Featuring Our Faculty

Maritime Heritage and Archaeology

Community Outreach Interests

My interests lie in the following areas:

• The production of public outreach products from archaeological research for use in cultural tourism development including heritage trails (above and underwater), websites, books, and pamphlets
• The utilization of avocational diving groups in site management and research
• The role of public education programs in nourishing preservationist ethics among community groups
• The public's attitude toward and valuation of non-market cultural resources, and modeling these attitudes for potential management and policy decisions

I have increasing experience in most of these areas. My PhD research is focusing on how the public views cultural heritage resources, like shipwrecks and historic ships, through economic non-market models. I also am involved in outreach projects that are exploring the concept of using video iPods for disseminating historical information along proposed maritime heritage trails. These projects also include an evaluation component to understand the public's response to using new media technology, such as a video iPod, and whether such technology effects their appreciation, understanding, and willingness to pay for preservation of cultural heritage.

My duties as staff archaeologist include public outreach, and I have been exploring ways to create products that will better explain what we do as nautical archaeologists. I hope to focus soon on bringing an avocational diving model, such as can be found in Europe and Australia, to recreational divers in the area, and explain the importance of responsible diving on cultural resources.

Research Interests

My research interests lie in various areas: maritime archaeology, public outreach, and cultural resource management. I am interested in understanding better how the public perceives and values cultural resources and what role different media of public outreach can play in these perceptions. I am also interested in developing and evaluating innovative and dynamic media for heritage trails and museums. My research is examining how to combine these tools with economic and tourism data to offer data for policy and management decisions regarding cultural resources.

Notable Publications

Dermody, Michael, and Calvin Mires. In Press. "Video iPod Instructional Design Considerations for Dive Training and Underwater Subject Matter." 2007 Proceedings from American Academy of Underwater Sciences Annual Meeting.