Kelly Britt
Assistant Professor
Anthropology
Location: 538 Ingersoll Hall Extension
Phone: 718.951.5000 x2039
Fax: 718.951.3169
Email:
Historic preservation work has allowed Kelly Britt to work in a variety of settings, including the federal government, museums, academia and private cultural resource management firms, in addition to freelance projects and consulting. She has written several successful Network to Freedom designations for Underground Railroad sites in Pennsylvania and several pieces on heritage tourism and community archaeology including a chapter in the 2007 edited work, Archaeology as a Tool of Civic Engagement by AltaMira Press. She has served on several boards of directors for various archaeological organizations in Massachusetts, Pennsylvania and New York and is currently acting President of Professional Archaeologists of New York City (PANYC), a not-for-profit organization devoted to the protection and preservation of New York City's archaeological sites. She has always felt service is an important part of any position within a chosen career path.
Education:
PhD, Columbia University - 2009 (Anthropology-Archaeology)
Masters of Art, Columbia University - 2000 (Anthropology)
Bachelor's of Art, UMASS-Boston - 1998 (Anthropology)
Bachelor's of Art, Emerson College - 1992 (Creative Writing)
Associates Degree, Dean College - 1990 (Liberal Studies)
Areas of Expertise:
Kelly Britt is a community-based historical archaeologist specializing in urban spaces of the northeast. She is interested in the intersection of gentrification, activism and material culture in her own backyard community of Brooklyn and how to decolonize the practice of archaeology. For a glimpse into the collaborative community-based project she is cultivating look at online piece: http://www.dilettantearmy.com/articles/united-order-of-tents, original artwork by Sirin Thada @sirinthada.
Books and Publications
"The Materiality of Heritage Post-Disaster: Negotiating Urban Politics, People and Place Through Collaborative Archaeology." Going Forward by Looking Back: Archaeological Perspectives on Socio-Ecological Crisis, Response, and Collapse, edited by Felix Riede and Payson Sheets. Berghahn Books, New York.
(Books and Publications: Book Chapter) 2020
"Collaborating on the Federal Level: Moving beyond Mandated Consultation in the Section 106 Process." Archaeologies, Journal of the World Archaeology Congress, Springer. (Books and Publications: Article (Other)) 2019
Introduction: "O Brave New World": A look at Identity and Dissonance with co-authors. In Archaeology of Identity and Dissonance: Contexts for a Brave New World. University Press of Florida, Gainesville, FL, pages 1-18. (Books and Publications: Book Chapter) 2019
Piece co-written with United Order of Tents member Essie Gregory, for the Dilettante Army online journal on Clubs: http://www.dilettantearmy.com/articles/united-order-of-tents. (Books and Publications: Article (Other)) 2019
"Archaeology Site Banking: Friend or Foe?" Partners in Shaping Resilient Communities-Newsletter, FEMA's Office of Environmental Planning and Historic Preservation April 2016. (Books and Publications: Article (Other)) 2016
"EHP Outreach" and "Section 106 and the Borough of Millstone, NJ". Partners in Shaping Resilient Communities-Newsletter, FEMA's Office of Environmental Planning and Historic Preservation May 2015. (Books and Publications: Article (Other)) 2015
"Now What?" Anthropological Career Choices Outside the Academy-Governmental Employment with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Anthropology News Volume 52(4):33, April 2011. (Books and Publications: Article (Other)) 2011
Archaeology-The "Missing Link" to Civic Engagement? An Introspective Look at the Tools of Reinvention and Reengagement in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. In Archaeology as a Tool of Civic Engagement, edited by Barbara J. Little and Paul A. Shackel. AltaMira Press, Lanham, pages 151:172. (Books and Publications: Book Chapter) 2007
Heritage Tourism and Community Outreach: Public Archaeology at the Thaddeus Stevens and Lydia Hamilton Smith Site in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, U.S.A with co-authors. International Journal of Heritage Studies. December, 11(5):399-414. (Books and Publications: Article (Peer-reviewed)) 2005
The (Re-) Birth of a Nation: Urban Archaeology, Ethics, and the Heritage Tourism Industry (co-authored). Society for American Archaeology Bulletin. May, 5(3):26-28. (Books and Publications: Article (Other)) 2005
Creative Work
Decolonizing the Practice of Archaeology through Collaboration and Community Engagement: Successes, Failures and Lessons Learned. Poster presented at the 51st Annual Conference on Historical and Underwater Archaeology for Society for Historical Archaeology, January 2018, New Orleans, Louisiana.
