S. Pollitzer Student Travel Award (American Association of Biological Anthropologists) ($500)
Chelsea Rose |
| 2023 | Trevor Colbourn Anthropology Endowment Award ($450)
Chelsea Rose |
STUDENT APPOINTED/ELECTED POSITIONS
| 2024-2025 | Graduate Anthropology Association (University of Central Florida)
Treasurer Jasper Sharpless |
| 2023-2024 | Graduate Anthropology Association (University of Central Florida)
Secretary Chelsea Rose |
| 2023-Present | Dental Anthropology (Journal of the Dental Anthropology Association)
Editorial Assistant C Trent |