8/22/07 - Hamilton appointed head of Department of Anthropology

Donny L. Hamilton, professor of anthropology, has been appointed head of the Department of Anthropology effective September 1. Hamilton replaces David Carlson, who is returning to the anthropology faculty.

As head, Hamilton will be responsible for the leadership, progress, and daily operation of the Department of Anthropology, including oversight of faculty and staff, as well as undergraduate and graduate education. He will also serve on the College’s Executive Council.

Hamilton, a native Texan, received his doctorate in anthropology at The University of Texas at Austin. Since 1978, he has been a faculty member of the Nautical Archaeology Program and the anthropology department at Texas A&M University.

Hamilton specializes in underwater archaeology, artifact conservation and restoration, and North American historic and prehistoric archaeology. He is currently recognized as the George T. & Gladys H. Abell Chair in Nautical Archaeology and the Yamini Family Chair in Liberal Arts.

As director of the Conservation Research Laboratory at Texas A&M, Hamilton has pioneered many of the techniques now used in the conservation of artifacts and has gained international reputation for his work. He is also the director of the Center for Maritime Archaeology and Conservation; and the president of the Institute of Nautical Archaeology, a Texas A&M affiliate.