Pamela Vandiver

Pamela Vandiver received her B.A. in history, art and Asian studies from Scripps College and an M.A. that included art glass, cast bronzes and large ceramic sculptures. After working as an artist, particularly focused on ceramics, she decided to pursue a career as a specialist in materials science.

In 1974 she became a research affiliate at M.I.T. and spent thirteen years there where she started the Materials Science and Engineering (MSE) Glass Lab and completed a S.M. and Ph.D. in MSE. From 1985 through 2003, she was senior research scientist in ceramics at the Smithsonian Institution in the Conservation Analytical Laboratory. She is currently Professor of Materials Science and Engineering, Co-Director of the Program in Heritage Conservation Science, Head of the Laboratory for Cultural Materials, and Adjunct Professor in Anthropology at the University of Arizona. Her speciality is early ceramic technologies.