Year of Botany: Introduction and Who’s Who – Institute for Southeast Asian Archaeology (ISEAA)

Nichanan Klangwichai (Mew)

Born in a small village near Ban Chiang and visiting the site at a young age, Nichanan Klangwichai has always had a connection with Thailand’s history. Her love for archaeology and history brought her (amid some culture shock) to study in Bangkok. After graduating, she became a curator at Udon Thani City Museum where she continued to preserve her regional heritage. Nichanan is making her contribution to the Year of Botany on a multi-month visit to the Penn Museum in Philadelphia, where she is assisting in cataloging and digitizing the Ban Chiang ethnobotanical collection. Once home, she’s planning an exhibit on traditional fish and animal traps for the 2026 horticultural expo in Udon Thani.

Madeline Angka is a product manager, engineer, and entrepreneur. She completed her B.S. in Industrial Engineering in Bangkok, Thailand. She met Mew in a Thai community group in Philadelphia, and she volunteered to help edit the video of Mew’s expertise at Penn Museum for the Udon Thani Municipal Museum. She is also a skilled video editor who enjoys cinematography and the art of visualization. In her spare time, she enjoys cooking, food videos, and exploring Philadelphia.

Dr. Chelsea Smith, the herbarium Collections Manager at the Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia, is integral to the Year of Botany and the future of the Ban Chiang ethnobotanical collection. After earning her BA in Biology from the University of Pennsylvania, Chelsea’s initial work at the Academy allowed her to develop a deep appreciation for herbaria and plant systematics. Over time, her doctoral research at Drexel University included plant phylogenetics, as well as the macroevolution of botanical defensive compounds. Chelsea provided the supplies to mount the Ban Chiang plant collection. She is is responsible for designating the future location of the Ban Chiang collection at the Academy and integrating the collection’s digital data into online databases. Chelsea’s contribution ensures these valuable specimens are preserved and accessible for future research.

Lea Belland is in the final semester of her Cultural Heritage Management Graduate program at Johns Hopkins University. With a bachelor’s degree in art history from George Washington University, her interests are seated at the crossroads of art and culture. Currently, Lea is assisting the YOB program with her photography skills, where she is digitally documenting carpological specimens collected by Dr. Joyce White in Ban Chiang in Thailand. This volunteer-work-turned-internship at the Penn Museum offers a valuable opportunity for her to delve into ethnobotany, using a more scientific approach to her passion for cultural heritage. Lea’s contributions are essential in capturing and preserving the ethnobotanical legacy of Ban Chiang.

An undergrad studying Plant Science at Mahidol University, Kittiyaporn recently spent three months at the Penn Museum in Philadelphia where she trained in techniques used in archaeobotany. One of these included flotation of Ban Chiang sediments under the direction of Dr. Cristina Castillo from the University College London. Inspired by the botanical and ancient worlds from a young age, she plans to attend Graduate School and focus on combining these passions by honing her skills in the study of archaeological charcoal (anthracology). From Kittiyaporn herself: “Even the smallest fragment of charcoal holds a wealth of secrets waiting to be unearthed.”

Rebecca Reynolds is the Business Administrator at the Penn Museum. She manages the Museum’s gift and endowment portfolio, oversees payroll and accounts payable, and performs other financial processes to keep the lights on. She facilitated the onerous J-1 Visiting Scholar visa process for international researchers on the Ban Chiang Year of Botany project and manages Museum funds for the project. She has previously worked as a community organizer and in finance at all levels. She has a BA in Anthropology from Temple University.

Currently an undergraduate second-year student at the University of Pennsylvania, Ella is studying International Relations, Human Rights, and East Asian studies. She is learning more about web design through her position as Ban Chiang’s website developer and another data processing position within UPenn’s International Relations department. While not a regional specialist in Thailand, Ella enjoys Thai food and media and aspires to someday learn the Thai language after finishing her degree in Japanese.

