Erin Marie Williams-Hatala, Ph.D.

Program Coordinator for the Biological Sciences, Associate Professor of Biology

412-365-1194

Buhl - 226B

Hometown: Ann Arbor, MI
Joined Chatham: 2013

ACADEMIC AREAS OF INTEREST

The evolution of the human and non-human primate upper limb, functional anatomy, biomechanics, and Paleolithic tool production and use

BIOGRAPHY

I was born in Ann Arbor, MI and lived there through high school. I moved to Grinnell, IA to attend Grinnell College where I studied Anthropology and Archaeology. In 2005 I joined the Hominid Paleobiology Doctoral Program in The George Washington University’s Center for the Advanced Study of Hominid Paleobiology, in Washington, DC. I received a Masters in Anthropology in 2007, a MPhil in Hominid Paleobiology in 2009, and a PhD in the same discipline in 2011. My dissertation and research as a NSF and L’Oreal USA for Women in Science postdoctoral fellow focused on human functional anatomy, the influence of biomechanical regiments on the evolution of human upper limb anatomy, and the biomechanics of making and using Paleolithic tools. I am very excited about beginning a new phase of research with a group of international collaborators, investigating the anatomy, functional anatomy, and biomechanics of (mainly tool-using) non-human primates.

EDUCATION

AWARDS

2014-2019 European Research Council Starting grant (336301), “GRASP Evolution of the human hand: Grasping trees and tools,”), (PI, Tracy Kivell; Collaborator: EM Williams-Hatala) Amount: €1,622,053
2012-2013 L’Oreal USA Fellowship for Women in Science (PI, EM Williams) Amount: $60,000
2011-2013 National Science Foundation, Minority Postdoctoral Research Fellowship, Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences (1103470), “Early hominin decision-making processes and raw material quality,” (PI, EM Williams; Sponsoring scientist, Brian G. Richmond) Amount: $120,000
2010-11 The Bouchet Dissertation Writing Fellowship, The George Washington University chapter of the Edward A. Bouchet Graduate Honors Society
2009-11 National Science Foundation, Archaeology, (0903652), “Doctoral Dissertation Improvement Grant: Influences of materials properties and biomechanics on stone tool production,” (PI, Dr. Alison S Brooks; Co-PI, EM Williams) Amount: $14,984
2009-10 The Wenner-Gren Foundation (Gr. 7995) “Influences of materials properties and biomechanics on stone tool production,” (PI, EM Williams) Amount: $10,500
2008-2009 Selective Excellence Endowment Fellowship in Hominid Paleobiology, Center for the Advanced Study of Hominid Paleobiology, The George Washington University
2007 Sigma Xi Grant in Aid of Research, Sigma Xi, The George Washington University Chapter, “Wrist mobility during Oldowan stone tool production,” (PI, EM Williams) Amount: $500
2005 Lewis N. Cotlow Research Award, Anthropology Department, The George Washington University, “Manual manipulation in Middle Stone Age and Upper Paleolithic tool production,” (PI, EM Williams) Amount: $1,500

ORGANIZATIONS

Chapter Board, Member, Greater Pittsburgh Area ACLU, Pittsburgh, PA
Community Engagement Committee, Chair, Greater Pittsburgh Area ACLU, Pittsburgh, PA
Board of Directors, PULSE Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA
American Association of Physical Anthropologists
Chatham University's Women's Institute
The George Washington University chapter of the Edward A. Bouchet Graduate Honors Society

ACHIEVEMENTS

2015: Interviewed for All Things Considered, “Chipping away at the oldest tools ever found,”
2014: Interviewed for The Columbia Chronicle, “Non-dominant hand influences thumb’s evolution,” September, 2014
2010 Interviewed for Morning Edition, NPR, “A handy bunch: tools, thumbs help us thrive,” July, 2010
2010 Interviewed for Science News, “For ancient hominids, thumbs up on precision grip,” May 8, 2010
2010 Profiled in GW Today, “Advancing Diversity in Graduate Education,” February, 2010

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS

2018 Williams-Hatala, EM; Hatala, KG; Gordon, M; Key, A; Kasper, M; Kivell, T. “The manual pressures of stone tool behaviors and their implications for the evolution of human hand.” Journal of Human Evolution 119: 14-26.
2017 Key, A; Dunmore, C; Hatala, K; Williams-Hatala, EM. “Flake morphology as a record of manual pressure during stone tool production.” Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports 12: 43-53.
2018 Turner, TR; Bernstein, RM; Taylor, AB; Asangba, A; Bekelman, T; Danzy Cramer, J; Elton, S; Harvati, K; Williams-Hatala, EM; Kauffman, L; Middleton, E; Richtsmeier, J; Szathmáry, E; Torres-Rouff, C; Thayer, Z; Villaseñor, A; Vogel, E. “Participation, representation, and shared experiences of women scholars in biological anthropology.” American Journal of Physical Anthropology 165:126-157.
2016 Williams-Hatala, EM; Hatala, KG, Hiles, S, Rabey, KN. “A lack of correspondence between entheseal morphology and muscle architecture in the modern human hand.
2016 Williams-Hatala, EM. “Biomechanics of the human hand: from stone tools to computer keyboards.” in The Evolution of the Primate Hand: Perspectives from Anatomical, Developmental, Functional and Paleontological Evidence. Kivell, TL; Lemelin, P; Richmond, BG; and Schmitt, D (eds). Springer, New York, NY.
2014 Williams, EM; Gordon, AD; Richmond, BG.
2012 Williams, EM; Gordon, AD; Richmond, BG. “Hand pressure distribution during Oldowan stone tool production.” Journal of Human Evolution 62:520-532.
2010 Williams, EM; Gordon, AD; Richmond, BG. “Upper limb kinematics and the role of the wrist during stone tool production.” American Journal of Physical Anthropology 143:134-145.

