John Doershuk has been State Archaeologist and director of the Office of the State Archaeologist (OSA) since 2007. He has also held an adjunct faculty position since 1995 in the University of Iowa's Department of Anthropology. John received a B.A. in 1980 from Carleton College in anthropology and a M.A (1982) and Ph.D. (1989) in anthropology from Northwestern University, specializing in Midwestern archaeology. He regularly teaches archaeology courses at the University of Iowa and Cornell College, including archaeological field schools, most recently through the Iowa Lakeside Lab in northwest Iowa. John is a registered professional archaeologist, has served as president of the Association of Iowa Archaeologists, is a past president of the Midwest Archaeological Conference, has served on several Society for American Archaeology task forces, and is an ex officio board member of the Iowa Archeological Society.

John leads OSA in the development of campus, community, and professional partnerships and provides mentorship and career guidance to students. He is OSA's primary contact for questions regarding the establishment of conservation easements.