# Project Staff ## expand\_more Sort## **Project Directors** #### Dr. Jason Ur (Project Director) #### Stephen Phillips Professor of Anthropology and Ethnology, Department of Anthropology, Harvard University *Dr. Ur is a landscape archaeologist; he studies evolving patterns of human settlement and land use, and specializes in archaeological survey and remote sensing.* ![Jason Ur](/sites/g/files/omnuum6996/files/styles/hwp_1_1__360x360_scale/public/jasonur/files/ur_p1070352.jpg?itok=jl3o_dCi) #### Nader Babakr (Project Co-Director) #### Director of Antiquities, Erbil Governorate, Kurdistan Region of Iraq ![Nader Babakr](/sites/g/files/omnuum6996/files/styles/hwp_1_1__360x360_scale/public/jasonur/files/babakr_20160830_epas_ju_0014.jpg?itok=7J_uJyoO) #### [Dr. Mehrnoush Soroush ](https://nelc.uchicago.edu/mehrnoush-soroush)(Project Associate Director, 2020-present) #### Assistant Professor of Near Eastern Languages & Civilizations, University of Chicago *Prof. Soroush is a landscape archaeologist specializing in remote sensing and water management in the Near East.* ![Mehrnoush Soroush](/sites/g/files/omnuum6996/files/styles/hwp_1_1__360x360_scale/public/jasonur/files/soroush_dsc_0732.jpg?itok=MdWhnRed) #### Khalil Barzinji (Project Associate Director, 2022-present) #### Archaeologist, Erbil Directorate of Antiquities, Kurdistan Regional Government *Kak Khalil is an archaeologist and the project's UAV (drone) pilot. He has been an EPAS team member since 2012.* ![barzinji_profile](/sites/g/files/omnuum6996/files/styles/hwp_1_1__360x360_scale/public/jasonur/files/barzinji_20160825_epas_ju_0024.jpg?itok=grfAhMXH) #### Mohammed Lashkri (Project Associate Director, 2022-present) #### Manager of Museums, Directorate of Antiquities, Kurdistan Regional Government *Kak Mohammed is an archaeologist with the KRG, in charge of Museums. He has been part of EPAS since 2016.* ![Lashkri](/sites/g/files/omnuum6996/files/styles/hwp_1_1__360x360_scale/public/jasonur/files/lashkri_20170826_ur_canon_0076.jpg?itok=Wr9Phdle) ## **Past Project Directors** #### Dr. [Rocco Palermo ](https://scholar.harvard.edu/roccopalermo/home)(Project Associate Director, 2019-2021) #### Research Affiliate, University of Pisa *Dr. Palermo studies the landscapes of the Hellenistic world* ![Rocco Palermo](/sites/g/files/omnuum6996/files/styles/hwp_1_1__360x360_scale/public/jasonur/files/rocco_profile.jpg?itok=sy96hJNt) #### Dr. [Petra Creamer](http://mesas.emory.edu/home/people/faculty/creamer-petra.html) (Project Associate Director, 2019-2021) #### Assistant Professor of Middle Eastern and South Asian Studies, Emory University (effective Spring 2023) *Dr. Creamer is a Near Eastern archaeologist specializing in imperial landscapes*. ![Creamer profile picture](/sites/g/files/omnuum6996/files/styles/hwp_1_1__360x360_scale/public/jasonur/files/creamer_img_2755.jpg?itok=3Vb8-x-b) #### Dr. Lidewijde de Jong (Associate Director, 2012-2018) ![Lidewijde de Jong](/sites/g/files/omnuum6996/files/styles/hwp_1_1__360x360_scale/public/jasonur/files/ldejong.jpg?itok=37UrN-LT) #### Dr. Jessica Giraud (Associate Director, 2012-2018) #### Currently President, [Archaïos](http://www.archa%C3%AFos.com), Paris ![Jessica Giraud](/sites/g/files/omnuum6996/files/styles/hwp_1_1__360x360_scale/public/jasonur/files/img_4215_giraud.jpg?itok=hoNaxQfY) #### Dr. [James Osborne ](https://nelc.uchicago.edu/faculty/osborne)(Associate Director, 2012-2013) #### Associate Professor of Anatolian Archaeology, University of Chicago ![James Osborne](/sites/g/files/omnuum6996/files/styles/hwp_1_1__360x360_scale/public/jasonur/files/s200_james.osborne.jpg?itok=uJN1Wskq) ## **Current Senior Project Staff** #### Pshtiwan Ahmed #### Directorate of Antiquities, Erbil Governorate, Kurdistan Regional Government *Kak Pshtiwan is an archaeologist. He was been part of EPAS since 2016.