Dr. Punwong is an Associate Professor at the Faculty of Environment and Resource Studies, Mahidol University, Thailand. She has a strong research interest in the field of climate change and its impact on ecosystems, particularly in coastal areas. Dr. Punwong has conducted extensive research on wetland and environmental interactions to understand past and present wetland processes, ecology, and human activities in relation to climate change. Her work involves studying the paleoenvironment-vegetation-human relationships of various regions by using archeobotanical records and proxy indicators such as pollen and charcoal analysis. Dr. Punwong is a coordinator for Mahidol University for the Year of Botany Program.

Morgan Haros is a senior at Bucknell University. She is a triple major in History, Political Science, and Classics. She saw the Ban Chiang Project on the Penn Museum website and was interested in volunteering for the summer. At Bucknell she did research on ancient Mediterranean lamps in the Bucknell museum’s collection, cataloging and researching their origins, and also helped to organize and adjust the artifact photographs from her professor’s excavation site in Thebes. As a contribution to YOB, Morgan assisted with provenance geolocation and database entry for Ban Chiang botanical specimens and ethnographic artifacts–an essential element for the consistency of the collection.

Originally from China, Kathy is an educational consultant who specializes in guiding international students through the complexities of U.S. school applications. Continuously found exploring museums, Kathy values the cultures of the present and ancient (including collecting admission stamps as mementos of her many journeys into the collections of the world). Her love of artifacts, especially those from East and Southeast Asia, reflects a deep connection to her heritage. Currently, Kathy is channeling her organizational and content production talents into the Year of Botany. Her dedication shows as she crafts website and social media posts to highlight the fascination of Ban Chiang, bridging past and present for a wider audience.

After retiring from a career teaching college math and actuarial consulting, Steve has been working within the Academy of Natural Sciences’ Botany Department for six years, including spending many, many hours meticulously mounting herbarium specimens and ensuring their longevity for future study. His service in the department underscores his dedication to conservation and horticulture. This year Steve has volunteered this expertise to the Year of Botany, helping train the team of specimen mounters and continuing with personally mounting Ban Chiang plants at the Penn Museum. His contributions have been vital to preparing the Ban Chiang ethnobotanical collection to be accessioned into the Academy’s Philadelphia Herbarium.

Emily Lambert Davis’s career has centered in education and the environment. From museum education, coordinating teacher training programs, enhancing policy to improve middle school science, and helping new teachers to get certified, she’s been at the forefront of empowering educators. In retirement, Emily’s focus shifted to conservation and living sustainably while inspiring others. For over ten years she has volunteered at the Academy of Natural Sciences’ Botany Lab in Philadelphia. Recent contributions to the Year of Botany include mounting Ban Chiang plants and training others to do the same. This continues her enduring dedication to preserving our natural and cultural heritage, and educating others along the way.

Lindsay McVail is a student at Franklin and Marshall College and is currently crafting her unique academic and future career path. With passions in both film and archaeology, she was excited to be able to contribute to YOB by working with the Ban Chiang collection’s botany-related film slides from the 1970s and 1980s. With this volunteering she is able to delve into the details of scanning and interpreting these visual records, while also expanding on her interest for the ancient world. This hands-on experience of working with and revealing authentic archaeological data is contributing to both YOB’s archival collection and to the foundation for Lindsay’s potential future career.

An undergraduate at Temple University, Nicholas Scavullo has immersed himself in a broad spectrum of scientific disciplines, from mathematics and chemistry to archaeology. Aspiring to pursue graduate studies in forensic anthropology, he aims to specialize in identifying and unweaving the mysteries of unknown, ancient, and modern remains. His assistance with YOB is centered at the Penn Museum where Nicholas serves as a digitization assistant, meticulously preserving and documenting physical photographs from Ban Chiang for future study and identification. This role marks his first hands-on experience in the field of anthropology, providing valuable insights in working closely with an ethnobotanical collection.

