Megan Cole

PhD Program

Evolutionary Anthropology

Email:: megancole@unm.edu
Chair:: Dr. Melissa Emery Thompson
Curriculum vitae

Prior Degrees/Institutions:
BS, Anthropology, University of Michigan (2013)
MS, Anthropology, University of New Mexico (2020)

Research Interest/s:

I am an evolutionary anthropologist and primatologist broadly interested in the intersections between life history, physiology, and social behavior. My dissertation research leverages long-term data from Ngamba Island Chimpanzee Sanctuary and Kanyawara, Kibale National Park, Uganda to investigate how physiological regulation contributes to social strategies and network integration in chimpanzees.

Recent Courses Taught:

ANTH 1135L: Introduction to Biological Anthropology Laboratory (Fall 2023)

Awards:

Best student presentation prize, SWABA Annual Meeting (2023)
Student presentation honorable mention, AABA Annual Meeting (2023)
Doctoral Dissertation Research Improvement Grant, NSF (2022-2024)
New Mexico Research Grant, UNM GPSA (2021)
Research Grant, Leakey Foundation (2020-2021)
Frieda D. Butler Award, UNM Anthropology (2020)
Graduate Research Fellowship, NSF (2019-2024)
Rogers Research Award, UNM Office of Graduate Studies (2019)
Student Conference Award, UNM Career Services (2019)
Best student poster prize, SWABA Annual Meeting (2018)
Harvey C. and Sarah M. Moore Fellowship, UNM Anthropology (2018-2020)

Publications:

Cole, M.F., Cantwell, A., Rukundo, J., Ajarova, L., Fernandez-Navarro, S., Atencia, R., & Rosati, A.G. 2020. Healthy cardiovascular biomarkers across the lifespan in wild-born chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes). Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B. 375: 20190609.