Presentations

Invited Presentations:

2022. Fleskes, R., We Carry the DNA of Our Ancestors: A Genetics & Genealogy Workshop, William & Mary Summer Sankofa Series [online], August 11.

2022. Avery’s Rest: Ancient DNA Insights into Kinship and Ancestry in 17th Century, The Archaeological Society of Connecticut 2022 Spring Meeting, South Windor CT, May 7.
2022. The Anson Street African Burial Ground Project: History, Achievements and Future Directions, The Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston SC, May 1.
2022. Historical Genetics: Application of Ancient DNA to the Study of Colonial North America. The University of Connecticut and Stony Brook University Joint Archaeology Colloquium Series. February 17.
2021. Ancient DNA in the Colonial Chesapeake. Jamestown Rediscovery Foundation. September 30.
2021. The Anson Street African Burial Ground Project: Ancient DNA Ethics & Considerations. American Society for Human Genetics, Responsible Research on Ancient DNA Panel. March 8.
2021. Anthropological Perspectives on the Biology of Race and Racism Panel. Rowan University, Anthropology & Sociology Department. March 19.
2020. Historical Genetics: Insights from Ancient DNA to the study of early Colonial America. West Chester University, Anthropology & Sociology Department Colloquium Series. November 16.
2020. Avery’s Rest – A look into the DNA Investigations. Delaware Historical and Cultural Affairs [online], September 28.

2020. Digging Delaware Interview Series, Delaware Archaeological Society [online].
August 3.

2020. Ancient DNA & Colonial North America. National Geographic, Washington D.C., February 28.
2020. A Historical Genomics Approach using Ancient DNA & Bioarchaeology to the Study of Colonial America*. World Archaeological Congress, Prague Czech Republic, July 5-10. (*rescheduled due to COVID-19)
2020. Ancient DNA in Colonial North America: Patuxent Point and the Anson Street Burial Project. University of Pennsylvania, New Avenues in Archaeological Science*. (*canceled due to COVID-19)
2020. Historical Genetics: Insights from Ancient DNA to the study of early Colonial America*. West Chester University, Anthropology & Sociology Department Colloquium Series. April 7. (*canceled due to COVID-19)
2020. Ancient DNA & Colonial North America. National Geographic, Washington D.C., February 28.
2019. Colonization on the Delaware Frontier: Insights from Avery’s Rest. Delaware Valley Archaeology and History Symposium, Dover DE, December 7.
2019. Avery’s Rest: Bioarchaeological Perspectives. Archaeological Society of Delaware Annual Meeting, Felton DE, June 15.
2018. Avery’s Rest: A Multi-Method Investigation of Kinship & Lifeways in the 17th century Chesapeake. The University of Tennessee, Department of Anthropology, Knoxville TN, February 19.
2017. DNA & the Peopling of the Caribbean. Pre-Columbian Society. University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia PA, February 11.

Conferences & Panels Organized:

2021. “May Their Hearts be Perfectly at Peace: The Anson Street African Burial Project”. Executive Panel Session. American Anthropological Association Annual Meeting, Baltimore MD, November 17-21. [Role: Panel Co-Organizer].
2020. “Forging Kinships”. Graduate Symposium for the Wolf Humanities Center Annual Forum on Kinship. University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia PA, February 21. [Role: Primary Conference Organizer].

Conference Podium Presentations:

2022. Fleskes, R., Ancient DNA & Genealogy: Where Two Worlds Collide. East Coast Genetic Genealogy Conference. Baltimore MD, April 23.
2022. Fleskes, R., Critical Translation and Transparency in Community Centered Ancient DNA Research: Insights from the Anson Street African Burial Ground Project. 91st Annual Meeting of the American Association of Biological Anthropologists. Denver CO, April 25.
2021. Fleskes, R., Brown, D., Schurr, T. Ancient DNA Research during a Global Pandemic: Insights from Fieldwork at St. Mary’s Basilica in Norfolk, VA. 54th Annual Conference on Historical and Underwater Archaeology. January 8.
2020. Fleskes, R., Ofunniyin, A., Gilmore, J., Cabana, G., Schurr, T. African mitogenome diversity in 18th century Charleston, South Carolina*. 89th Annual Meeting of the American Association of Physical Anthropologists. Los Angeles LA, April. (*canceled due to COVID-19)
2020. Fleskes, R., Cabana, G., Schurr, T. Genomic Insights into 17th century Maryland Kinship and Labor at Patuxent Point*. 85th Annual Meeting of the Society for American Archaeology. Austin TX, April 24. (*canceled due to COVID-19)
2019. Fleskes, R. Historical Genetics: A Multidisciplinary Investigation of Frontier Lifeways in the Chesapeake. Meeting of the American Society for Ethnohistory. State College PA, September 28.
2017. Fleskes, R., West, F., Cabana, G., and Schurr, T. Ancient DNA Analysis of a Late 17th Century Plantation site in Delaware Yields Considerable Matrilineal Diversity and Relatedness in Early Colonists. 86th Annual Meeting of the American Association of Physical Anthropologists. New Orleans LA, April 19-22.
2013. Fleskes, R., Moini, M. Protein Deterioration Overtime in Ancient Bone Specimens. Anthroplus Conference. University of Maryland, College Park MD, April 13.
2013. Fleskes, R., Moini, M. Biological Clocks: High throughput identification of deterioration markers and dating of museums’ proteinaceous specimens. 8th Annual ACC Meeting of the Minds. Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem NC, April 6.

Conference Poster Presentations:

2018. Fleskes, R., West, F., Cabana, G., and Schurr, T. Ancient DNA Perspectives on Kinship & Racialized Labor on a 17th century Delaware Frontier Site. 83rd Annual Meeting of the Society for American Archaeology. Washington D.C., April 11-15.

2016. Fleskes, R., Vilar, M., Melendez, C., Schurr, T. Genetic diversity of A2 and C1 haplotypes in Puerto Rico: Implications for initial migration and settlement patterns of the Caribbean. 85th Annual Meeting of the American Association of Physical Anthropologists Annual Conference. Atlanta GA, March 27-30.

Genetic_Diversity_of_A2_and_C1_Haplotype

2013. Moini, M., Fleskes, R., Rollman, C. Effect of Aging and Radiation on Museums’ Proteinaceous Specimens at Molecular Levels. 61st American Society for Mass Spectrometry Conference on Mass Spectrometry and Allied Topics. Minneapolis MN, June 9-13.