Assistant Professor

Office Location

Biology
Science Ctr of Academic Bldg 234Z
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Areas of Specialization

  • Human Anatomy & Physiology
  • Human Evolution
  • Biological Anthropology
  • Bioarchaeology

Degrees & Certifications

  • PhD in Anthropology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN (2018)
  • MA in Anthropology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC (2012)
  • BA in Religious Studies, Elon University, Elon, NC (2009)

Teaching Responsibilities

  • BI 126/206 Anatomy & Physiology I Lecture
  • BI 127/208 Anatomy & Physiology I Laboratory
  • BI 128/207 Anatomy & Physiology II Lecture
  • BI 129/209 Anatomy & Physiology II Laboratory
  • BI 390 Supervised Research

Research Interests

Dr. Savell’s research interests include human (& other primate) postcranial evolution, trait variation across populations, quantitative genetics, biomechanics of human locomotion, and evolutionary medicine. Specific areas of research include:

  • Human limb evolution over ecogeographic regions
  • Variation in measures of evolvability and covariance for globally distributed human populations and other primate groups
  • Developing models for estimating the role of thermodynamics in the evolution of human body proportions
  • The role of soft-tissue thermoregulation in the evolution of human body proportions
  • Biomechanics of the foot and leg in minimalist footwear across a variety of activities

Professional Interests, Activities & Affiliations

  • Member, American Association of Physical Anthropologists
  • Member, American Association for Anatomy
  • Member, International Society of Evolutionary Medicine and Public Health
  • Member, Human Anatomy & Physiology Society
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