Elizabeth Niespolo is an American

geologist A geologist is a scientist who studies the solid, liquid, and gaseous matter that constitutes Earth and other terrestrial planets, as well as the processes that shape them. Geologists usually study geology, earth science, or geophysics, althou ...

. Her work utilizes geochemical methods to understand

archaeological site An archaeological site is a place (or group of physical sites) in which evidence of past activity is preserved (either prehistoric or historic or contemporary), and which has been, or may be, investigated using the discipline of archaeology an ...

s and human activity on multiple

continent A continent is any of several large landmasses. Generally identified by convention rather than any strict criteria, up to seven geographical regions are commonly regarded as continents. Ordered from largest in area to smallest, these seven ...

s. Niespolo integrates laboratory and field work studying natural materials such as ostrich egg shells, corals, and minerals in rocks to quantify potential human environmental signatures preserved in these materials and their relevance in piecing together understanding of

Homo sapiens Humans (''Homo sapiens'') are the most abundant and widespread species of primate, characterized by bipedalism and exceptional cognitive skills due to a large and complex brain. This has enabled the development of advanced tools, culture, ...

through time. In the absence of archaeological sites, Niespolo uses high precision

isotopic dating Radiometric dating, radioactive dating or radioisotope dating is a technique which is used to date materials such as rocks or carbon, in which trace radioactive impurities were selectively incorporated when they were formed. The method compares th ...

mineral In geology and mineralogy, a mineral or mineral species is, broadly speaking, a solid chemical compound with a fairly well-defined chemical composition and a specific crystal structure that occurs naturally in pure form.John P. Rafferty, ed. ( ...

s from

volcano A volcano is a rupture in the crust of a planetary-mass object, such as Earth, that allows hot lava, volcanic ash, and gases to escape from a magma chamber below the surface. On Earth, volcanoes are most often found where tectonic plates are ...

es to determine their petrologic and eruptive history.

Early life and education

Niespolo was a first generation college student when she started her studies at the

university A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, t ...

level and chose to pursue a path integrating

science Science is a systematic endeavor that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe. Science may be as old as the human species, and some of the earliest archeological evidence for ...

, the

Earth Earth is the third planet from the Sun and the only astronomical object known to harbor life. While large volumes of water can be found throughout the Solar System, only Earth sustains liquid surface water. About 71% of Earth's surfa ...

, and

human history Human history, also called world history, is the narrative of humanity's past. It is understood and studied through anthropology, archaeology, genetics, and linguistics. Since the invention of writing, human history has been studied throug ...

.Burns, Terri (January 3, 2017)
"STEM Student Spotlight: Elizabeth Niespolo"
''

Scientific American ''Scientific American'', informally abbreviated ''SciAm'' or sometimes ''SA'', is an American popular science magazine. Many famous scientists, including Albert Einstein and Nikola Tesla, have contributed articles to it. In print since 1845, it i ...

''. Retrieved May 8, 2021. She earned her undergraduate degree, a

Bachelor of Arts Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four years ...

, with a double major from the

University of California, Berkeley The University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley, Berkeley, Cal, or California) is a public land-grant research university in Berkeley, California. Established in 1868 as the University of California, it is the state's first land-grant u ...

Berkeley, California Berkeley ( ) is a city on the eastern shore of San Francisco Bay in northern Alameda County, California, United States. It is named after the 18th-century Irish bishop and philosopher George Berkeley. It borders the cities of Oakland and Emer ...

.The Graduates (April 11, 2017)
"Elizabeth Niespolo"
'' 90.7 FM KALX Berkeley''. Retrieved May 10, 2021.Office of Communications (April 13, 2021)
"Board approves 10 faculty appointments"
''

Princeton University Princeton University is a private university, private research university in Princeton, New Jersey. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth, New Jersey, Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the List of Colonial Colleges, fourth-oldest ins ...

