Staff
O‘ahu Managers
Scott Belluomini, B.A., Project Manager – Scott Belluomini has been with CSH since 2013 and has developed a wide range of experience with both surface and subsurface archaeology in both urban and non-urban settings. This experience includes 100+ projects on the islands of Hawai‘i, Maui, Moloka‘i, O‘ahu and Kaua‘i that range from small to large multi-island projects. Scott has authored or contributed to over 80 reports in his tenure at CSH ranging from literature reviews to archaeological inventory survey plans and reports, archaeological monitoring plans and reports, and data recovery reports. He has also volunteered his time helping with collections-based research at the Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum having assisted with research on collections from the Hane Dune Site on Ua Huka in the Marquesas, Wai‘ahukini Rock Shelter, Pu‘u Ali‘i, and Makalei Rockshelter on Hawai‘i Island, and Miloli‘i and Nu‘alolo Kai on Kaua‘i. Scott is also one of the founders of the Ho‘omaka Hou Research Initiative at the Bishop Museum.
sbelluomini@culturalsurveys.com
Douglas Borthwick, B.A., Project Manager – has been with CSH since its inception in 1982 and has been directing projects since that time. He has extensively studied site types and usage and is frequently consulted by other staff for his expertise at site interpretation. Mr. Borthwick is fully versed in Federal and Hawai‘i State regulations governing historic preservation. Mr. Borthwick’s experience is diverse, ranging from small, short term projects such as background research reports used in construction planning, to large, long term projects such as inventory surveys, data recovery and monitoring of infrastructure work on long term projects.
dborthwick@culturalsurveys.com
Michelle Clark, B.A., Project Manager – Born and raised in Hōnaunau on the island of Hawai‘i, Ms. Pammer found her career in archaeology through her experience in Hawai‘i. She has 13 years of experience as a cultural researcher in the Islands. Her academic work includes field studies, research and laboratory work in the Hawai‘i and the Pacific region, including the Marquesas Islands. With CSH since 2006, she has conducted and supervised archaeological projects throughout the state including inventory surveys, data recovery, and archaeological monitoring of construction sites. She has and continues to author numerous archaeological reports that comply with applicable State and Federal regulations. Her projects range from urban archaeology in Kaka‘ako such as the Ko‘olani, Waihonua, and Howard Hughes Corporation development projects to archaeological field surveys on Hawai‘i Island in Kohanaiki and Keauhou. Her most recent work includes directing projects for Kamehameha Schools and A & B Properties.
mclark@culturalsurveys.com
Hallett H. Hammatt, Ph.D. President, Principal of Firm – founded Cultural Surveys Hawai‘i, Inc. in 1982 and has been active in the field of archaeology and historic preservation for 40 years. He is trained in federal historic preservation regulations including Section 106 and NAGPRA, and has conducted training in historic preservation compliance. He has presented testimony as an expert witness in Hawaiian archaeology at more than 30 public hearings and legal proceedings. He served, by Governor Appointment, on the State of Hawai‘i Review Board of Historic Places for 8 years. His expertise in Hawaiian archaeology includes agricultural systems, sediment studies, lithic studies, and geoarchaeology. He has undertaken geomorphological studies in Hawai‘i and on the U.S. mainland involving analysis and interpretation of soil stratigraphy and morphology, origin and evolution of Holocene landforms and geochronology. Dr. Hammatt is experienced in handling multidisciplinary studies and complex, large projects, including surveys, data recovery, and site protection and interpretation. He has extensive experience working on federal jobs and served as Historic Preservation Manager for the Navy’s 5-year Kaho‘olawe Ordnance Clearance Project.
