Academia
B.A. in Egyptology (University of Copenhagen, Denmark)
One semester at Freie Universität, Berlin, Germany, focusing on Landscape archaeology.
M.A. in Native American Studies focusing on Mayan Mortuary Practices in Belize (University of Copenhagen, Denmark).
Ph.D. in Anthropology focusing on Tlatilco in Early Formative Central Mexico (University of California, Riverside).
Teaching Experience
During my years at the University of California, Riverside, I have been fortunate to be a Teaching Assistant as well as a Lecturer for a variety of courses
Teaching Assistant
Introduction to Archaeology; Biological Anthropology; and Cultural Anthropology; Introduction to Sociology; Sociology and the Family; Art History; Political Science: Political Ideology; and Judicial Politics and Policy-Making.
Lecturer
Language and Culture, Introduction to Cultural Anthropology, Biological Approaches to Medical Anthropology, Political Anthropology, Culture and Medicine, Ancient Households and Communities, History of Anthropological Theory, Introduction to Archaeology, and Archaeology of Western Mesoamerica
Archaeology
2008 Fieldschool at Jerash, Jordan
2009 Survey project in Sion, Switzerland
2010–2015 Six summers as Supervisor for Belize Valley Archaeological Reconnaissance project, uncovering elite burials within pyramids.
2016 Joined a project at Tlalancaleca to gain experience working in Mexico.
2017–2018 Research trips to more than 30 museums mostly across the United States. An excellent way for an international student to travel and explore. Thank you, UCMexus for the grant money.
2022 Identities, Experience, and Change in Early Mexican Villages, eds. Catharina E. Santasilia, Guy D. Hepp, and Richard A. Diehl, University of Florida Press.
"Back in Denmark"
I started out working as a cleaning assistant at my granddad's blacksmith company when I was 13 to earn some pocket money.
While studying in Denmark, I have had a wide variety of jobs, most of which have been in social welfare, assisting in caring for people with both physical and developmental disabilities.
My job as a sales assistant in a movie and music store was short-lived as online streaming changed the material world.
Guest Curator
2014 Began as an intern at Riverside Metropolitan Museum (RMM, today known as the Museum of Riverside)
2017–2018 Guest-curated exhibition at RMM on dissertation topic: Uncovering Ancient Mexico: The Mystery of Tlatilco.
Ambient Light helped publish a catalogue for the exhibition: Tlatilco Uncovered.
2026 Curated an exhibition at Elverhøj Museum of History and Art in Solvang, California, on Danish Mid-Century Modern works by artist Bjørn Wiinblad: Through the Eyes of Wiinblad.
Wrote a catalogue and brochure:
Through the Eyes of Wiinblad: A Danish Maximalist, designed by Jonathan Duarte.
Collections Consultant
Over the last decade or two, I have processed and inventoried collections of many kinds, including at museums and galleries, private collectors, and individual artists.
The collections span from ancient art, particularly from Mesoamerica, to Scandinavian Mid-Century Modern, to contemporary digital art.
I assist with inventorying the collections, archiving, photographing, researching, proposal writing, and communicating with institutions and museums regarding loans, donations, and release forms, as well as installation in galleries and online curation.
Currently, I work with digital art pioneer David Em, whose intriguing five-decade career is remarkable—from NASA to homebuilt computers to AI.