Meet the Group Members

Professor Hélène Rougier comes to CSUN from Bordeaux, France, where she earned her BA, MA and PhD from Bordeaux 1 University in Biological Anthropology. A paleoanthropologist, she specializes in the study of the population processes that took place in Western Eurasia during the last Ice Age. Her research interests focus on the population of Europe by our early Homo sapiens ancestors and the disappearance of Neandertals. Her research agenda includes both active fieldwork at archeological sites in France and Belgium, as well as laboratory research. She has initiated several interdisciplinary projects focused on revisiting old collections in France, Belgium, and Germany. These efforts allowed Prof. Rougier to make numerous discoveries of both Neandertal and early Homo sapiens remains, including identifying the largest Neandertal collection in Northern Europe at the Troisième caverne of Goyet, Belgium. The author of over fifty articles and book chapters, Prof. Rougier is an internationally-known expert in her field, and her research projects offer students exciting opportunities to contribute to our knowledge of early humans. 

Ismael Anguiano (TPRG member since 2025) is a third-year undergraduate student studying for his Anthropology degree. After graduating from CSUN, he wishes to work in the field of Archaeology in Mexico in order to understand the past, culture, and history of the country his parents are from. As a TPRG member, his goals are to work on large archaeological projects, learn about human evolution, and develop skills that he will be able to apply to his future career in the Archaeology field. In his spare time, Ismael likes to watch anime, tv shows, and movies. He also likes to play soccer and video games, and to watch soccer and football with his family and friends. He loves history and can’t wait to learn more about both ancient and modern history!

Jenna Conte (TPRG member since 2024) is a fourth-year undergraduate student pursuing a degree in Anthropology at CSUN. Her academic interests focus on Archaeology and Paleoanthropology, with a particular emphasis on the prehistoric migratory patterns and behavioral adaptations of Neandertals and archaic humans. Jenna also has a deep interest in evolutionary biology as well as geology, which she believes provide critical insights into understanding the environmental and biological factors that have shaped human evolution. These interdisciplinary interests enhance her approach to studying the complexities of the past and their relevance to the field of Anthropology. Outside of academia, Jenna enjoys hiking, camping, playing guitar, making art, and reading a good book. She loves hanging out with her cat, Sophie, and her dog, Oliver.

Chloe Coulter (TPRG member since 2024) is a senior Biological Anthropology student at CSUN. Transferring from community college with two Associate degrees in History and Anthropology, she aims to use her diverse educational experience to conduct well-rounded and informed research in Bioarchaeology. Chloe is currently pursuing graduate school to gain proper training to assess disease manifestation, pathology, and their subsequent social implications through reconstructing paleoanthropological lifeways from archaeological evidence and DNA analysis. She has experience in studying and maintaining human skeletal remains and is currently an interpreter at the La Brea Tar Pits in LA, managing osteological material. In her free time, Chloe enjoys hanging out with her cats (named Forrest, Indiana, and Jones), reading, hiking, and is currently learning how to play the drums!

Nona Gharibyan (TPRG member since 2024) is a third-year undergraduate student majoring in Anthropology. She attended Glendale Community College where she studied Medical Coding and Billing and got an AS degree in Medical Coding. Then, she fell in love with Anthropology and switched her major. She got her AA Degree in Anthropology from Glendale Community College. She is passionately interested in Biological Anthropology and human evolution—specifically, the evolution of the human brain and cognitive abilities. Also, she is extremely interested in religion as a cultural universal. She wants to study human evolution and the evolution of religion and see how these two phenomena are correlated. She is glad to have a chance to participate in The Paleoanthropology Research Group because this is another inspiring field of Anthropological science. In her free time, Nona loves to play piano and play chess with her son.

Noel Gogol (TPRG member since 2025) is an undergraduate senior majoring in Anthropology, having previously earned two Associate degrees at the College of the Canyons in Anthropology and Liberal Art & Sciences before transferring to CSUN. His particular focus is in the fields of Bioarchaeology and Paleoanthropology, specifically aiming to study the cognitive and linguistic abilities of Neandertals and early Homo sapiens based on cultural materials, especially Paleolithic cave images in Europe, as well as potential burial sites left behind. He is planning to pursue a Master’s degree in Anthropology after earning his BA, and would like to eventually pursue a career in museum collections or curation. In his free time, Noel continues a lifelong hobby in fine arts and enjoys learning other languages.

Alexandre Lopez-Zuniga (TPRG member since 2024) is an undergraduate student at CSUN. He transferred from Moorpark College where he earned Associate degrees in Anthropology and Social & Behavioral Sciences. Once he achieves his Bachelor's degree, Alex aims to work at a state park as an archaeologist. He believes this research group can build useful skills for future jobs, and is glad to dig deeper into human evolution. In his spare time, he enjoys walking to local parks, hiking, biking, and playing electric guitar.

