Dr. Michele Koons studies ancient complex societies and is especially interested in ancient political dynamics, social networks, and how people of the past interacted with their environment. In her research, Michele uses different geophysical methods and traditional archaeological techniques, such as excavation and pedestrian survey. She also specializes in ceramic analysis and radiocarbon dating. Michele has conducted archaeological research throughout the United States, Peru, Bolivia, Chile, France, and China. Michele grew up outside of Philadelphia and attended the University of Pittsburgh for her BA. After interning at the Mütter Museum in Philadelphia, she moved to Colorado and worked at the Museo de las Americas in Denver and in cultural resource management in Wyoming. Michele then attended the University of Denver for her MA degree, where she explored the site of Tiwanaku in Bolivia. Michele went on to Harvard University for her PhD and pursued research on the Moche archaeological culture of Peru. While at Harvard, Michele worked at the Peabody Museum and volunteered at the Boston Museum of Science. After defending, she took a postdoctoral position at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science and was hired as curator a year later. She became the Director of Anthropology in 2024. Michele currently conducts research in the American Southwest, on Colorado’s Front Range, and in Peru and has led museum-based projects on Egyptian mummies, NAGPRA repatriations and international returns. She curates the Museum’s archaeological collections from around the world.

Curriculum Vitae

Casey Mallinckrodt is an objects conservator with experience working on a wide range of materials from contemporary chocolate sculpture to Ancient Egyptian painted coffins. Her greatest interest though, is with collections of material culture and using community collaboration, technical analysis, and cross disciplinary research to deepen the understanding of these objects and to guide thoughtful stewardship.  Casey has been privileged to work on collections of Native American material culture and the arts of Central and West Africa, and South Africa. She is excited to work with DMNS museum colleagues across divisions and with the larger community, and to develop learning opportunities for people entering the discipline.  

Casey received a master’s degree in conservation from the UCLA/Getty Program in the Conservation of Archaeological and Ethnographic Materials, and an MFA is sculpture from the Yale School of Art.  Before joining DMNS Casey was the first objects conservator in the Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art’s 180-year history and prior to that was part of a conservation-curatorial team at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts carrying out the technical analysis, study, and conservation of historic arts of Africa.  

Casey is a trustee of the College of the Atlantic in Bar Harbor, Maine.  

Megan is a member of the Avenir Conservation Center team working on a variety of projects. Megan is the Project Director for an IMLS grant-funded project entitled Northwest Coast Collection: Building Bridges and Detailed Conservation Survey. This project involves collaborating with originating and descendant Pacific Northwest communities to complete a condition survey. Megan also participates in conservation activities required for temporary and permanent exhibitions at the Museum. Some of Megan’s research interests include analytical imaging techniques and implementing feedback from Indigenous communities in conservation practice. 

Originally from Los Angeles, Megan fell in love with cultural heritage conservation during her undergraduate studies at Yale University, where she earned a BA with a double major in History of Art and Egyptology. In 2020, she graduated with her MA from the UCLA/Getty Program in the Conservation of Archaeological and Ethnographic Materials. Megan has conservation experience at fine arts, natural history, and conservation science institutions, as well as with archaeological excavations and in private practice.

Ella joined the Denver Museum of Nature and Science in 2024 as a Conservation Assistant to learn more about the field of Conservation and study under accomplished Conservators before pursuing a graduate degree. She received her BA with a double major of Art History and Chemistry from the University of Virginia. Before coming to the Museum, she worked in Museum collections in a variety of roles, most recently at the University of Virginia’s Special Collections Library as a Collections Assistant for the Fine and Decorative Arts Department.

Ella is interested in using this role to expand her knowledge of conservation while getting valuable experience working in a lab setting and working directly with objects of cultural heritage. She also looks forward to starting the Winterthur/ University of Delaware Program in Art Conservation in the fall of 2026 with anticipated graduation in 2029.

Anna joined the Avenir Conservation Center at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science Conservation team in January 2026, primarily to work on the deinstallation of the North American Indian Cultures Hall. Her work with museum and science centers began at Fiske Planetarium at the University of Colorado, Boulder, where she discovered a passion for working in a museum setting. She has since worked with museum collections at the University of Colorado Natural History Museum and the Aurora History Museum.

Anna deeply enjoys working with Anthropology collections and is grateful to have the opportunity to learn more about the intersection between conservation practices and collections management strategies, as well as how Indigenous knowledge informs care for cultural heritage objects. She is aiming to deepen her knowledge of conservation as a field, as well as expand her experience with large anthropology collections, before attending a graduate program.