Chair: Dr. Yangseung Jeong

Katie Diamond graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC) in 2023 with a BA in Anthropology as well as minors in Spanish Translation and Interpretation and Marine Science. During her undergraduate tenure, Katie spent a semester in Morehead City, North Carolina studying at the UNC Institute of Marine Sciences (IMS). There, she conducted independent research studying natural resistance to parasitic trematode infection in North Carolina scallop populations. In addition, she led a group Capstone project to propose the installation of a living shoreline on waterfront owned by IMS and the NC Department of Marine Fisheries. Katie also spent a semester living in the Galapagos Islands where she studied interactions between humans and ecological diversity.

After graduation, Katie moved to New Haven, Connecticut to work for New Haven Reads, a nonprofit focused on children’s literacy. In 2025, she returned to her hometown of Knoxville, Tennessee to work as an archaeology field technician in the field of cultural resource management (CRM).

As a Knoxville native, Katie has had the privilege of studying at the University of Tennessee’s Forensic Anthropology Center several times throughout her life. It is a dream come true to return to UT and the FAC to earn her Master of Arts in Anthropology.