Napoleon Chagnon

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Lore & Background

Maschner studied at the University of Wyoming and at the University of New Mexico under Lewis Binford, graduating in 1980 with a BS in Anthropology. He received a master's degree in archaeology from the University of Alaska, Fairbanks in 1987 with a thesis entitled *Site Structure, Site Use, and Site Reuse of an Ahtna (Na Dene) Spring Camp* and a PhD in Anthropology from the University of California, Santa Barbara in 1992 with a dissertation entitled *The Origins of Hunter-Gatherer Sedentism and Political Complexity: A Case Study from the Northern Northwest Coast*. His PhD dissertation advisors included Brian Fagan and Napoleon Chagnon. After a brief stint at UC Santa Barbara, Maschner was appointed assistant professor at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, a post he held from 1993 to 1999. He then moved to Idaho State University, where he was Research Professor in the Department of Anthropology. He created and directed the Center for Archaeology, Materials, and Applied Spectroscopy. Maschner was also affiliated with the Idaho Accelerator Center and was the Director of the Idaho Museum of Natural History between 2010 and 2015. In 2015 he moved to the University of South Florida as the director of the Center for Virtualization and Applied Spatial Technologies (CVAST), and a professor in the Department of Anthropology and School of Geosciences. In 2016, following the revelation that he had been reprimanded for sexual harassment in his former position at ISU, Maschner was demoted from his post as director of CVAST. He resigned from USF entirely in 2017, following further complaints about his conduct and a formal review. Maschner was the keynote speaker for the Arctic Section of the 2003 conference of the American Association for the Advancement of the Sciences. He was named an Outstanding Researcher of Idaho State University in 2005 and 2006, an Idaho Academy of Science Distinguished Scientist in 2011, and most recently a visiting scientist at the Santa Fe Institute in 2012. He serves on the editorial boards of the *Journal of World Prehistory* and the *Alaska Journal of Anthropology*.

Reader's Guide

Between July and October 2013, Maschner is alleged to have sexually harassed 28-year-old Kelly Pokorny, a graduate student employed as education resources coordinator at the Idaho Museum of Natural History. He was her supervisor at the time. According to Pokorny, he engaged in inappropriate conduct and showered her with unwanted attention for several months, culminating with him assaulting her in her office on October 25, 2013. Maschner allegedly entered her office, closed the door, grabbed her by the buttocks, and kissed her on the lips. Pokorny filed a sexual harassment complaint with Idaho State University's Human Resources Office three days after the assault. Both the ISU Human Resources Office and Opportunity Office conducted investigations and determined that she was telling the truth. ISU issued a final report on January 9, 2014, concluding that her claim and statement of facts were credible, that Maschner's counterclaim and statement of facts were meritless, and that Maschner violated ISU's sexual harassment policy. Maschner was issued a formal reprimand and was suspended for two weeks without pay. He was also ordered to attend sexual harassment training, but he left Idaho State to begin work at South Florida before completing the required training. ISU's final report recommended that she be allowed to return to work as education coordinator at the museum with a different supervisor. Maschner requested on January 29, 2014, that the investigation of the original sexual harassment claim be reopened by the university. After further investigation, the equal opportunity office at ISU again reaffirmed the veracity of the sexual harassment claims against him. On 18 February 2015 Pokorny filed a lawsuit seeking monetary damages against Idaho State University for violations of the Idaho Human Rights Act and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Sixth District Judge Robert Naftz earlier rejected ISU's request to kill the case, writing that the original investigation by the school found the woman's claims credible and Maschner's claims meritless. Maschner took a position at the University of South Florida in August 2015. He did not inform his employer about his sexual harassment finding until more than a year later, when it became apparent that an Idaho newspaper was publishing an article about it. According to USF Maschner was not hired like other applicants and the university was not aware of the sexual harassment. In response, USF stripped him of his position as director of CVAST, although he remained employed as its tenured 'chief scientist'. The following year, USF initiated a legal review of Maschner's conduct following complaints that he was a 'hostile, sexist, boorish boss'. The review concluded that Maschner was 'hostile with many subordinates', but did not find evidence that his behaviour was discriminatory. Maschner resigned from USF shortly after the report was published.

Did You Know?

• Maschner's PhD dissertation advisors included Brian Fagan and Napoleon Chagnon.
• He created and directed the Center for Archaeology, Materials, and Applied Spectroscopy at Idaho State University.
• Maschner was the keynote speaker for the Arctic Section of the 2003 conference of the American Association for the Advancement of the Sciences.
• He was named an Outstanding Researcher of Idaho State University in 2005 and 2006, and an Idaho Academy of Science Distinguished Scientist in 2011.
• Maschner is one of the creators of the Virtual Zooarchaeology of the Arctic Project (VZAP), an online database of comparative skeletal information on Arctic fauna.