James Skibo

Illinois State University President Al Bowman has appointed James Skibo of the College of Arts and Sciences as a Distinguished Professor at Illinois State. The Distinguished Professor designation honors faculty members of distinction who have demonstrated to the broader community that excellence is the foundation of the University. Among the criteria for appointment are achieving national recognition for scholarly research, creative production or leadership in creative or scholarly activities. In addition, candidates must have been clearly identified by students, colleagues or external agencies as an outstanding teacher or must have contributed significant public service in accord with his or her academic discipline.

Distinguished professors are invited to deliver one public lecture or presentation on a topic of their choosing, receive a $1,000 budget per annum in support of activities as a distinguished professor and continue to hold the title throughout their service to Illinois State.

A member of the Illinois State faculty since 1992, Skibo has built an international reputation as a worldwide leader in the fields of ethnoarchaeology, archaeology of the Great Lakes and Southwest and archaeological theory. Named the College Researcher of the Year in 1999, he was honored in 2001 with an Award for Excellence by the National Forest Service.

Considered an expert in the field of ceramic analysis and ethnoarchaeology – the study of the relationship between artifacts and the people who create and use them – Skibo has authored and contributed to eight books on the subjects, including People and Things and his upcoming work, Understanding Pottery Function. His studies in the American Southwest resulted in an edited volume, The Joyce Well Site: On the Frontier of the Casas Grandes World. He is a founding editor for the book series Foundations of Archaeological Inquiry and also currently the co-editor of the Journal of Archaeological Method and Theory. Along with his books, Skibo has contributed to more than 40 articles and chapters. His work is widely read and cited in the field. He is the recipient of grants from the National Science Foundation and was a Senior Fulbright Scholar, studying in Brazil.

“Professor Skibo has distinguished himself as an outstanding scholar, as a challenging and supportive teacher and as an exemplary department faculty member,” said Gregory B. Simpson, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Illinois State. “His work has not only led us to a greater understanding of historic cultures through their artifacts, most specifically pottery, but he has provided his colleagues in the discipline with guidance on the process of linking artifacts and culture.” Simpson also noted a non-scholarly book Skibo wrote, titled Ants for Breakfast, contributes to the ideals of education. “His regard for education is also reflected in this book, written to inform a wider audience of the work of archaeologists and its meaning to the world today,” Simpson said.

Skibo’s studies have taken him from the Great Lakes region to the Philippines, with his work opening doors for his students. He is the current Archaeology Graduate Program coordinator and advisor. He also serves as the director of Illinois State’s Grand Island Archaeological Project, a cooperative effort between Illinois State University and the Hiawatha National Forest. For the project, Skibo takes students to the island just off the Michigan coast, which has been continuously occupied since 2,000 B.C., and has played a key role in both the prehistory and history of the region. He is also the co-director of the Old Main Project, which is dedicated to telling Illinois State’s story through the analysis of excavated remains, oral histories and historical documents.

Skibo, who earned his doctorate from the University of Arizona, has assumed a number of leadership roles in professional societies. He is a member of the Society for American Archaeology, the American Anthropological Association, the Wisconsin Archaeological Society, the Midwestern Archaeological Conference and the Michigan Archaeological Society.