''. Retrieved May 8, 2021. One major she chose in the humanities,

Classics Classics or classical studies is the study of classical antiquity. In the Western world, classics traditionally refers to the study of Classical Greek and Roman literature and their related original languages, Ancient Greek and Latin. Classics ...

, and one major she chose in the sciences,

Astrophysics Astrophysics is a science that employs the methods and principles of physics and chemistry in the study of astronomical objects and phenomena. As one of the founders of the discipline said, Astrophysics "seeks to ascertain the nature of the h ...

. During her undergraduate studies, she was drawn towards

ancient history Ancient history is a time period from the beginning of writing and recorded human history to as far as late antiquity. The span of recorded history is roughly 5,000 years, beginning with the Sumerian cuneiform script. Ancient history cove ...

. Pursuing this initial inclination she worked for some archaeologists in the classics department to get a feel for what

archaeology Archaeology or archeology is the scientific study of human activity through the recovery and analysis of material culture. The archaeological record consists of artifacts, architecture, biofacts or ecofacts, sites, and cultural landscap ...

entailed. Part of this work included on-site

field Field may refer to: Expanses of open ground * Field (agriculture), an area of land used for agricultural purposes * Airfield, an aerodrome that lacks the infrastructure of an airport * Battlefield * Lawn, an area of mowed grass * Meadow, a grass ...

work in

Greece Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders with ...

where she found herself drawn to natural materials such as

soil Soil, also commonly referred to as earth or dirt, is a mixture of organic matter, minerals, gases, liquids, and organisms that together support life. Some scientific definitions distinguish ''dirt'' from ''soil'' by restricting the former te ...

s and

fossil A fossil (from Classical Latin , ) is any preserved remains, impression, or trace of any once-living thing from a past geological age. Examples include bones, shells, exoskeletons, stone imprints of animals or microbes, objects preserved ...

s, their story, and how their stories were intertwined with the archaeological deposits. This interest morphed into realizations about

natural resource Natural resources are resources that are drawn from nature and used with few modifications. This includes the sources of valued characteristics such as commercial and industrial use, aesthetic value, scientific interest and cultural value. O ...

s and how things including drywall in houses and

cell phone A mobile phone, cellular phone, cell phone, cellphone, handphone, hand phone or pocket phone, sometimes shortened to simply mobile, cell, or just phone, is a portable telephone that can make and receive calls over a radio frequency link whil ...

electrical circuits, chips, and battery components are partially made of

earth materials Earth materials include minerals, rocks, soil and water. These are the naturally occurring materials found on Earth that constitute the raw materials upon which our global society exists. Earth materials are vital resources that provide the basic c ...

requiring

mining Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the Earth, usually from an ore body, lode, vein, seam, reef, or placer deposit. The exploitation of these deposits for raw material is based on the economic via ...

and quarrying to extract from the Earth and put into everyday use. She pursued additional field work in

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...

where she worked on

pottery Pottery is the process and the products of forming vessels and other objects with clay and other ceramic materials, which are fired at high temperatures to give them a hard and durable form. Major types include earthenware, stoneware and por ...

from

Pompeii Pompeii (, ) was an ancient city located in what is now the ''comune'' of Pompei near Naples in the Campania region of Italy. Pompeii, along with Herculaneum and many villas in the surrounding area (e.g. at Boscoreale, Stabiae), was buried ...

and saw Mount Vesuvius, which piqued her interest in volcanoes and their interactions with human civilizations. This theme of human civilization interactions with natural processes became a theme in the course of her graduate studies.

Graduate studies in geology

Niespolo began her graduate studies in

geology Geology () is a branch of natural science concerned with Earth and other astronomical objects, the features or rocks of which it is composed, and the processes by which they change over time. Modern geology significantly overlaps all other Ear ...

California State University, Long Beach California State University, Long Beach (CSULB) is a public research university in Long Beach, California. The 322-acre campus is the second largest of the 23-school California State University system (CSU) and one of the largest universities i ...