Recently graduated from the University of Delaware, Hannah Villines holds a BA in Art Conservation with a minor in Biology. During the summer of 2024 she volunteered with the Year of Botany team, skillfully blending her biological insight with her conservation training to assist in mounting the Ban Chiang ethnobotanical collection at the Penn Museum. Under the guidance of researchers Bai Toei and Fai, and alongside seasoned volunteers like Steve and Emily, Hannah gained practical experience with the collection, while deepening her understanding of organic materials and ancient Thai culture. Her aspiration is to further explore the intricate ties between our culture and the natural world through her work with these and future historical treasures.

Actively working towards her master’s degree in plant science from Mahidol University, Thitipa (Fai) is also gaining practical experience on a five-six month stay in Philadelphia through the Penn Museum where she has been excited to work directly with specimens from Ban Chiang. Her first time plant mounting and practicing flotation techniques, she was surprised to find charcoal, ceramic, and even bone fragments among the sediment. Her passion for botany became blended with archaeology after visiting world-renowned sites in Jordan and China, leading to her current academic pursuits of archaeobotany and ethnobotany. Once finished with her degree, Thitipa plans to apply her skills to the ancient botanical world and to foster a broader appreciation for the prehistory of Thailand.

Mary Elizabeth Alexander recently completed her post-baccalaureate studies in archaeology at the University of Pennsylvania. This past summer, she has been instrumental with YOB and the Ban Chiang project, assisting in managing and enhancing the database for over 1,200 plant specimens. Her dedicated efforts are crucial for the preparation of this collection to be accessioned by Philadelphia’s Academy of Natural Sciences. After gaining experience with the Ban Chiang collection, Mary Elizabeth will continue her studies in the fall of 2024, embarking on her MA in Social Sciences at the University of Chicago, where she will specialize in archaeological sciences.

A botanist at the Department of Plant Science, Faculty of Science, Mahidol University, Dr. Sasivimon is the key organizer for the YOB project from the Thailand side. Besides her teaching job, Sasivimon has been doing research on the diversity of bananas and durians for more than 20 years. Her interest in the cultural history of these heritage crops led her to meet Dr. Joyce White, who had been searching for Thai research collaborators on ethnobotany and archaeobotany. Together, they managed to establish the MoU between their institutions and arranged the months-long, ongoing visits for students and researchers to the Penn Museum during 2024.

Dr. Cristina Castillo Cobo

Dr. Cristina Cobo Castillo is a Research Fellow in Archaeobotany at University College London, Institute of Archaeology. She is Filipino/Spanish and has explored her heritage with over fifteen years of fieldwork in Southeast Asia. Her research interests delve into ancient diets, trade networks, and agricultural evolution. This passion naturally led her to study the plant remains from the UNESCO World Heritage Site, Ban Chiang. While visiting Philadelphia’s Penn Museum, she undertook flotation of Ban Chiang archaeological sediments and taught Thai interns how to perform this process of archeological specimen collection, so they could bring that skillset to their own country –an invaluable contribution to the Year of Botany.

Dr. Prachaya Srisanga

Dr. Prachaya Srisanga is the Herbarium Curator and botanist at Queen Sirikit Botanic Garden, Chiang Mai, Thailand. His research focuses on floristic inventory, plant species diversity and plant taxonomy in mainland Southeast Asia, particularly in Laos, Myanmar and Thailand, especially the families Juglandaceae and Violaceae. He also has an interest in ethnobotanical practices of the ethnic groups in the region. He was invited to join the Ban Chiang ethnobotanical project to identify over 1,000 plant voucher specimens which have been collected since 1978. Taking on this kind of responsibility is both exciting and challenging for him.