2018
The Feel: Season 2 Ep 10: "Crown Fried & Cold Brew", Episode on Gentrification, Released Oct 20, 2016. Available on itunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-feel/id1076431127?mt=2. 2016
Awards, Honors and Fellowships
CUNY Research in the Classroom Grant Recipient for "Storytelling the Transformation of Urban Landscapes: Race, Racism and the Legacy of Public Health Initiatives" (Grants and Fellowships) 2020
PSC-CUNY Grant B $5999.86 2020-2021. (Grants and Fellowships) 2020
BC in the City Funds Brooklyn College-CUNY $270 Fall 2018-ANTH 4635
(Grants and Fellowships) 2018
BC in the City Funds Brooklyn College-CUNY $500 Summer 2018-ANTH 3470
BC in the City Funds Brooklyn College-CUNY $200 Summer 2018-ANTH 3470
(Grants and Fellowships) 2018
CUNY Faculty Diversity Initiative-Mellon Foundation, CUNY, NY. (Grants and Fellowships) 2018
PSC-CUNY Grant B $6,000 2018-19 (Grants and Fellowships) 2018
Tow Faculty Research Travel Grant CUNY Awarded-$1000 2018
(Grants and Fellowships) 2018
Conferences, Seminars and Symposiums
Right to the City: Community-Based Urban Archaeology as Abolitionist Geography. Paper presented at the 53rd Annual Meeting for the Society of Historical Archeology, January 2020, Boston, MA. (Conferences, Seminars and Symposiums: Conference Presentation) 2020
Talk on Thaddeus Stevens and Lydia Hamilton Smith Historic Site, Franklin and Marshall College, Lancaster, PA. February 2, 2020. (Conferences, Seminars and Symposiums: Invited Talk) 2020
"Digging for Black Pride, Weeksville, Brooklyn." For University of Exeter's class trip "Global City: Critical Politics." October 29, 2019. (Conferences, Seminars and Symposiums: Invited Talk) 2019
Archaeological Methods for Fire Investigations. Invited speaker for FDNY Fire Marshal Course, NY, NY. June 10, 2019. (Conferences, Seminars and Symposiums: Invited Talk) 2019
Catastrophes in Context: Archaeology in a Time of Climate Change. Co-written paper presented at the American Anthropological Association Annual Meeting, November 2019, Vancouver, Canada. (Conferences, Seminars and Symposiums: Conference Presentation) 2019
Somatic Mapping: Historic Landscapes Empowering Future Communities. Paper presented at the Theoretical Archaeological Group-UK Meeting, December 2019, London, England. (Conferences, Seminars and Symposiums: Conference Presentation) 2019
The Making of Place and Preservation Policy in New York City Archaeology. Invited speaker for Archaeological Institute of America of Staten Island. January 27, 2019. (Conferences, Seminars and Symposiums: Invited Talk) 2019
The Political Dimensions of Slow Archaeology in Collaborative and Community Based Research. Paper presented at the 12th Theoretical Archaeological Group-US Meeting, May 2019, Syracuse, NY. (Conferences, Seminars and Symposiums: Conference Presentation) 2019
The Political Waves of Displacement: Heritage and Neoliberal Urban Renewal. Paper presented at the 52nd Annual Conference on Historical and Underwater Archaeology, January 2019, St. Charles, MO. (Conferences, Seminars and Symposiums: Conference Presentation) 2019
Together Everyone Achieves More (TEAM): Collaborative Models in Team Teaching. Panel presentation at the Brooklyn College Faculty Day, May 2019. (Conferences, Seminars and Symposiums: Conference Presentation) 2019
What Will You Do With That? Thinking Like An Anthropologist Beyond Academia. Invited speaker for Anthropology Department, University of Notre Dame, IN. (Conferences, Seminars and Symposiums: Invited Talk) 2019
Archaeology, Gender and Urban Space. Invited Guest Lecturer for Dr. Megan Cifarelli's course at Manhattanville College: CSCH 3075: ARCHAEOLOGY AND GENDER, April 11, 2018. (Conferences, Seminars and Symposiums: Invited Talk) 2018
