Meet the Team

Dr. Richards specializes in nautical archaeology, archaeological theory and is a specialist in watercraft discard and cultural site formation processes of the archaeological record. He has an interest in non-traditional subjects in maritime archaeology focusing on non-shipwreck sites such as ship graveyards, the archaeology of harbor infrastructure, and maritime terrestrial sites. He has been involved in a number of field schools run by Departments of Archaeology at Flinders University (South Australia), and James Cook University (Queensland), and has been employed in cultural resource management work by the State Governments of South Australia and Tasmania. Currently he is working in three main themes within the theme of cultural site formation; shipboard incarceration, ferrous shipbuilding traditions (iron, steel and steam shipbuilding), and ship abandonment (an extension of the Australian Abandoned Ships' Project to the USA). His research has appeared in a number of other journal articles, book chapters, and numerous reports and reviews. He is co-author (with Robyn Hartell) of The Garden Island Ships' Graveyard Maritime Heritage Trail (2001), and the soon to be published Ships' Graveyards: Abandoned Watercraft and the Archaeological Formation Process (University of Florida Press). Dr. Richards is an active member of the Australasian Institute for Maritime Archaeology and the Australian Association for Maritime History. Dr. Richards teaches classes in the history and theory of nautical archaeology, research and field methods, cultural resource management, and field schools.

Professor Rodgers specializes in Nautical Archaeology, Conservation Science, Ship construction and the transition of Sail to Steam, Wood to Iron hulls, and Great Lakes history and archaeology. His latest book, The Archaeologist's Manual for Conservation, 2004, simplifies non-toxic conservation procedures, to help bring conservation back into the archaeological field. In this light Rodgers presently directs, and has designed, and built the ECU conservation laboratory, while continuing to consult nationally and internationally on various conservation projects. Rodgers has conserved artifacts from both land and water sites dated from the 16th century onward including cannon, anchors, wood, organics, and smaller composite artifacts. He has also devised and built many of the specialized devices and equipment used at the laboratory and is currently reviewing the possibility of recommending (and creating) archaeological conservation as a specialty within the archaeological field. Rodgers has directed the preponderance of field projects for ECU in the past 20 years. These projects range geographically from Midway Island in the Pacific to Bermuda in the Atlantic and from the Caribbean Sea to Lake Superior. He represented ECU on the team that discovered the remains of the USS Saginaw at Kure Atoll (2003) and is presently concluding a two-decade research survey of major 19th century vessel types found beneath the Great Lakes. Publications to date include his first book, Guardian of the Great Lakes, 1996, as well as numerous international articles, book chapters, and site reports.

Calvin Mires is the staff archaeologist for the Program in Maritime Studies. He has participated in research projects in Israel, Bermuda, Hawaii, Montana, Great Lakes, North Carolina, and South Carolina. He teaches ECU's small boat operator course. He earned his BA in Latin and Classical Civilizations from the University of Montana in 1998, and his MA in Maritime Studies from ECU in 2005. He is currently working on his PhD in Coastal Resources Management. His dissertation is focused on understanding how the public perceives and values underwater cultural heritage through combined qualitative and quantitative methodologies borrowed from the fields of archaeology, economics, cultural geography, and recreation and leisure studies. Other research interests include maritime archaeological theory and methodology, maritime heritage, public outreach, and late 19th/early 20th century small watercraft.

As Sanctuary Superintendent for the Monitor National Marine Sanctuary, Dave Alberg serves as the onsite manager for the sanctuary and as the primary point of contact between NOAA and The Mariners' Museum in Newport News, Virginia, which is conserving the thousands of artifacts recovered from the wreck of the USS Monitor. Dave has an extensive background in cultural resource management, museum work and exhibit development and has been involved in a number of high-profile museum projects. In 1992, Dave began his museum career as the first curator for the Virginia Air and Space Center in Hampton Virginia and went on to serve as the Director of Exhibits and Collections for the U.S. Space & Rocket Center in Huntsville, AL. Most recently, he served as the Deputy Director for Nauticus in Norfolk, Virginia. Dave serves in the United States Navy Reserve and holds a bachelors degree in Museum Studies from George Mason University and a master's degree in Museum Education from the College of William and Mary.

Lauren is the Research Coordinator for NOAA's Monitor National Marine Sanctuary. She attended the College of Charleston where she received a Bachelor of Science degree in Marine Biology. She graduated from Colorado State University with a Master's degree in Human Dimensions of Natural Resources. Drawing on her education and experience, Lauren works towards the preservation and conservation of natural and historical resources through research, education, and outreach.

Shannon Ricles is the Education and Outreach Coordinator for the Monitor National Marine Sanctuary. Formerly, Shannon was the Director of STARBASE-Atlantis, a US Navy educational outreach program that focuses on science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM), which serves over 1,000 fifth grade students annually. Prior to working for the Navy, Shannon was the Program Manager and Coordinating Producer for NASA's educational broadcast program, the NASA SCI Files™, which aired nationwide on PBS and on over 800 cable access channels. The program won numerous awards including five Emmys. Shannon has over 15 years classroom experience as an educator at multiple grade levels and received her Bachelors of Science degree in Education with an Earth Science emphasis from the University of North Texas at Denton. She is currently working on her Masters of Business Administration at Saint Leo's University.

John McCord currently serves as the Education Programs Coordinator for the UNC Coastal Studies Institute. In this role, John is responsible for communicating the research and activities of the UNC Coastal Studies Institute to an assortment of audiences including local government officials, university faculty, teachers, k-12 students and the general public. John fulfills this mission through a variety of education and outreach methods including workshops, publications, multi-media and web based learning.

Dave is the education associate for UNC Coastal Studies Institute. He is responsible for working with the program coordinator to communicate the research and activities of the UNC Coastal Studies Institute to an assortment of audiences including local government officials, university faculty, teachers, K-12 students, and the general public. Previously, Dave was an educator at the North Carolina Aquarium on Roanoke Island. Dave also worked in southern California as a Marine Science Instructor. Dave has a Bachelors of Science in Environmental Studies from Elon University. He enjoys surfing, diving, snorkeling, kayaking, travel, and sports.

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