Lily Maravilla (TPRG member since 2024) is an undergraduate Anthropology student at CSUN. She is from the Bay Area, in Northern California, and there was a part of a junior college program in which she attended high school at Contra Costa Community College, and earned her Associate degree in Liberal Arts alongside graduating high school. Because of this she is a first year with junior status, and has jumped right into her major classes. She has developed a passionate interest in Biological Anthropology and the study of bones and genetics in both recent modern humans and our ancestors. Paleoanthropology is an extreme interest of hers as she plans to go into graduate school with a similar path. She hopes to find her way into working in museums and possibly fieldwork with an emphasis on human ancestors. In her free time she enjoys reading, cooking, painting and drawing, and spending time with her family and pets!

Arlene Ortiz (TPRG member since 2025) is a dedicated anthropologist and first-generation college student currently completing her undergraduate studies at CSUN. She is majoring in Anthropology with a minor in Teaching English as a Second Language. As the eldest of five siblings, Arlene has cultivated a strong sense of leadership and responsibility, which extends into her academic and professional pursuits. Her interests lie at the intersection of Biological Anthropology and Linguistics, reflecting a deep curiosity about human history, cultural expression, and the ways in which language shapes identity. Arlene has hands-on experience in fieldwork, having attended a field school in Utah under the guidance of Dr. Mari Pritchard, where she honed her skills in archaeological excavation and research methodologies. Upon graduating in Fall 2025, Arlene plans to move to Mongolia to teach English, immersing herself in the region’s rich cultural landscape. Her ultimate goal is to conduct ethnographic research on nomadic life in Mongolia, exploring themes of language preservation, mobility, and adaptation in contemporary pastoralist communities. With a commitment to cross-cultural understanding and education, Arlene aims to bridge linguistic and anthropological perspectives in her future work.

Alexandra White (TPRG member since 2025) began her educational journey at Pierce Community College where she earned an Associate degree in Social and Behavioral Sciences, as well as an Associate degree in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math. After being accepted into CSUN she began majoring in Anthropology where she focused on Cultural Anthropology. After completing her Bachelor degree in Anthropology, Alexandra began attending the graduate program at CSUN and changed her focus to Biological Anthropology. She finds interest in migration patterns and how Paleoanthropology can help us understand more about the past. In her spare time she likes to hang out with her dog, Willow, and listen to music.

Emily Darlington-Goddard (MA '24; TPRG member since 2024) earned her MA in Anthropology from CSUN in December 2024. Previously, she attended California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo where she completed a BS in Anthropology and Geography. Emily’s education has focused on Bioarchaeology, with her interests primarily being studying human skeletal remains to determine individuals’ social experiences and identities as well as population-level trends regarding these topics. Emily has experience conducting bioarchaeological fieldwork, laboratory analysis, and compiling and analyzing archaeological documentation for NAGPRA compliance. Her Master’s thesis focuses on understanding the cultural significance of the practice of cranial modification in the Postclassic Aztatlán culture of west Mexico by assessing cranial modification standardization using craniometric data. This was conducted to evaluate the possible existence of a relationship between cranial modification styles and aspects of identity, with the aim of gaining insight into the beliefs that these individuals embodied. [Read Emily’s thesis here Links to an external site..]

Diana Gutierrez (BA '24; TPRG member since 2024) finished her Bachelor degree in Anthropology at CSUN. She previously attended Antelope Valley Community College then transferred to College of the Canyons where she received her Associate degree in Anthropology. Diana is very interested in Biological Anthropology, especially how certain diseases can manifest on human skeletal remains. Eventually she plans to get a Master degree in biomolecular archaeological analysis as it would help us better understand ancient pathogens. Diana is incredibly interested in how ancient pathogens might have affected the remains of both Neandertals and Homo sapiens. In her spare time, she loves  to do DIY projects such as making miniature models, reading books, sewing, making custom cups with vinyl, and soldering stained glass.

Macaria Luna (2024 TPRG member) is a third-year undergraduate student studying Anthropology at CSUN. After graduating, she hopes to get her Master's in Library and Information Science, with the ultimate goal of working in museum archives. Regarding Paleoanthropology, Macaria is particularly interested in the possibility of rituals among hominids. In her free time, she enjoys going to the movies, playing video games, and weightlifting.

Tyler Parker (MA '24; TPRG member since 2023) is from the greater Los Angeles area. After receiving his BA from the Department of Anthropology at CSUN in 2020, he continued as a graduate student and obtained his MA in Anthropology with an emphasis on biological anthropology in 2024. His Master’s thesis project focused on understanding the transition from hunter-gatherers to farmers during the Mesolithic in Europe. More specifically, he studied the dental remains of the Middle Mesolithic humans from the Ilsenhöhle at Ranis in Thuringia, Germany. By analyzing dental characteristics, he looked to identify metrical and morphological changes that are indicative of cultural changes in subsistence. His work contributes to a greater understanding of Mesolithic humans and their biological and cultural evolution during an extremely important period in human history. [Read Tyler’s thesis here Links to an external site..]