The Materiality of Heritage Post-Disaster: Negotiating Urban Politics, People and Place through Collaborative Archaeology. Invited speaker and collaborator for Catastrophes in Context, October 10-12, 2018, Institut for Kultur OG Samfund, Aarhus University, Denmark. Sponsored by Laboratory for Past Disaster Science (LAPADIS), Independent Research Fund Denmark and Sapere Aude. (Conferences, Seminars and Symposiums: Invited Talk) 2018
Collaborating on the Federal Level: Moving beyond Mandated Consultation in the Section 106 Process. Paper presented at the 82nd Annual Meeting for Society for American Archaeology, March-April 2017, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. (Conferences, Seminars and Symposiums: Conference Presentation) 2017
Decolonizing Section 106: Perspectives on Pedagogy and Practice in Collaborative and Community Engaged Archaeological Projects. Invited speaker for Fall 2017 CUNY Colloquium Series PhD. Program in Anthropology November 17, 2017. (Conferences, Seminars and Symposiums: Invited Talk) 2017
Bridging the Gap: NHPA, THPOs and Federal Agencies, A Discussion of Best Practices and Lessons Learned. Co-organized forum for the 49th Annual Conference on Historical and Underwater Archaeology, January 2016, Washington, D.C. (Conferences, Seminars and Symposiums: Conference Presentation) 2016
Lost in Transition: The Materiality of Place-Making in a Post-Disaster Urban Context. Disasters, Rebuilding and Heritage Making in New York City's Neighborhoods. Paper presented at Theoretical Archaeological Group Meeting, May 2015, New York, NY. (Conferences, Seminars and Symposiums: Conference Presentation) 2015
Mandating Community Archaeology: Using Law to Bridge the Gap Between Public Outreach and Community Engagement. Paper presented at the 80th Annual Meeting for Society for American Archaeology, April 2014, San Francisco, CA. (Conferences, Seminars and Symposiums: Conference Presentation) 2015
Tales of Sandy Recovery: Archaeology on the Land and in the Water. Invited discussant to New Jersey History and Historic Preservation Conference, at Brookdale Community College in Lincroft, NJ June 5, 2014. (Conferences, Seminars and Symposiums: Invited Talk) 2014
Public Sector Archaeology. Invited guest speaker at NYSAA's Metropolitan Chapter meeting, at Columbia University April 4, 2013. (Conferences, Seminars and Symposiums: Invited Talk) 2013
Business of Heritage: Archeology, Tourism and Economics. Invited guest speaker at the Women in Archaeology Conference at Hunter College, May 5, 2012, New York, NY. (Conferences, Seminars and Symposiums: Invited Talk) 2012
Invited guest panelist for the Sponsored Forum: "Rap Session for Student Members" at the 45th Annual Conference on Historical and Underwater Archaeology, January 2012, Baltimore, MD. (Conferences, Seminars and Symposiums: Invited Talk) 2012
Working for Social and Economic Justice through the Community. Invited guest speaker at training seminars for Women's Resources of Monroe County, Inc., Monroe County, Pennsylvania, December 11, 2009. (Conferences, Seminars and Symposiums: Invited Talk) 2009
Can Archaeology Save the World? Panel participant at the Annual National Council on Public History Conference, April 2008, Louisville, KY. (Conferences, Seminars and Symposiums: Conference Presentation) 2008
What Historians, Sociologists, and Anthropologists Can Learn from Each Other. Panel participant at the Annual National Council on Public History Conference, April 2008, Louisville, KY. (Conferences, Seminars and Symposiums: Conference Presentation) 2008
A Technique Odyssey for Public Outreach in the Age of Multi-Media and Digital Technology. Paper presented at Annual Meeting of the Society of American Archaeology, April 2007, Austin, Texas. (Conferences, Seminars and Symposiums: Conference Presentation) 2007
Networks of Engagement: Creating Community Identity and Economic Revival Through Historical Archaeology Presented at the 40th Annual Conference on Historic and Underwater Archaeology for the Society for Historical Archaeology, January 2007, Williamsburg, Virginia. (Conferences, Seminars and Symposiums: Conference Presentation) 2007