* ![Pshtiwan Ahmed](/sites/g/files/omnuum6996/files/styles/hwp_1_1__360x360_scale/public/jasonur/files/ahmed_20160828_epas_ju_0029.jpg?itok=7yCo9tRe) #### Aram Mohammed Amin #### Iraqi Institute for the Conservation of Antiquities and Heritage *Kak Aram is an archaeologist and Master Trainer at the IICAH. He was been part of EPAS since 2016.* ![Aram Amin](/sites/g/files/omnuum6996/files/styles/hwp_1_1__360x360_scale/public/jasonur/files/amin_20160929_epas_ju_0017.jpg?itok=-jDiQiDG) #### [Dr. Elise Laugier](https://anthro.rutgers.edu/people/research-affiliates/1032-elise-j-laugier) #### NSF Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Anthropology, Rutgers University *Dr. Laugier is an environmental archaeologist with a focus on agriculture in southwest Asia. She joined EPAS in 2022.* ![Elise Laugier](/sites/g/files/omnuum6996/files/styles/hwp_1_1__360x360_scale/public/jasonur/files/laugier_headshot.png?itok=kilUrhQm) #### [Dr. Bjoern Menze](https://www.dqbm.uzh.ch/en/research/menze.html) #### Professor for Biomedical Image Analysis and Machine Learning, University of Zurich *Dr. Menze is a computer scientist with a primary focus on medical remote sensing, but with a strong interest in archaeological applications of remote sensing.* ![Bjoern Menze](/sites/g/files/omnuum6996/files/styles/hwp_1_1__360x360_scale/public/jasonur/files/menze_web.jpg?itok=U2pUoJVy) #### Dr. Karel Nováček #### Associate Professor of History, Palacký University Olomouc *Dr. Nováček is an archaeologist and historian of architecture specializing in the medieval built environment, both in central Europe and the Near East.* ![Novacek](/sites/g/files/omnuum6996/files/styles/hwp_1_1__360x360_scale/public/jasonur/files/novacek_epas_ju_0092.jpg?itok=xL4vvseA) #### Shilan Ramand (2013, 2017, 2019) #### Graduate Student, University of Paris *Shilan is an archaeologist and epigrapher specializing in the Middle Bronze Age of northern Mesopotamia.* ![Shilan Ramand](/sites/g/files/omnuum6996/files/styles/hwp_1_1__360x360_scale/public/jasonur/files/ramand_profile.jpg?itok=W6QOd_-C) #### Bapir Rawanduzi #### President, Korek Private Hire *Kak Bapir is project liason, intepreter, and coordinator for transportation.* ![Bapir](/sites/g/files/omnuum6996/files/styles/hwp_1_1__360x360_scale/public/jasonur/files/bapir_p1070241.jpg?itok=qL_OMPzB) ### Project Personnel #### Dr. [Narmen Ali Muhamad Amin](https://www.facebook.com/narmen.alimuhamadamin) #### Professor of Archaeology, Salahaddin University ![Narmen Ali](/sites/g/files/omnuum6996/files/styles/hwp_1_1__360x360_scale/public/jasonur/files/narmin_profile.jpg?itok=ViLMOmaj) #### Jesse Bajema (2019) ![Jesse Bajema](/sites/g/files/omnuum6996/files/styles/hwp_1_1__360x360_scale/public/jasonur/files/bajema_profile.jpg?itok=6g1x1uSF) #### Gareb Ismail Bawamurad (2012) ![Gareb](/sites/g/files/omnuum6996/files/styles/hwp_1_1__360x360_scale/public/jasonur/files/gareb_dsc00382.jpg?itok=oo14s780) #### [Jack Bishop ](https://scholar.harvard.edu/jackbishop/home)(2022) #### Graduate Student in Archaeology, Harvard University ![Jack Bishop](/sites/g/files/omnuum6996/files/styles/hwp_1_1__360x360_scale/public/jasonur/files/bishop_headshot.png?itok=zQ3wI0QL) #### [Jordan Brown ](http://arf.berkeley.edu/who-we-are/graduate-student/jordan-brown)(2019, 2022) #### Graduate Student in Archaeology, University of California at Berkeley ![Jordan Brown](/sites/g/files/omnuum6996/files/styles/hwp_1_1__360x360_scale/public/jasonur/files/brown_jordan_headshot.png?itok=iccB8T12) #### Jon Clindaniel (2013) #### Graduate Student in Archaeology, Harvard University ![Jon Clindaniel](/sites/g/files/omnuum6996/files/styles/hwp_1_1__360x360_scale/public/jasonur/files/clindaniel_p1070266.jpg?itok=qq0PHb5o) #### Dr. Maurits Ertsen #### Senior Lecturer, Department of Civil Engineering and Geosciences, Delft University of Technology *Dr. Ertsen studies the history of water and human societies.* ![Maurits Ertsen](/sites/g/files/omnuum6996/files/styles/hwp_1_1__360x360_scale/public/jasonur/files/ertsen_0.jpeg?itok=pOQ2XJRe) #### Dr. Abdulameer al-Hamdani al-Dhafar (2016) #### State Board of Antiquities and Heritage, Nasiriya ![Hamdani](/sites/g/files/omnuum6996/files/styles/hwp_1_1__360x360_scale/public/jasonur/files/hamdani_20160831_epas_ju_0072.jpg?itok=ZmXt6Zed) #### Kyra Kaercher (2019) ![Kyra Kaercher](/sites/g/files/omnuum6996/files/styles/hwp_1_1__360x360_scale/public/jasonur/files/kaercher_profile.jpg?itok=CS-bd4Uw) #### Iris Koopmans (2013) ![Iris Koopmans](/sites/g/files/omnuum6996/files/styles/hwp_1_1__360x360_scale/public/jasonur/files/koopmans_dsc_0514.jpg?itok=lTJMT1zx) #### [Nisha Kumar ](https://nelc.fas.harvard.edu/people/nisha-kumar)(2022) #### Graduate Student in Near Eastern Languages & Civilizations, Harvard University ![Nisha Kumar](/sites/g/files/omnuum6996/files/styles/hwp_1_1__360x360_scale/public/jasonur/files/kumar_headshot.png?itok=eXvcccaG) #### Dr. Augusta McMahon (2016-2017) #### Reader in Archaeology, University of Cambridge ![Augusta McMahon profile picture](/sites/g/files/omnuum6996/files/styles/hwp_1_1__360x360_scale/public/jasonur/files/mcmahon_20170911_ur_canon_0154.jpg?itok=uF86z9D5) #### [Madeline Ouimet](https://nelc.uchicago.edu/madeline-ouimet) (2022) #### Graduate Student in Near Eastern Languages & Civilizations, University of Chicago ![Madeline Ouimet](/sites/g/files/omnuum6996/files/styles/hwp_1_1__360x360_scale/public/jasonur/files/ouimet_headshot.png?itok=BFeuDtYW) #### Max Price (2012) #### Graduate Student in Archaeology, Harvard University ![Max Price](/sites/g/files/omnuum6996/files/styles/hwp_1_1__360x360_scale/public/jasonur/files/price_p1065271.jpg?itok=zcbUHHul) #### Kate Rose (2017) #### Graduate Student in Archaeology, Harvard University ![Rose](/sites/g/files/omnuum6996/files/styles/hwp_1_1__360x360_scale/public/jasonur/files/rose_img_2629.jpg?itok=4wfx3Ebf) #### Dr. Stefan Smith (2013, 2016) ![Stefan Smith](/sites/g/files/omnuum6996/files/styles/hwp_1_1__360x360_scale/public/jasonur/files/smith_20160905_epas_ju_0014.jpg?itok=TrAollN_) #### Dr. David Uribelarrea del Val (2013) #### Acting Professor, Geological Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid ![David Uribelarrea](/sites/g/files/omnuum6996/files/styles/hwp_1_1__360x360_scale/public/jasonur/files/david_and_zab_river_kurdistan.jpg?itok=VGcfTm2u)