Tiffiny Tung, Gertrude Conaway Vanderbilt Professor of Social and Natural Sciences, professor of anthropology and vice provost for undergraduate education, has been named a senior fellow in the Pre-Columbian Studies program at Harvard’s Dumbarton Oaks. The prestigious research institute is known for its significant contributions to scholarship in the humanities and social sciences. The fellowship underscores Tung’s notable contributions to anthropology and Andean archaeology, recognizing her research as an anthropological bioarchaeologist who investigates how ancient state policies and practices have shaped health, diet and exposure to violence among populations in the pre-Hispanic Peruvian Andes.
Tung has conducted bioarchaeological research in Peru for more than two decades, bringing nearly 100 students to the field where they work alongside her, Peruvian professional archaeologists and local community members. She is also the director of the Bioarchaeology and Stable Isotope Research Lab at Vanderbilt, where numerous undergraduates, Ph.D. students and a postdoctoral scholar conduct research and gain immersive experience in the lab. Tung is the author of Violence, Ritual, and the Wari Empire and has authored or co-authored approximately 65 peer-reviewed articles in journals and edited volumes. She also wrote a children’s book aimed at getting young people interested in careers in science.
“Tiffiny’s appointment as a senior fellow is a testament to her exceptional scholarship and her commitment to decoding the complexities of human history,” said Timothy P. McNamara, Ginny and Conner Searcy Dean of the College of Arts and Science. “With her extensive research background and leadership experiences in the Department of Anthropology and across the university, her insights will enrich the dialogue at Dumbarton Oaks and further its mission to illuminate the histories and cultures of ancient societies in the Americas.”
“I am honored to join the ranks of the esteemed senior fellows at Dumbarton Oaks,” Tung said. “This opportunity will allow me to deepen my research on the impacts of imperialism and colonialism in the ancient Americas, while collaborating with leading scholars in the field.”
In her leadership role at Vanderbilt as vice provost for undergraduate education, Tung plays a key role in promoting and supporting research for undergraduates and their faculty advisers. Her research program routinely involves students—a testament to her commitment to enhance students’ access to experiential learning opportunities that deepen their capacity to think creatively, learn independently and develop tenacity that can carry a research team through a challenging research problem.
“Students are excellent collaborators, and I have seen the many ways that they help to advance research that deepens our understanding of humanity,” Tung said.
About Dumbarton Oaks
Dumbarton Oaks, located in Washington, D.C., is a research institute, library, museum and garden affiliated with Harvard University. Founded in 1940 by art collectors Robert and Mildred Bliss, it has been a significant center for the study of Byzantine and pre-Columbian art and archaeology, welcoming researchers at all career stages to explore its extensive collections and resources. The Pre-Columbian Studies program, established in 1963, supports the exploration of cultures that flourished in the Americas prior to European contact. Tung joins a group of five other senior fellows who benefit from research stays at Dumbarton Oaks, including access to an immense library and well-curated pre-Columbian museum collection. The senior fellows also advise the director of Dumbarton Oaks on all aspects of pre-Columbian research.