Archaeology, Ethics and the (Re-) Birth of a Nation: Doing Urban Archaeology in the Heritage Tourism Industry. Paper presented at the Annual National Council on Public History Conference, April 2005, Kansas City, MO. (Conferences, Seminars and Symposiums: Conference Presentation) 2005
Calling all Heritologists? An Introduction and Theoretical Overview of What is Means to be in the Heritage Profession. Co-authored paper presented at the 104th Annual Meeting for the Anthropological Association of America, November-December 2005, Washington, DC. (Conferences, Seminars and Symposiums: Conference Presentation) 2005
Everything You Wanted to Know About the Heritage Industry but were Afraid to Ask: Approaches to the Theory and Practice of Heritage Studies -Invited Session Sponsored by the Archaeology Division & National Association of Student Anthropologists. Co-organized symposium for the 104th Annual Meeting for the Anthropological Association of America, November-December 2005, Washington, D.C. (Conferences, Seminars and Symposiums: Conference Presentation) 2005
Public Outreach in Community Schools - A Case Study from the Thaddeus Stevens and Lydia Hamilton Smith Historic Site, Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Paper presented at the 38th Annual Conference on Historical and Underwater Archaeology for the Society for Historical Archaeology, January 2005, York, England. (Conferences, Seminars and Symposiums: Conference Presentation) 2005
Unconventional Bedfellows? The Intimate Relationship between Archaeology, Urban Revitalization and Heritage Tourism at the Thaddeus Stevens and Lydia Hamilton Smith Historic Site, Lancaster, PA. Paper presented at the 104th Annual Meeting for the Anthropological Association of America, November-December 2005, Washington, DC. (Conferences, Seminars and Symposiums: Conference Presentation) 2005
Race, Radicals, and Republicans: Archaeology of Thaddeus Stevens/Lydia Hamilton Smith Site, Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Co-organized symposium for the 37th Annual Conference for the Society for Historical Archaeology, January 2004, St. Louis, MO. (Conferences, Seminars and Symposiums: Conference Presentation) 2004
Representation in the Museum Context, co-organized symposium for the 67th Annual Meeting for the Society for American Archaeology, March 2002, Denver, Co. (Conferences, Seminars and Symposiums: Conference Presentation) 2002
Professional Leadership
Ad-Hoc Committee for Anthropology Department CUNY GC (Professional Leadership: Committee Service) 2020
Center for the Study of Brooklyn Advisory Board (Professional Leadership: Committee Service) 2019
Indigenous Studies Working Group (Professional Leadership: Committee Service) 2019
Robert Viscusi Faculty Reading Group Co-leader (Professional Leadership: Committee Service) 2019
Society for Historical Archaeology, 2022 Annual Meeting Planning Committee Philadelphia, PA (Professional Leadership: Organizational Leadership Position) 2019
Wolfe Institute Theme Planning Committee (Professional Leadership: Committee Service) 2019
Academic Integrity Committee 2018-2019
(Professional Leadership: Committee Service) 2018
Coalition for American Heritage Advisor/consultant for heritage in disasters 2017-present (Professional Leadership: Public Service) 2018
Conducted Observations for Adjunct Faculty 2017-present (Professional Leadership: Committee Service) 2018
Departmental Ethics Committee Member 2018 (Professional Leadership: Committee Service) 2018
Departmental Liaison for Center for Teaching 2018-present
(Professional Leadership: Committee Service) 2018
Faculty Meeting Note taker for Anthropology and Archaeology Department 2017-2018
(Professional Leadership: Committee Service) 2018
Museum Studies Minor Working Group 2018-present (Professional Leadership: Committee Service) 2018