As Nichanan Klangwichai worked with Steve Lang on enhancing the content of the Thai-Lao collection in the Penn Museum’s digital catalog EMU, she often reached out to family and neighbors in her home village in Amphoe Phen to acquire additional ‘local wisdom’. Communicating with them mainly using the app LINE, she asked questions like “What plants were used to make this fish trap?” Or “How did you use this object?” such as a traditional cotton gin. Her uncle Mr. Sompong Seemued is a master basket maker, and was particularly helpful explaining fish trap design. Her mother Ms.Somporn Seemued was especially helpful with all objects used in traditional daily life. Miss Jiraporn Pimsri, Nichanan’s assistant at the Udon Thani Municipal Museum, was instrumental in collating pieces of local wisdom from many local residents.

A senior accountant at the Urban Affairs Coalition of Philadelphia, K’Vernice Madison deals with the challenges the Institute for Southeast Asian Archaeology brings to UAC’s international accounting during the Year of Botany. Always up for a learning experience, K’Vernice works with staff and visitors at the ISEAA as well as UAC staff to resolve the complexities of W-8s, foreign currency conversions, J-1 visa documentation and more.

Involved in archeological sites from the Middle East to Thailand, Dr. Marie-Claude Boileau is now the Director of the Center for the Analysis of Archaeological Materials (CAAM) at the Penn Museum. Beginning in 2010, she undertook an analysis of archaeological ceramics from Ban Chiang and, since 2022, she has studied ceramics from Luang Prabang (Lao PDR). For YOB, she supervised Thai student interns Nile and Fai in using a high-powered digital microscope as they imaged carbonized samples of wood and rice for their respective undergraduate and graduate research. While Marie-Claude is a ceramic expert, she is also interested in the use of plants as ceramic temper, fuel, and food.

Dr. Hamilton has been working for the Ban Chiang Project for many years, initially as an archaeometallurgist analyzing hundreds of metal remains from the 1974-1975 excavations of Ban Chiang and working with Joyce White to publish the results in four volumes. Her primary interest is in using technical data to shed light on cultural practices. After she set up a searchable downloadable database of the metallurgical results, she has become the Ban Chiang Project’s resident IT, database, and website specialist (though she does wish she knew a lot more about these things). She has set up a database for the botanical data, supervised the entry of the archaeobotanical and ethnobotanical data, and oversees the plant image scanning and recording program.

As the Lyons Keeper of Collections at the Penn Museum, Stephen Lang oversees the museum’s Asian collection, encompassing everything from ethnographic artifacts to prehistoric ceramics and huge sculptures. His academic background from Cornell University in Anthropology, Visual Studies, and East Asian Studies is complemented by his passion for provenance research, digitization, and 3D technology. Instrumental in the Year of Botany, Steve’s skills and knowledge have been key in providing access to the collection’s materials, often retrieving objects and specimens from the Museum’s many storerooms. He also oversees cataloging and digitization of the Ban Chiang ethnographic collection in the Museum’s Collection Management Database, working closely with Nichanan Klangwichai, the YOB Thai/Isaan material culture specialist.

Louie Andracchio

Louie Andracchio is a furniture maker and has operated his business in Philadelphia for over eleven years. He completed his BA at Temple University in 2013 in the fields of Linguistics and Creative Writing, but his interests in formal learning and academia remained dormant through his twenties as he grew his business. In recent years he has been able to expand his passions with volunteering, elective courses, and working on his writing. A course in ancient history led him to volunteer with the Penn Museum and meet Joyce White and those involved in the Ban Chiang site. Louie has been lucky enough to contribute to the YOB by writing 20+ short bios for all of the amazing participants involved (this one included).

Daovy Phanthavong was born in Vientiane, Laos, in 1950. Growing up between the city and the countryside, she gained an understanding of traditional rural life. After leaving Laos in 1980 and spending a year in a Thai refugee camp, she emigrated to Philadelphia in 1981. Daovy worked in food service and pharmaceutical industries before opening Vientiane Café in West Philadelphia in 2002, bringing Lao cuisine to Philadelphia. When Joyce White asked for her help in assembling traditional Lao looms within the Ban Chiang collection for the Penn Museum, Daovy eagerly accepted. Her expertise makes her an invaluable asset to the YOB and helps in the preservation of Southeast Asian culture, something she also does daily at Vientiane Cafe.