Long Beach, California Long Beach is a city in Los Angeles County, California. It is the 42nd-most populous city in the United States, with a population of 466,742 as of 2020. A charter city, Long Beach is the seventh-most populous city in California. Incorporate ...

focusing her thesis work on the minerals in and geochemical signatures of jadeitites from

Guatemala Guatemala ( ; ), officially the Republic of Guatemala ( es, República de Guatemala, links=no), is a country in Central America. It is bordered to the north and west by Mexico; to the northeast by Belize and the Caribbean; to the east by H ...

.Niespolo, Elizabeth M. (2014)
"Mineralogy, geochemistry, and stable isotopes of Guatemalan jadeitites: A new method to determine the provenance of Mesoamerican jade artifacts"
''

ProQuest ProQuest LLC is an Ann Arbor, Michigan-based global information-content and technology company, founded in 1938 as University Microfilms by Eugene B. Power. ProQuest is known for its applications and information services for libraries, provid ...

''. Retrieved May 8, 2021. These signatures she used to develop a new way of finding where

Mesoamerica Mesoamerica is a historical region and cultural area in southern North America and most of Central America. It extends from approximately central Mexico through Belize, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, and northern Costa Rica. W ...

jade Jade is a mineral used as jewellery or for ornaments. It is typically green, although may be yellow or white. Jade can refer to either of two different silicate minerals: nephrite (a silicate of calcium and magnesium in the amphibole group of ...

artifacts originated from. As part of her research she worked at a

Mayan Mayan most commonly refers to: * Maya peoples, various indigenous peoples of Mesoamerica and northern Central America * Maya civilization, pre-Columbian culture of Mesoamerica and northern Central America * Mayan languages, language family spoken ...

archaeological site in

Chiapas Chiapas (; Tzotzil language, Tzotzil and Tzeltal language, Tzeltal: ''Chyapas'' ), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Chiapas ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Chiapas), is one of the states that make up the Political divisions of Mexico, ...

Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...

. Her efforts at California State University, Long Beach both on-campus and in the field in Mexico earned her a

Master of Science A Master of Science ( la, Magisterii Scientiae; abbreviated MS, M.S., MSc, M.Sc., SM, S.M., ScM or Sc.M.) is a master's degree in the field of science awarded by universities in many countries or a person holding such a degree. In contrast to ...

, MS, degree. After completing her MS, Niespolo continued her graduate studies in geology by pursuing a

Doctor of Philosophy A Doctor of Philosophy (PhD, Ph.D., or DPhil; Latin: or ') is the most common Academic degree, degree at the highest academic level awarded following a course of study. PhDs are awarded for programs across the whole breadth of academic fields ...

, PhD, at the University of California, Berkeley.Niespolo, Elizabeth (2019)
"Determining Timescales and Paleoenvironments of Quaternary Human Evolution Using Stable and Radiogenic Isotopes"
''

''. Retrieved May 8, 2021. Her work was split into two settings: on-campus

laboratory A laboratory (; ; colloquially lab) is a facility that provides controlled conditions in which scientific or technological research, experiments, and measurement may be performed. Laboratory services are provided in a variety of settings: physicia ...

work including activities such as taking geochemical measurements and on-location field work in various locations including the

East African Rift Valley The East African Rift (EAR) or East African Rift System (EARS) is an active continental rift zone in East Africa. The EAR began developing around the onset of the Miocene, 22–25 million years ago. In the past it was considered to be part of a ...

. In 2019 Niespolo finished and filed her dissertation and earned her PhD from the University of California, Berkeley. Niespolo's dissertation focused on using both

stable A stable is a building in which livestock, especially horses, are kept. It most commonly means a building that is divided into separate stalls for individual animals and livestock. There are many different types of stables in use today; the ...

and

radiogenic isotope A radiogenic nuclide is a nuclide that is produced by a process of radioactive decay. It may itself be radioactive (a radionuclide) or stable (a stable nuclide). Radiogenic nuclides (more commonly referred to as radiogenic isotopes) form some of ...

s to determine the geochronology and environmental context of

human evolution Human evolution is the evolutionary process within the history of primates that led to the emergence of ''Homo sapiens'' as a distinct species of the hominid family, which includes the great apes. This process involved the gradual development of ...

in the past, the

Quaternary The Quaternary ( ) is the current and most recent of the three periods of the Cenozoic Era in the geologic time scale of the International Commission on Stratigraphy (ICS). It follows the Neogene Period and spans from 2.58 million years ...

specifically.