Outcomes and Assessment Committee 2018-present
(Professional Leadership: Committee Service) 2018
Professional Archaeologists of New York City-PANYC Board member (Professional Leadership: Organizational Leadership Position) 2018
Robert L Hess Planning Committee for Scholar in Residence 2018-present (Professional Leadership: Committee Service) 2018
Search Committee Member for Assistant Professor in Biological Anthropology 2017-2018
(Professional Leadership: Committee Service) 2018
Society for Historical Archaeology, Heritage at Risk Committee Member 2017-present (Professional Leadership: Public Service) 2018
Professional Archaeologists of New York City-PANYC President 2016-2018 (Professional Leadership: Organizational Leadership Position) 2016
Pedagogical Achievements
Most Recent Teaching Experience Brooklyn College:
Fall 2020: Seminar in Museum Techniques" ANTH 4635
Fall 2020: "Digging the Past: Introduction to Archaeology" ANTH 1400
Spring 2020: "Special Topics-Historical Archaeology" ANTH 3010
Fall 2019: "Urban Archaeology" ANTH 3420
Senior Thesis Advisor for archaeological focused senior projects-2018, student LaShante St Fleur; 2019, students Giuseppe Giambanco, Carol Lemos and Anthony Zuniga; 2020, student Chloë Combs.
2019- Urban Archaeology Lab: Open volunteer lab hours to process artifacts from two NYC collections on loan to BC from the NYC Archaeological Repository: The Nan A Rothschild Research Center of the Landmarks Preservation Commission.
2020
Teaching Experience Outside Brooklyn College
Spring 2020: Historical Archaeology, GC 83500, CUNY Graduate Center, NY.
Spring 2019: co-led "Special Topics in Historical Archaeology- Decolonizing Archaeological Thought" ANTH GC 83900
Fall 2017: "Sustainability and Human Ecodynamics", GC 7300, CUNY Graduate Center, NY.
Spring 2015: "Introduction to Archaeology" ANTH 1300, Fordham University-Lincoln Center, NY.
Fall 2013: "Museums: Cultures on Display" ANTH 3510, Fordham University-Lincoln Center, NY.
Fall 2013: "Introduction to Archaeology" ANTH 1300, Fordham University-Lincoln Center, NY.
Fall 2006: "Introduction to American Studies", AMS 111, Lebanon Valley College, PA.
Spring 2007: "Multiculturalism and American Identity", AMS 362, Lebanon Valley College, PA.
Spring 2007: "Cities: A Study in Urban Themes", DSP 390, Lebanon Valley College, PA.
CUNY Graduate Center PhD Student advisor and chair of committee, Glenn Kolyer.
CUNY Graduate Center PhD Student committee member, Diane George.
2020
Anthropology Doctoral Faculty Member CUNY GC 2019
My teaching philosophy incorporates three major attributes: 1) an applied component that bridges theory to practice 2) a commitment to diversity, both demographically and academically and 3) provides skills or techniques that will help students attain their goals, whether they pursue a career in anthropology or another field as well within the academe or in the private sector. Therefore, many of the courses I teach contain a more tangible, hands on component to them conducted in both team and individual work. An applied approach provides a unique space for students from various academic backgrounds, abilities and interests to flourish. Therefore, it builds skills and self-confidence in students as they discover what subjects they are drawn to and what proficiencies they can acquire exploring these topics. I also feel that teaching in itself is a learning experience, making every class I teach, discussion I lead, or lecture I give an opportunity to evolve these pedagogical techniques. 2018
Community Activities
BC NEWS: http://www.brooklyn.cuny.edu/web/news/bcnews/bcnews_180828.php. Covered Urban Anthropology field school 2018 co-led by Prof. Naomi Schiller, Brooklyn College, Anthropology and Archaeology Department. 2018
Other Professional Activities
Brooklyn College Writing Group 2019
Friends of the Tents member 2018
NYU Urban Democracy Lab/Engaged Urbanist Working Group 2018
