MS Biomedical Visualization, University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC)
BS Physiology, Nutritional Sciences, University of Arizona
Shariwa joined the lab in June 2019 after graduating with her MS in Biomedical Visualization. She oversaw daily operations, assisted with research through design: she created 3D visualizations, animations, and reconstructions of data from CT scans of fossil hominins, updated and structured the lab website, and designed any visual correspondence materials such as brochures, reports, or flyers.

In 2021, she was accepted into the PhD program in Nutritional Science at Cornell University.

MSc Palaeoanthropology and Palaeolithic Anthropology, UCL
BA Archaeological Studies, Anthropology, and Sociology, Oberlin College

BS, Anthropology, Arizona State University

PhD Hominid Paleobiology, George Washington University
M.Phil. George Washington University
BS Rutgers University

Andrew joined the lab in March 2017 after receiving his PhD in Hominid Paleobiology from George Washington University. He is interested in the role scale plays in our understanding of large-scale ecological and evolutionary patterns in human evolution. Specifically, he studies how time-averaging biases the ecological information recovered from mammalian fossil assemblages. He also has an interest in hominin macroevolutionary patterns, including the timing and rates of phenotypic evolution and taxic diversity change through time.

In 2019, Andrew secured an Assistant Professorship in the Department of Anthropology and Geography at Colorado State University. See his continued research here.

PhD Anthropology, State University of New York at Albany
MA Anthropology, State University of New York at Albany 
BA Anthropology, State University of New York at New Paltz

Amanda is a biological anthropologist and Postdoctoral Scholar working in the Ross and Alemseged labs. Her research focuses on understanding anatomical relationships between form and function, from a mechanical perspective—particularly in regards to questions about human evolution.

Amanda’s primary interests are craniofacial biomechanics and dietary adaptation in fossil and living primates and early hominins.  For much of her work, she uses finite element analysis, an engineering technique used to examine how objects of complex design respond to loads.  This approach combines medical imaging, shape analysis and fossil reconstruction, 3D modeling and structural analysis to test hypotheses related to the performance and efficiency of skeletal features related to feeding function (the skull, teeth and jaw).  Amanda also studies the range and effects of intraspecific shape variation on feeding performance in living animal models.  This is important because understanding these relationships in living taxa allows us to infer behavior from morphology preserved in the fossil record.  Thus, her work attempts to relate these behavioral and mechanical data back to broader questions regarding anatomical adaptation and anthropology, including how extinct species may have exploited limited ecological resources.

PhD Integrative Biology, University of Chicago
BA Anthropology, University of California, Berkeley
BA Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley 

Hannah joined the lab as a graduate student in the fall of 2019. She is broadly interested in the connection between form and function within the context of hominin locomotor evolution. Specifically, she hopes to analyze the functional morphology of the upper limb and torso in order to address questions regarding functional relevance or primitive retention of morphological features. She obtained a doctoral degree in 2024.

Carly is a 2018-2019 MAPSS student, concentrating on bioarchaeology and Chinese archaeology. She is also interested in forensic anthropology and radiology. Carly is currently working on the human sacrifice phenomenon in ancient China.

MS Biomedical Visualization, University of Illinois Chicago (UIC)
BA McGill University

Eleanor completed her masters research in the lab, under the instruction of the PI and lab manager. For her thesis work, Eleanor reconstructed and animated part of the Dikika fossil to visualize its importance in the history of bipedal locomotion. Eleanor is now a medical illustrator and animator specializing in patient education at Veritas Health in Chicago.

Rena joined the lab in the summer of 2022 as an undergraduate intern and graduated from the University of Chicago in the spring of 2024 with a B.A. in Anthropology. "Under the mentorship of Dr. Farrell, I learned to identify and segment trabecular bone from cortical bone within the hominoid clavicle. The data from my internship later became my honors thesis, on trabecular response to muscular and joint attachments in the clavicle. While I loved the research itself, my favorite part of the lab has to be the people of the Alemseged Lab who made scrolling through several thousand slides of cross-sections fun. I will miss the 'What's Hot? What's Cold?' board with daily updates of everyone's troubles and happy things."

Iris joined the lab in October 2018 as an undergraduate student intern. She is majoring in anthropology with an interest in archaeology and scientific illustration. Since joining, she has learned 3D visualization and segmentation software and successfully contributed to important projects on hominin dentition.

Jenn joined the lab in December 2018 as an undergraduate student intern. She is majoring in Anthropology with an interest in biological anthropology and bioarchaeology. In the lab, she is working on a project that focuses on the digital analysis of hominin dentition.

Nathan joined the lab in December 2017 as a student intern and successfully supported several projects under the supervision of senior lab members. In Spring 2018, Nathan graduated from the university with a BA in Anthropology and Biological Sciences. After graduating, he worked over the summer as an assistant field researcher studying bonobos in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Kaylen joined the lab in January 2024 as a high school intern and will be starting at Northwestern University this fall. "Under Dr. Farrell I've had the amazing opportunity to analyze real CT scan data from museums around the world and gain new skills working with 3D imaging programs. I've loved this introductory experience into the behind-the-scenes of research and I'm excited to apply what I've learned!"

Levi joined the lab in March 2019 through a program at his high school, the Illinois Math and Science Academy. As a current high school senior, he is thinking about going to college for some combination of philosophy, chemistry, and archaeology. In the lab, he is working on the evolution of handedness by focusing on language and tool use.

In 2023, Levi was awarded the Barry Goldwater Scholarship while pursuing an education in anthropology at Haverford College.