Career

2010s: The Americas, Polynesia, and Africa beginnings

Niespolo started integrating her archaeological experience with her

physics Physics is the natural science that studies matter, its fundamental constituents, its motion and behavior through space and time, and the related entities of energy and force. "Physical science is that department of knowledge which r ...

background through geochemical dating methods based on fundamental nuclear physical reactions and radioactive decay chains in the chemical elements. Her physics background also came through in instrumentation she used to measure both radioactive and stable isotope abundances including

mass spectrometry Mass spectrometry (MS) is an analytical technique that is used to measure the mass-to-charge ratio of ions. The results are presented as a ''mass spectrum'', a plot of intensity as a function of the mass-to-charge ratio. Mass spectrometry is use ...

. Isotopic abundances became a center of her work on jadeitites from Guatemala,

Central America Central America ( es, América Central or ) is a subregion of the Americas. Its boundaries are defined as bordering the United States to the north, Colombia to the south, the Caribbean Sea to the east, and the Pacific Ocean to the west. ...

. Her emphasis was on finding ways to fingerprint natural materials used by humans to make tools and artwork so the origin of these artifacts and the materials used in their construction can be pin-pointed. She has also emphasized the importance of jade sourcing in terms of

economics Economics () is the social science that studies the Production (economics), production, distribution (economics), distribution, and Consumption (economics), consumption of goods and services. Economics focuses on the behaviour and intera ...

in the Mayan Empire. As part of this work, Niespolo was a recipient of a

research grant A grant is a fund given by an end entity grant – often a public body, charitable foundation, or a specialised grant-making institution – to an individual or another entity (usually, a non-profit organisation, sometimes a business or a local ...

in 2014 from the

Geological Society of America The Geological Society of America (GSA) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the advancement of the geosciences. History The society was founded in Ithaca, New York, in 1888 by Alexander Winchell, John J. Stevenson, Charles H. Hitchco ...

(July 2014)
"2014 GSA Research Grant Recipients"
''GSA Today''. Retrieved May 8, 2021. Niespolo furthered her experience working with natural minerals focusing on volcanic

sanidine Sanidine is the high temperature form of potassium feldspar with a general formula K(AlSi3O8). Sanidine is found most typically in felsic volcanic rocks such as obsidian, rhyolite and trachyte. Sanidine crystallizes in the monoclinic crystal system ...

from northern

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

.Niespolo, Elizabeth M.; Rutte, Daniel; Deino, Alan L.; Renne, Paul R. (2017)
40Ar/³⁹Ar standard"">"Intercalibration and age of the Alder Creek sanidine ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar standard"
''

Quaternary Geochronology Quaternary geology is the branch of geology that study developments from 2.6 million years ago onwards. In particular, Quaternary geology study the process and deposits that developed during the Quaternary, a period characterized by glacial- inter ...

'' 39: 205-213. doi:10.1016/j.quageo.2016.09.004. Retrieved May 8, 2021. This work provided high precision dating to aid in understanding petrologic and eruptive processes that may have been preserved in minerals erupted in the Alder Creek

rhyolite Rhyolite ( ) is the most silica-rich of volcanic rocks. It is generally glassy or fine-grained (aphanitic) in texture, but may be porphyritic, containing larger mineral crystals (phenocrysts) in an otherwise fine-grained groundmass. The mineral ...

during the early

Pleistocene The Pleistocene ( , often referred to as the ''Ice age'') is the geological Epoch (geology), epoch that lasted from about 2,580,000 to 11,700 years ago, spanning the Earth's most recent period of repeated glaciations. Before a change was fina ...