hhammatt@culturalsurveys.com
Matt McDermott, M.A., Project Manager / Principal Investigator – Born and raised in Kailua, O‘ahu, Mr. McDermott has over 25 years of experience in archaeology and cultural resource management and has lived and worked on all but one of the major Hawaiian islands. Mr. McDermott has detailed knowledge of Hawai‘i, Arizona, and Federal historic preservation and environmental legislation and years of experience facilitating historic preservation consultation among private clients, Native American tribes, Native Hawaiian organizations, and Federal, State, and municipal agencies. Since 2001 he has been a principle investigator with Cultural Surveys Hawai‘i and, since 2004, a project manager, overseeing a diverse range of cultural resource management projects including the Honolulu Rapid Transit project, the Ward Neighborhood Master Plan Development, the Ala Moana Center Expansion/Park Lane Development, and the Kālia-Fort DeRussy Wastewater System Improvement project.
mmcdermott@culturalsurveys.com
David W. Shideler, M.A., Principal Investigator / Historian – serves as one of our lead researchers and report authors and is familiar with a wide range of Hawaiian texts and is certified in the Hawaiian language. Mr. Shideler is recognized by the Land Use Commission as an expert in archaeology and cultural impact assessments. This recognition is based on his certified All-But-Dissertation status for his Ph.D. in history, his extensive experience lecturing at the University of Hawai‘i departments of history and religion, and his authorship and co-authorship of over 550 archaeological and cultural impact studies. On foreign projects, Mr. Shideler has established working relationships with local individuals and agencies to facilitate the work performed and to ensure the integrity of the information gathered and the work conducted.
dshideler@culturalsurveys.com
Hawai‘i and Kaua‘i Office Manager
William Folk, B.A., Project Manager – Mr. Folk is an original member of the CSH management team with a career in Hawaiian archaeology that spans more than 30 years of studies under Dr. Hallett Hammatt. Mr. Folk studied at UH Hilo under Bill Bonk and joined the Archaeological Research Center Hawaii with Francis Ching under Dr. Hammatt. He worked under Virgilio Schiappcasse and Hans Niemeyer at Rio Camarones, Chile, on the excavation of a 7,000-year-old Chinchorro site, and was a member of the National Park Service dive team that initiated the first modern underwater survey of the USS Arizona. Notable CSH projects include serving as project director under Dr. Hammatt for archaeological monitoring of the five-year Kaho‘olawe Ordnance Clearing project. Mr. Folk currently manages CSH’s cultural impact assessment team and oversees archaeological work for our Kaua‘i and Hawai‘i Island offices.
wfolk@culturalsurveys.com
Maui Office Manager
Trevor M. Yucha, B.S., Maui County Director / Project Manager Archaeologist – began working at CSH in 2007 after having worked as a CRM archaeologist in the eastern U.S. for several years. Mr. Yucha has received advanced training in the use of survey equipment within an archaeological setting including the total station, ground penetrating radar (GPR), and GPS technology. On the mainland, Mr. Yucha specialized in lithic technology and analysis, and has brought this understanding to CSH. Mr. Yucha has conducted and supervised large, long term projects and small, short term projects throughout the major Hawaiian Islands. Mr. Yucha has been and continues to be a primary and co-author of numerous archaeological reports for the review of SHPD.
tyucha@culturalsurveys.com
Project Directors
Lexie Bennicas, B.A., Project Director – Lexie earned her B.A. in Anthropology from the University of Hawai‘i, Mānoa, where she completed a year-long internship with the Anthropology Laboratory. She participated in university-led archaeological projects in the Gila River Valley, New Mexico and Kaʻu, Hawaiʻi. Lexie has served on the Board of Directors for the Society for Hawaiian Archaeology for three terms. Since joining CSH in 2017, Lexie has gained extensive experience conducting archaeology in urban Honolulu. She has directed and participated in archaeological inventory surveys, monitoring, and data recovery, and she has authored or contributed to numerous archaeological reports.
abennicas@culturalsurveys.com
Sara Blahut, M.A., Project Director / Principal Investigator / Osteologist – Ms. Blahut has been with CSH since 2016. She has a M.A. in Anthropology with a focus in Biological Anthropology from New Mexico State University where she also completed a Graduate Certificate in Cultural Resource Management. Additionally, she has earned a Certificate in Applied Forensic Anthropology from the University of Hawaii West Oahu and completed a yearlong internship with the former Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command – Central Identification Laboratory. Ms. Blahut provides experience in all aspects of archaeological fieldwork including archaeological inventory surveys, data recovery, monitoring, and both human and faunal osteological analysis. She is proficient in federal historic preservation regulations including NHPA Section 106 and NAGPRA, and Hawai‘i’s §6E historic preservation compliance process and has authored and supervised numerous State of Hawai‘i accepted historic preservation documents.