SELECTED PRESENTATIONS

2019 Williams-Hatala, EM; Hatala, KG; Collyer, M; Megherhi, S; Fiske, K; Ciroli, O; Rabey, KN. “A photogrametric method for quantifying entheseal shape and rugosity.” American Association of Physical Anthropologists, Cleveland, OH.
2019 Rabey, KN; Hatala, KG; Williams-Hatala, EM. “Can muscle activity be predicted from surface and internal entheseal morphology?” American Association of Physical Anthropologists, Cleveland, OH.
2017 Hatala, KG; Williams-Hatala, EM; Scibilia, T; Hiles, S; Rabey, KN. “Problems in predicting anatomy and inferring behavior from the gross morphology of the flexor pollicis longus insertion site,” American Association of Physical Anthropologists, New Orleans, LA
2017 Williams-Hatala, EM; Hatala, KG; Gordon, M; Kasper, M; Kivell, TL. “The biomechanics of stone tool behaviors and implications for the evolution of the human hand,” American Association of Physical Anthropologists
2017 Rabey, KN; Moskal, R; Hatala, KG; Williams-Hatala, EM. “The relationship between the soft pink things and the hard white things,” American Association of Physical Anthropologists
2016 Dunmore, CJ; Key, AJM; Williams-Hatala, EM; Kivell, TL. “Is there a relationship between flake form and manual pressure during stone tool production? An experimental test.” European Society for the Study of Human Evolution, Madrid, Spain.
2016 Karas, S; Rabey, KN; McIntyre, H; Babb, B and Williams-Hatala, EM. “A cadaveric assessment of the alar ligament.” IFOMPT, Glasgow, Ireland.
2016 Williams-Hatala, EM; Key, A; Stephens, NB; Kivell, T. “Predictions for an osteological signature of stone tool behaviors in hard tissue anatomy.” American Association of Physical Anthropologists, Atlanta, GA.
2016 Rabey, KN; Hiles, S; Williams-Hatala, EM. “Relationship between macroscopic morphology of thenar and hypothenar entheses and their microstructural design in modern humans.” American Association of Physical Anthropologists, Atlanta, GA.
2015 Williams-Hatala, EM; Hiles, S; Hatala, KG; Rabey, KN. “Relationships between muscle architectural anatomy and the morphology of entheses in the thenar and hypothenar regions of modern humans.” American Association of Physical Anthropologists, St. Louis, MO.
2015 Villmoare, BA; Grabowski, MW; Roach, NT; Hatala, KG; Williams-Hatala, EM. “Facing the facts: foods versus fists. A test of the Carrier and Morgan adaptive model for each hominin cranial structure.” American Association of Physical Anthropologists, St. Louis, MO.
2015 Roach, NT; Williams-Hatala, EM; Rainbow, MJ; Richmond, BG. “The biomechanics and functional anatomy of stone tool production.” American Association of Physical Anthropologists, St. Louis, MO. American Association of Physical Anthropologists, St. Louis, MO.
2014 Williams, EM and Richmond, BG. “Did the biomechanics of making and using Paleolithic stone tools influence the origin of the derived human thumb?” ESM, Cambridge, MA.
2014 Roach, NT; Williams, EM; Richmond, BG. “Force production during stone tool knapping,” Paleoanthropology Society, Alberta, CA.
2014 Williams, EM; Chai, H.; Richmond, BG. “The effects of stone toughness on manual force distribution during stone tool production,” American Association of Physical Anthropologists, Alberta, CA.
2013 Williams, EM. “The selective impact of early hominid stone tool behaviors on the modern human hand and wrist.” E. F. Shaw Wilgis Lectureship in Hand Surgery, Continuing Medical Education, MedStar Union Memorial Hospital, The Curtis National Hand Center, Baltimore, MD.
2013 Williams, EM; Gordon, AD; VR, Powell; Brooks, AS; Richmond, BG. “Acheulean and Oldowan tool manufacture upper limb strategies,” Paleoanthropology Society, 2013
2012 Williams, EM and Richmond, BG. “Manual pressure distribution during stone tool use,” American Journal of Physical Anthropology, 147: Supplement 54:303.
2011 Richmond, BG and Williams, EM. “The evolution of the upper limb after Australopithecus: Integrating paleontology and experimental functional morphology.” Canadian Association for Physical Anthropologists, Montreal, Quebec.
2011 Williams, EM; Gordon, AD; Richmond, BG.
2010 Williams, EM; Richmond, BG. “Hand pressure during Oldowan stone tool production.” American Journal of Physical Anthropology, Supplement 50:243
2010 Zipkin, AM; Williams, EM; Brooks, AS; Richmond, BG. “Digging stick use and hand biomechanics.” Paleoanthropology 2010:A39.
2009 Williams, EM; Gordon, AD; Richmond, BG. “Wrist and upper limb kinematics of amateur knappers during stone tool production.” American Journal of Physical Anthropology, Supplement 48:272.
2008 Williams, EMS; Gordon, AD; Richmond, BG. “Upper limb motion during stone tool production.” Paleoanthropology 2008:A35.
2007 Williams, EM. “An accurate and precise method for quantifying lithic edge angles.” Society for American Archaeologists, Austin, TX.