. Radiometric dating of

coral Corals are marine invertebrates within the class Anthozoa of the phylum Cnidaria. They typically form compact colonies of many identical individual polyps. Coral species include the important reef builders that inhabit tropical oceans and sec ...

s from the

Cook Islands ) , image_map = Cook Islands on the globe (small islands magnified) (Polynesia centered).svg , capital = Avarua , coordinates = , largest_city = Avarua , official_languages = , lan ...

Polynesia Polynesia () "many" and νῆσος () "island"), to, Polinisia; mi, Porinihia; haw, Polenekia; fj, Polinisia; sm, Polenisia; rar, Porinetia; ty, Pōrīnetia; tvl, Polenisia; tkl, Polenihia (, ) is a subregion of Oceania, made up of ...

Niespolo pursued to aid in providing precise dates for human arrival and inhabitation of the

island An island (or isle) is an isolated piece of habitat that is surrounded by a dramatically different habitat, such as water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls can be called islets, skerries, cays or keys. An island ...

Mangaia Mangaia (traditionally known as A'ua'u Enua, which means ''terraced'') is the most southerly of the Cook Islands and the second largest, after Rarotonga. It is a roughly circular island, with an area of , from Rarotonga. Originally heavily popula ...

in Polynesia.Niespolo, Elizabeth M.; Sharp, Warren D.; Kirch, Patrick V. (2019)
230Th dating of coral abraders from stratified deposits at Tangatatau Rockshelter, Mangaia, Cook Islands: Implications for building precise chronologies in Polynesia"">"²³⁰Th dating of coral abraders from stratified deposits at Tangatatau Rockshelter, Mangaia, Cook Islands: Implications for building precise chronologies in Polynesia"
'' Journal of Archaeological Science'' 101: 21-33. doi:10.1016/j.jas.2018.11.001. Retrieved May 8, 2021. As islands in Polynesia were not originally inhabited by humans, precise geochemical dating can help to provide precise timelines for human arrival and

colonization Colonization, or colonisation, constitutes large-scale population movements wherein migrants maintain strong links with their, or their ancestors', former country – by such links, gain advantage over other inhabitants of the territory. When ...

of the islands as well as the non-native plants humans brought with them. Specifically, Niespolo found that coral abraders contained chemical evidence in the form of

Thorium Thorium is a weakly radioactive metallic chemical element with the symbol Th and atomic number 90. Thorium is silvery and tarnishes black when it is exposed to air, forming thorium dioxide; it is moderately soft and malleable and has a high me ...

that

Polynesians Polynesians form an ethnolinguistic group of closely related people who are native to Polynesia (islands in the Polynesian Triangle), an expansive region of Oceania in the Pacific Ocean. They trace their early prehistoric origins to Island Sou ...

arrived to Mangaia by 1011.6 ± 5.8 CE and

sweet potato The sweet potato or sweetpotato (''Ipomoea batatas'') is a dicotyledonous plant that belongs to the Convolvulus, bindweed or morning glory family (biology), family, Convolvulaceae. Its large, starchy, sweet-tasting tuberous roots are used as a r ...

es arrived by 1361-1466 CE. Following her work on natural materials from Central America,

North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Car ...

, and Polynesia, Niespolo broadened her scope geographically by honing in on piecing together what past physical and chemical environments were like in

Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia in both cases. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of Earth's total surface area ...

. The goal with her work being correlating geochemical findings with archaeological sites to understand the timing of new

tool A tool is an object that can extend an individual's ability to modify features of the surrounding environment or help them accomplish a particular task. Although many animals use simple tools, only human beings, whose use of stone tools dates ba ...

development, human evolution, and

human migration Human migration is the movement of people from one place to another with intentions of settling, permanently or temporarily, at a new location (geographic region). The movement often occurs over long distances and from one country to another (ex ...

in relation to the land around them. Part of why Niespolo chose to pursue geochronology was her interest in understanding past human evolution in response to changing environmental conditions that may be helpful in modern times to understand potential environment changes in response to human activity. Foundational work on this topic for Niespolo included geochemical measurements of stable isotopes providing understanding of

rainfall Rain is water droplets that have condensed from atmospheric water vapor and then fall under gravity. Rain is a major component of the water cycle and is responsible for depositing most of the fresh water on the Earth. It provides water f ...

and

vegetation Vegetation is an assemblage of plant species and the ground cover they provide. It is a general term, without specific reference to particular taxa, life forms, structure, spatial extent, or any other specific botanical or geographic character ...

variability in Eastern Africa during the Pleistocene-

Holocene The Holocene ( ) is the current geological epoch. It began approximately 11,650 cal years Before Present (), after the Last Glacial Period, which concluded with the Holocene glacial retreat. The Holocene and the preceding Pleistocene togethe ...

.Niespolo, E.M.; Sharp, E.M.; Tyron, C.A.; Faith, J.T.; Lewis, J.; Ranhorn, K.; Mambelli, S.; Miller, M.J.; Dawson, T.E. (2020)
"Carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen isotopes of ostrich eggshells provide site-scale Pleistocene-Holocene paleoenvironmental records for eastern African archaeological sites"
''

Quaternary Science Reviews ''Quaternary Science Reviews'' is a peer-reviewed scientific journal covering quaternary science. It was established in 1982 by Pergamon Press and is currently published by Elsevier. The editor-in-chief is C.V. Murray Wallace (University of Wollon ...

'' 230(2020): 106142. doi:10.1016/j.quascirev.2019.106142. Retrieved May 8, 2021. This work provided

environmental A biophysical environment is a biotic and abiotic surrounding of an organism or population, and consequently includes the factors that have an influence in their survival, development, and evolution. A biophysical environment can vary in scale f ...

context for archaeological sites in Eastern Africa in the form of stable isotope abundances from

ostrich egg The egg of the ostrich (genus ''Struthio'') is the largest of any living bird. The shell has a long history of use by humans as a container and for decorative artwork. The eggs are not commonly eaten. Biology The female common ostrich lays her f ...

shells and was funded by a $199,496 grant from the

National Science Foundation The National Science Foundation (NSF) is an independent agency of the United States government that supports fundamental research and education in all the non-medical fields of science and engineering. Its medical counterpart is the National I ...

(2021)
"Award Abstract # 1727085: Improved Dating of Archaeological Materials with Coordinated Stable Isotope Studies"
''NSF Award Search''. Retrieved May 8, 2021.

2020s: Africa continues and professorship

Niespolo draws inspiration in her geology work from past geologist

Charles Lyell Sir Charles Lyell, 1st Baronet, (14 November 1797 – 22 February 1875) was a Scottish geologist who demonstrated the power of known natural causes in explaining the earth's history. He is best known as the author of ''Principles of Geolo ...

emphasizing that to understand the present the past is particularly pertinent. Niespolo narrows this point down in an interview with ''

'', "Geology is the direct means to understanding our resources, and we use natural resources for literally everything (your house, your drinking water, energy). If we don't know the geologic processes controlling these observable resources, we will be hard pressed to continue utilizing them safely and responsibly, and developing more sustainable resource use in the future." In April 2021, Niespolo's research from leading a group of scientists in investigating marine resource overuse in

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...

during the

Middle Stone Age The Middle Stone Age (or MSA) was a period of African prehistory between the Early Stone Age and the Late Stone Age. It is generally considered to have begun around 280,000 years ago and ended around 50–25,000 years ago. The beginnings of pa ...

and providing high precision dating to correlate Homo sapiens resource use with sea level change in the area was published in the ''

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences ''Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America'' (often abbreviated ''PNAS'' or ''PNAS USA'') is a peer-reviewed multidisciplinary scientific journal. It is the official journal of the National Academy of Sci ...

''.Niespolo, Elizabeth M.; Sharp, Warren D.; Avery, Graham; Dawson, Todd E. (2021)
"Early, intensive marine resource exploitation by Middle Stone Age humans at Ysterfontein 1 rockshelter, South Africa"
''

'' 118(6): e2020042118. doi:10.1073/pnas.2020042118. Retrieved May 8, 2021.Milligan, Markus (April 30, 2021)
"Uranium-series dating shows South African midden is world's oldest"
''heritagedaily.com''. Retrieved April 6, 2023."Des œufs d'autruche pour dater des sites archéologiques africains"
(in French). ''

Sciences et Avenir ''Sciences et Avenir'' (meaning ''Science and Future'' in English) is a monthly French popular science magazine, owned by Claude Perdriel. Its distribution in 2019 was 231,000 copies. The editorial team also publish about 15 articles per day on th ...

''. May 12, 2021. Retrieved March 21, 2023.Debbia, Leonardo (June 16, 2021)
"Gusci d'uovo di struzzo per datare antichi siti umani"
(in Italian). ''gaianews.it''. Retrieved March 21, 2023. Specifically, the study expanded her use of isotopic dating of ostrich egg shells, this time utilizing a ²³⁰Thorium/

Uranium Uranium is a chemical element with the symbol U and atomic number 92. It is a silvery-grey metal in the actinide series of the periodic table. A uranium atom has 92 protons and 92 electrons, of which 6 are valence electrons. Uranium is weak ...

burial dating, to remains from an archaeological site near modern day

Cape Town Cape Town ( af, Kaapstad; , xh, iKapa) is one of South Africa's three capital cities, serving as the seat of the Parliament of South Africa. It is the legislative capital of the country, the oldest city in the country, and the second largest ...

and found the deposit of dated remains accumulated between 113,000 and 120,000 years before the study. The study also found inhabitants of the archaeological site continued maintaining a consistent diet even as sea level dropped following a high stand of the sea, which was attributed to selective foraging by the inhabitants in part due to an increase in

aridity A region is arid when it severely lacks available water, to the extent of hindering or preventing the growth and development of plant and animal life. Regions with arid climates tend to lack vegetation and are called xeric or desertic. Most ar ...

over the dated time period. The same month,

announced that Niespolo was one of 10 new faculty members approved by Princeton University's Board of Trustees. Her faculty appointment began in the autumn of 2021 at the assistant professor level. In 2022, her further expansion of her geochronology expertise in assessing human-climate dynamics in the past was published in a collaborative study investigating tool and technology development in relation to changes in wind intensity and rainfall around 80,000 to 92,000 years before the published 2022 study in what is modern day South Africa, to which she contributed uranium-series dating of natural materials.Holder, Kathleen (February 28, 2022)
"Did a Tough Environment Shape the Evolution of Human Creativity?"
''

University of California, Davis The University of California, Davis (UC Davis, UCD, or Davis) is a public land-grant research university near Davis, California. Named a Public Ivy, it is the northernmost of the ten campuses of the University of California system. The institut ...

''. Retrieved April 6, 2023.

Personal

Niespolo enjoys the

research Research is "creativity, creative and systematic work undertaken to increase the stock of knowledge". It involves the collection, organization and analysis of evidence to increase understanding of a topic, characterized by a particular att ...

setting, its cutting edge nature, and being a part of new discoveries. However, one of the frustrations she has with researching in an academic setting is the amount of time and effort spent on securing funding as opposed to doing the science itself. This particular aspect of research in

higher education Higher education is tertiary education leading to award of an academic degree. Higher education, also called post-secondary education, third-level or tertiary education, is an optional final stage of formal learning that occurs after completi ...

Niespolo identified as her least favorite part of what she does. Niespolo is a vocal proponent of female mentorship in science disciplines taking initiative herself by participating in organizations including Bay Area Scientists in Schools.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Niespolo, Elizabeth Living people American women geologists Women geochemists American women archaeologists Princeton University faculty California State University, Long Beach people California State University, Long Beach alumni Year of birth missing (living people) 21st-century American women