sblahut@culturalsurveys.com
Brittany Enanoria, B.A., Project Director – Born and raised in Hilo on the island of Hawai‘i, Brittany began working at CSH in 2012 after graduating from the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa with a B.A. in Anthropology with a focus in Physical Anthropology. Over the past ten years, she has developed a wide range of archaeological and cultural experiences in both urban and non-urban settings. Brittany has conducted and supervised archaeological projects throughout the main Hawaiian Islands including surface and subsurface archaeological inventory surveys, data recovery, archaeological monitoring, field inspections, and burial treatment fieldwork. She has authored or contributed to numerous archaeological reports that comply with State and Federal regulations.
benanoria@culturalsurveys.com
Gina Farley, M.A., Project Director / Principal Investigator – Ms. Farley earned a B.A. in English from Connecticut College and a Master of Archaeological Science (Research) from the Australian National University. She participated in university-led archaeological projects in Hawai‘i, Palau, and Australia. Her research interests include paleoethnobotany and urban archaeology, and her master’s research focused on starch grain analysis of sediment samples. She has presented at the Society for American Archaeology (SAA) and Society for Hawaiian Archaeology (SHA) annual conferences, and her work has been published in the Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports. Ms. Farley worked as an archaeology research assistant at the Bernice P. Bishop Museum before transitioning to a career in cultural resource management. With CSH since 2015, Ms. Farley has directed and participated in a variety of projects including archaeological inventory surveys, monitoring, and data recovery. She has also authored and contributed to numerous documents including inventory survey, data recovery, and monitoring plans and reports, as well as literature reviews and burial treatment plans.
gfarley@culturalsurveys.com
Alison Welser, M.A., Project Director / Principal Investigator / Osteologist – Alison Welser joined CSH in 2015 after graduating with her M.A. in Anthropology from North Carolina State University. Alison’s graduate school research specialized in Bioarchaeology. Alison has participated in data recovery, inventory survey, and monitoring work across O‘ahu, Maui, Kaua‘i, and Hawai‘i Island. She has acted as a Project Director since 2019 and has supervised and managed a variety of projects across O‘ahu. She also operates as one of CSH’s Osteologists, with expertise in both human and faunal osteology.
awelser@culturalsurveys.com
Sarah Wilkinson, B.A., Project Director – Experience: Six years in Hawaiian archaeology. Mrs. Wilkinson has a B.A. in Ancient Near Eastern Archaeology and Art History from UC Berkeley with six years of experience in Hawaiian archaeology spanning the islands of Hawai’i, Maui, and Lāna’i. As director, Sarah oversees the day-to-day operations of the Hawai’i Island branch office of Cultural Surveys Hawai’i (CSH), including the management of field crews and coordination with clients and government agencies. She has performed all aspects of archaeological survey, monitoring, excavation, and site recordation with considerable experience in lava tube exploration and mapping. Mrs. Wilkinson also has expertise in archival research, computer graphics, plane table mapping, and GPS usage. Sarah is the primary author of many SHPD reviewed and accepted archaeological reports, and has contributed to several Cultural Impact Assessments.
