UW Anthropology Professor Elected to National Academy of Sciences

Robert Kelly, a professor emeritus of anthropology at the University of Wyoming, has been elected to the prestigious National Academy of Sciences (NAS) in recognition of his distinguished and continuing achievements in original research.

Kelly is only the second UW faculty member to receive this honor, joining the late George Frison, a renowned archaeologist and former longtime UW faculty member.

"What an incredible honor for one of our most accomplished, internationally recognized faculty members," UW President Ed Seidel says. "Dr. Kelly's accomplishments are amazing, and this recognition not only puts him in extremely select company -- it lifts the profile of Wyoming's university."

NAS announced the election of 120 members and 25 international members this year, bringing its total active membership to 2,705 and its international membership to 557. Established in 1863 under a congressional charter signed by President Abraham Lincoln, the NAS is a private, nonprofit institution that recognizes achievement in science through election to membership. Along with the National Academy of Engineering and the National Academy of Medicine, it provides independent advice to the federal government and other organizations on matters related to science, engineering and health.

"This is unexpected, flattering and humbling," Kelly says. "I am grateful for the guidance and assistance from colleagues, friends and family over the last 50 years."

Kelly became involved in archaeology in 1973, when he participated as a high school student in an excavation of a cave site in Nevada alongside David Hurst Thomas of the American Museum of Natural History. He continued to work in Nevada for more than a decade, eventually conducting his doctoral field research there.

He earned his bachelor's degree in anthropology from Cornell University in 1978, a master's degree from the University of New Mexico in 1980 and a Ph.D. from the University of Michigan in 1985.

Before joining UW in 1997, Kelly held a faculty position at the University of Louisville, where he directed the department's archaeology program and served as department head. At UW, he also served as department head from 2005-08, helping lead the planning and construction of the Anthropology Building and contributing to the development of the department's doctoral program.

A prolific scholar, Kelly is the author of more than 200 articles, books, reviews and commentaries and is among the top 2 percent of cited scientists in the world. He is the author, with Thomas, of "Archaeology," the most widely used undergraduate textbook in archaeology, and "The Lifeways of Hunter-Gatherers," which has been in print since 1995. Written for the public, his award-winning book "The Fifth Beginning: What Six Million Years of Human History Can Tell Us about Our Future" has been translated into Chinese, Korean, German and Slovakian. His research spans archaeology, ethnology and ethnography, with archaeological fieldwork conducted across the U.S. and ethnographic fieldwork in Madagascar.

Since coming to Wyoming, Kelly has researched Paleoindian archaeology, most recently at the LaPrele site in eastern Wyoming, and the links among climate, demography and hunter-gatherer lifeways at cave sites in the Bighorn Mountains. He led a project to create a radiocarbon database for the U.S., which is now an open resource for other researchers.

His recent work includes a project in Glacier National Park investigating ice and snow patches for artifacts exposed by climate change, aiming to connect current and past climate changes.

Kelly has secured more than $2 million in research funding and has been a strong advocate for public engagement and Native American involvement in archaeology. He founded the "Explore Wyoming's Cultural Heritage" website to promote tourism and education around the state's archaeological and historic sites and has delivered numerous public lectures across Wyoming.

He is a past president of the Society for American Archaeology (SAA), a former secretary of the Archaeology Division of the American Anthropological Association, and past editor of American Antiquity, the SAA's flagship journal. Kelly has been a distinguished lecturer at numerous American and international universities, including those in China, the United Kingdom, Japan, Germany, Finland, Norway, Argentina and the Netherlands. He also has served on the National Science Foundation's proposal review panel, holds a senior Humboldt Fellowship in Germany and is a fellow of Peterhouse College at the University of Cambridge and the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

Kelly's election to NAS represents one of the highest distinctions in the scientific community and underscores the global impact of his scholarship and leadership in archaeology.

"This honor speaks not only to Dr. Kelly's extraordinary contributions to archaeology, but also to the kind of curiosity-driven, field-shaping work valued in the College of Arts and Sciences," says Scott Turpen, dean of the UW College of Arts and Sciences. "His scholarship, leadership and dedication to students have left an enduring mark on our college and have elevated the reputation of the University of Wyoming on a national and global stage."

For more information about Kelly's research, email him at [email protected].