Phoxay Sidara was born in Vientiane, Laos, in 1945. Raised on the city’s edge, he experienced both urban and rural lifestyles. After leaving Laos in 1979 and spending six months in a Thai refugee camp, he emigrated to Denver, Colorado. In 1993, he moved to Philadelphia to reunite with his love, Daovy Phanthavong. Phoxay built a career in construction cleanouts and retired in 2008. He now assists Daovy in running Vientiane Café in West Philadelphia. When Joyce White sought his help to set up looms from the Ban Chiang collection, Phoxay eagerly responded. He was thrilled to contribute to cross-cultural connections fostered by the YOB and expand appreciation of Lao culture.

Director of Right at Home Homestay since 2023, Judith Gotwald, was contacted by Joyce White about a year ago to explore homestay options for visiting interns and scholars from Thailand who would be joining a Year of Botany in 2024 at the Penn Museum. The staggered arrival times of our visiting scholars were helpful in finding hosts able to accommodate them. Three hosts participated. The McDowell Family were veteran University City hosts and hosted one student even though they were preparing to move overseas. A second host, Anita Giacone, who lives in Upper Darby, hosted two scholars at a time. The third host, Magdalene Harrison, lives in University City. Anita is a project manager and teaches music. Maggie is a school nurse with the School District of Philadelphia. Judith said, “It was a privilege to serve the Penn Museum and the Year of Botany. Our hosts enjoy helping students navigate the cultural challenges, whether it is encouraging them to talk with the people they meet, surviving a bout of Covid, or adapting to unfamiliar customs. It is a growth experience for all of us, sometimes with challenges, but always with the satisfaction and joy of making a difference in the world.”

Christina Williams

Christina Williams is an undergraduate student at the Wharton Business School, studying finance & entrepreneurship. She is also passionate about learning and preserving botanical knowledge. As the Digital Archivist for the Ban Chiang Project she has identified slide scans and meticulously exported their information into comprehensive databases. Her blend of business acumen and attention to detail ensures that valuable botanical data are organized and accessible for future generations. “I am excited to contribute to this initiative, and support the exploration & appreciation of botany through digital archiving.”

Joyce White

Dr. Joyce White is the director of the Ban Chiang Project at the Penn Museum and head of the project’s Year of Botany Program. Since the mid-1970s she has engaged in numerous aspects of researching the deep past of Ban Chiang and its larger “middle Mekong” region. Her interest in botanical dimensions began in graduate school as curiosity about ancient diet and cuisine, particularly what plants, both wild and cultivated, could have been eaten in ancient times in this area. That early focus expanded into a multi-dimensional investigation of the Ban Chiang cultural tradition from prehistoric up to recent times.

Dr. Varangrat Nguanchoo (Bai Toei)

Dr. Varangrat Nguanchoo is an ethnobotanist and lecturer at Phetchaburi Rajabhat University in Thailand. She is contributing to the Year of Botany while working with the Ban Chiang ethnobotanical collection during a five-month stay at the Penn Museum in Philadelphia. Her goal with the collection is to help solidify what was started years ago: formalizing the Ban Chiang specimens and data so that they are preserved for study by current and future generations. Co-author of many articles on Thai ethnobotany emphasizing Hmong use of medicinal plants, Varangrat is devoted to her research and teaching about the traditional uses of plants throughout Thai history. In doing so, she upholds her true passion: the conservation of Thai cultural heritage.

It takes a village (or at least a team…)

Year of Botany Who’s Who

Director

Experts

Interns

Volunteers

Mounting

Outreach

Digitization

Collaborators

Administrators

University of Pennsylvania Work-Study

Supporting Partners

Right at Home Homestay

Residents of the Village of Ban Yam Ka

Funding for the Year of Botany