swilkinson@culturalsurveys.com
Specialists
Allison Hummel, B.A., Laboratory Supervisor / Osteologist / Archaeologist – Allison Hummel holds a B.A. in Archaeology from Dickinson College and a M.Sc. in Human Osteology and Palaeopathology from the University of Bradford. She joined CSH in 2016 where she has participated in a range of monitoring and survey projects. She is proficient in human and faunal osteological analysis and in laboratory operations and analyses. She contributes to monitoring and survey reports through written analyses of artifacts and faunal remains. ahummel@culturalsurveys.com
Laura Krupke, Msc., Archaeologist / Osteologist – Ms. Krupke has experience in various areas of archaeology including construction monitoring, burial treatment fieldwork, and the documentation of stratigraphy and features. Her focus is in the analysis of human osteology and faunal remains. She has previous experience in cemetery excavation in New York City and assisted in the excavations of POW/MIA recovery sites across Germany and Belgium. Prior to this, she worked for commercial archaeological units in England and Ireland. Ms. Krupke holds an MSc in Human Osteology and Paleopathology from the University of Bradford, in Bradford, UK, and a BA in Sociology and Cultural Anthropology from Saint Martin’s University, in Lacey, Washington.
krupke@culturalsurveys.com
Aulii Mitchell, M.A., Cultural Advisor – Mr. Mitchell has received his Master’s degree in Applied Indigenous Knowledge from Te Wananga O Aotearoa University in Hamilton, New Zealand. He brings back a new outlook on the application of indigenous knowledge to CSH and its importance to academia. He has 13 years of experience as a cultural anthropologist and cultural specialist in the disciplines of archaeological and cultural impact studies, with a primary focus on Hawai‘i. His many projects include the repatriation of human remains, associated and unassociated funeral objects, and objects of cultural patrimony under NAGPRA (Native American Protection and Repatriation Act). He is well versed in the translation of Hawaiian language newspapers, writing of cultural impact assessments (CIA) including the process of formal, informal, and “talk story” cultural interviews with nā kūpuna, elders, Native Hawaiians, and traditional cultural practitioners connected to specific project areas. He has also played an active part in the Section 106 consultation process, writing, facilitating, and assisting CSH in the mitigation process with lineal and cultural descendants, the State Historic Preservation Division (SHPD), and the Hawai‘i Island Burial Council (HIBC) associated with burial treatment plans (BTP) and other documents needed for compliance with rules and regulations put forth by the SHPD and the County and State of Hawai‘i. He possesses an intimate knowledge of the Hawaiian language, both ancient and modern. He is a well-respected traditional cultural practitioner and is the Kumu Hula of Hālau O Kāhiwahiwa in Puna and Hālau O Moana-nui-a-Kiwa in Aotearoa, New Zealand. Mr. Mitchell is the President and co-founder of Ho‘oulu Lāhui and is the cultural advisor to Kua O Ka Lā Public Charter School in the Puna district of Hawai‘i island.
amitchell@culturalsurveys.com
Kathrine Placher, Ph.D., Osteologist / Lead Archaeologist – Dr.Placher has a doctoral degree in Biological Anthropology from the University of Hawaii at Manoa, and also holds a Master’s degree in Forensic Anthropology from Texas State University and a B.S. in Archaeology from Pennsylvania State University. Dr. Placher has a variety of archaeological and bioarchaeological experience, having conducted fieldwork in Hawaii, Texas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Colorado, and Pennsylvania. She also has significant laboratory experience in conducting analyses of human skeletal remains from archaeological, medical, and forensic contexts. In addition to her field and laboratory experiences, Dr. Placher has taught university courses, workshops, and field schools in Biological Anthropology and Forensic Anthropology.
kplacher@culturalsurveys.com
Josephine Yucha, M.S., Osteologist / Principal Investigator / Project Supervisor – Mrs. Yucha has experience in various capacities of archaeology including surface and subsurface inventory surveys, assessments, monitoring, and burial treatment fieldwork; documentation of stratigraphy, features, and sites; osteological analysis of human and faunal remains; laboratory analysis of artifacts and sediment samples; and the preparation of project plans and various archaeological reports. She joins the O‘ahu office after a three-year forensic anthropology research fellowship with the former Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command – Central Identification Laboratory. She has completed three years as a Ph.D. student in Physical Anthropology at the University of Hawai‘i, Mānoa, and holds an M.S. in Forensic and Biological Anthropology from Mercyhurst University in Erie, Pennsylvania and a B.A. in Anthropology from the University of Pittsburgh, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She is an Associate Member of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences since 2008.
jyucha@culturalsurveys.com