Mike Deibel, Ph.D.

About me

I teach various courses in chemistry and serve as the lead adviser for students who are planning to attend medical school and other health sciences graduate programs. I am also faculty liaison for Earlham’s Health Sciences Integrated Program.

I regularly collaborate with students on research projects, including ongoing work using handheld instrumentation at archaeological sites. I’ve led off-campus programs in New Zealand and at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

Outside of my professional life, I like to play tennis and read Science Fiction novels.

Education

• Ph.D., University of Kentucky, Lexington
• B.A., Capital University

Professional memberships

• National Association of Advisors for the Health Professions  
• American Chemical Society
• Society for American Archaeology

Scholarly interest

Current areas of research interest span the environmental and archaeological areas. My environmental research is mainly focused on lead (Pb) contamination in the environment from different sources. My archaeological research involves the use of handheld instrumentation (XRF and FTIR) for on-site analysis of artifacts such as pottery and obsidian.

Research projects

My most recent research has focused on the use of handheld instrumentation for use in archaeology. This project has involved analysis of ancient pottery samples and obsidian projectile points. Using hand-held X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF), we have been able to discover an elemental pattern for pottery that originated from San Pedro de Atacama in Chile. This allows us to now analyze pottery found in household or burial sites in San Pedro or other locations for consistency with this pattern that can help us understand pottery trade distribution and changes in pottery production over time in this area. Similarly, elemental analysis of projectile points has enabled us to understand the number of different obsidian sources used in this area and help to discover their origin. This work has involved both on campus and off-campus (Chile) research with students.

Off-campus study experiences

New Zealand program – Spring 2012 – I taught a course on Water Resources.
Oak Ridge Semester program – Fall 2004 – I taught a Radiochemistry course.