Samantha Murphy got her undergraduate degree in Anthropology from Clemson University (2019) and her Master’s from the University of Colorado Denver (2022). She had the opportunity to work all over the United States, spending most of her time in the Southwest and California before landing in Iowa. Her research focuses on disease and medical treatments in past cultures, specifically those of Precontact Peru. She is passionate about telling the story of an individual’s life through their remains and burials. When not at work Samantha enjoys attending concerts, traveling and in general all things outdoors all while feeding a mild coffee addiction. 

At OSA, Samantha works in the Bioarchaeology lab where she assists in the identification of human remains and projects where human remains are likely to occur. She also assists with the repatriation of Native American remains to their tribes as part of NAGPRA and is a liaison to OSA’s Indian Advisory Council.