Project Staff

Project Directors

Dr. Jason Ur (Project Director) Stephen Phillips Professor of Anthropology and Ethnology, Department of Anthropology, Harvard University Dr. Ur is a landscape archaeologist; he studies evolving patterns of human settlement and land use, and specializes in archaeological survey and remote sensing.
Nader Babakr (Project Co-Director) Director of Antiquities, Erbil Governorate, Kurdistan Region of Iraq
Dr. Mehrnoush Soroush (Project Associate Director, 2020-present) Assistant Professor of Near Eastern Languages & Civilizations, University of Chicago Prof. Soroush is a landscape archaeologist specializing in remote sensing and water management in the Near East.
Khalil Barzinji (Project Associate Director, 2022-present) Archaeologist, Erbil Directorate of Antiquities, Kurdistan Regional Government Kak Khalil is an archaeologist and the project's UAV (drone) pilot. He has been an EPAS team member since 2012.
Mohammed Lashkri (Project Associate Director, 2022-present) Manager of Museums, Directorate of Antiquities, Kurdistan Regional Government Kak Mohammed is an archaeologist with the KRG, in charge of Museums. He has been part of EPAS since 2016.
Past Project Directors
Dr. Rocco Palermo (Project Associate Director, 2019-2021) Research Affiliate, University of Pisa Dr. Palermo studies the landscapes of the Hellenistic world
Dr. Petra Creamer (Project Associate Director, 2019-2021) Assistant Professor of Middle Eastern and South Asian Studies, Emory University (effective Spring 2023) Dr. Creamer is a Near Eastern archaeologist specializing in imperial landscapes.
Dr. Lidewijde de Jong (Associate Director, 2012-2018)
Dr. Jessica Giraud (Associate Director, 2012-2018) Currently President, Archaïos, Paris
Dr. James Osborne (Associate Director, 2012-2013) Associate Professor of Anatolian Archaeology, University of Chicago
Current Senior Project Staff
Pshtiwan Ahmed Directorate of Antiquities, Erbil Governorate, Kurdistan Regional Government Kak Pshtiwan is an archaeologist. He was been part of EPAS since 2016.
Aram Mohammed Amin Iraqi Institute for the Conservation of Antiquities and Heritage Kak Aram is an archaeologist and Master Trainer at the IICAH. He was been part of EPAS since 2016.
Dr. Elise Laugier NSF Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Anthropology, Rutgers University Dr. Laugier is an environmental archaeologist with a focus on agriculture in southwest Asia. She joined EPAS in 2022.
Dr. Bjoern Menze Professor for Biomedical Image Analysis and Machine Learning, University of Zurich Dr. Menze is a computer scientist with a primary focus on medical remote sensing, but with a strong interest in archaeological applications of remote sensing.
Dr. Karel Nováček Associate Professor of History, Palacký University Olomouc Dr. Nováček is an archaeologist and historian of architecture specializing in the medieval built environment, both in central Europe and the Near East.
Shilan Ramand (2013, 2017, 2019) Graduate Student, University of Paris Shilan is an archaeologist and epigrapher specializing in the Middle Bronze Age of northern Mesopotamia.
Bapir Rawanduzi President, Korek Private Hire Kak Bapir is project liason, intepreter, and coordinator for transportation.
Project Personnel
Dr. Narmen Ali Muhamad Amin Professor of Archaeology, Salahaddin University
Jesse Bajema (2019)
Gareb Ismail Bawamurad (2012)
Jack Bishop (2022) Graduate Student in Archaeology, Harvard University
Jordan Brown (2019, 2022) Graduate Student in Archaeology, University of California at Berkeley
Jon Clindaniel (2013) Graduate Student in Archaeology, Harvard University
Dr. Maurits Ertsen Senior Lecturer, Department of Civil Engineering and Geosciences, Delft University of Technology Dr. Ertsen studies the history of water and human societies.
Dr. Abdulameer al-Hamdani al-Dhafar (2016) State Board of Antiquities and Heritage, Nasiriya
Kyra Kaercher (2019)
Iris Koopmans (2013)
Nisha Kumar (2022) Graduate Student in Near Eastern Languages & Civilizations, Harvard University
Dr. Augusta McMahon (2016-2017) Reader in Archaeology, University of Cambridge
Madeline Ouimet (2022) Graduate Student in Near Eastern Languages & Civilizations, University of Chicago
Max Price (2012) Graduate Student in Archaeology, Harvard University
Kate Rose (2017) Graduate Student in Archaeology, Harvard University
Dr. Stefan Smith (2013, 2016)
Dr. David Uribelarrea del Val (2013) Acting Professor, Geological Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid

Project Directors

Dr. Jason Ur (Project Director)

Stephen Phillips Professor of Anthropology and Ethnology, Department of Anthropology, Harvard University

Nader Babakr (Project Co-Director)

Director of Antiquities, Erbil Governorate, Kurdistan Region of Iraq

Dr. Mehrnoush Soroush (Project Associate Director, 2020-present)

Assistant Professor of Near Eastern Languages & Civilizations, University of Chicago

Khalil Barzinji (Project Associate Director, 2022-present)

Archaeologist, Erbil Directorate of Antiquities, Kurdistan Regional Government

Mohammed Lashkri (Project Associate Director, 2022-present)

Manager of Museums, Directorate of Antiquities, Kurdistan Regional Government

Past Project Directors

Dr. Rocco Palermo (Project Associate Director, 2019-2021)

Research Affiliate, University of Pisa

Dr. Petra Creamer (Project Associate Director, 2019-2021)

Assistant Professor of Middle Eastern and South Asian Studies, Emory University (effective Spring 2023)

Dr. Lidewijde de Jong (Associate Director, 2012-2018)

Dr. Jessica Giraud (Associate Director, 2012-2018)

Currently President, Archaïos, Paris

Dr. James Osborne (Associate Director, 2012-2013)

Associate Professor of Anatolian Archaeology, University of Chicago

Current Senior Project Staff

Pshtiwan Ahmed

Directorate of Antiquities, Erbil Governorate, Kurdistan Regional Government

Aram Mohammed Amin

Iraqi Institute for the Conservation of Antiquities and Heritage

Dr. Elise Laugier

NSF Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Anthropology, Rutgers University

Dr. Bjoern Menze

Professor for Biomedical Image Analysis and Machine Learning, University of Zurich

Dr. Karel Nováček

Associate Professor of History, Palacký University Olomouc

Shilan Ramand (2013, 2017, 2019)

Graduate Student, University of Paris

Bapir Rawanduzi

President, Korek Private Hire

Project Personnel

Dr. Narmen Ali Muhamad Amin

Professor of Archaeology, Salahaddin University

Jesse Bajema (2019)

Gareb Ismail Bawamurad (2012)

Jack Bishop (2022)

Graduate Student in Archaeology, Harvard University

Jordan Brown (2019, 2022)

Graduate Student in Archaeology, University of California at Berkeley

Jon Clindaniel (2013)

Graduate Student in Archaeology, Harvard University

Dr. Maurits Ertsen

Senior Lecturer, Department of Civil Engineering and Geosciences, Delft University of Technology

Dr. Abdulameer al-Hamdani al-Dhafar (2016)

State Board of Antiquities and Heritage, Nasiriya

Kyra Kaercher (2019)

Iris Koopmans (2013)

Nisha Kumar (2022)

Graduate Student in Near Eastern Languages & Civilizations, Harvard University

Dr. Augusta McMahon (2016-2017)

Reader in Archaeology, University of Cambridge

Madeline Ouimet (2022)

Graduate Student in Near Eastern Languages & Civilizations, University of Chicago

Max Price (2012)

Graduate Student in Archaeology, Harvard University

Kate Rose (2017)

Graduate Student in Archaeology, Harvard University

Dr. Stefan Smith (2013, 2016)

Dr. David Uribelarrea del Val (2013)

Acting Professor, Geological Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid