From the Paleolithic caves of Europe to classrooms in the Sonoran Desert, Mary Stiner's career has bridged the ancient and the modern. Now, the National Academy of Sciences has recognized her lifelong pursuit of understanding what it means to be human.

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Stiner, a Regents Professor of Anthropology in the University of Arizona School of Anthropology, is one of 150 new members elected to the National Academy of Sciences – which is a part of the larger National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. The academy is a private nonprofit established by Congress that is dedicated to providing independent scientific guidance to the U.S. government.

"Being named to the National Academy of Sciences means a lot to me, to my field and to the School of Anthropology at the University of Arizona," Stiner said. "The academy is filled with remarkable people that can share their collective wisdom with the world, and there is a very long history of this group aiding in the development of critical policy that helps American people and communities, and how we articulate as a nation with important world issues."

Stiner began her academic journey as an undergraduate at the University of Delaware, where she earned bachelor's degrees in both fine arts and anthropology. After graduating, Stiner turned her attention to science – though she remains a practicing artist to this day.

As an anthropologist, Stiner has worked in a number of countries and has focused much of her work on the Mediterranean and Anatolian Peninsula at sites ranging from 10,000 to 500,000 years old. Her current research includes investigating the transition between hunter and gatherer cultures to the formation of early village life.

"I really enjoyed my work with Neanderthals in particular, which started with my dissertation work in Italy," Stiner said. "I started to learn about an alternative form of humanity, which was a beautiful introduction to the Paleolithic Era. At the other end of the timeframe, I recently became involved in studying the foraging way of life during the evolution of early villages in Anatolia."

Stiner joined the School of Anthropology in 1994 alongside her husband, Steven Kuhn, a professor of anthropology. The pair have been proud Wildcats ever since.

"The School of Anthropology is really one of the best programs, and not just academically," Stiner said. "It is a vibrant department with a long history and strong culture of collegiality, and we have developed wonderful, long-term relationships with other departments. I also love desert ecosystems and think that the Sonoran Desert is one of the most beautiful places on Earth."

Stiner previously earned the first Society of American Archaeology book prize in 1996 for "Honor among Thieves: A Zooarchaeological Study of Neanderthal Ecology," and held a Leverhulme Trust Visiting Professorship at University College London in 2010. She was named a U of A Regents Professor in 2014 and was awarded the Fryxell prize for her interdisciplinary scientific work by the Society for American Archaeology in 2021.

"I am thrilled that Mary Stiner received this prestigious and well-deserved recognition from the National Academy of Sciences," said Lori Poloni-Staudinger, dean of the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences. "Mary is a world-renowned scholar, contributing to our top-ranked School of Anthropology through her groundbreaking archaeological research, innovative teaching and student mentoring. We are fortunate to have her at the U of A."