Amanda first became interested in underwater archaeology and diving while an anthropology major at Indiana University. She became a certified diver in 1995, and worked on projects in the Dominican Republic and Cayman Islands. She earned a Master’s degree in Anthropology from Florida State University in 2005, where she studied underwater archaeology in the Caribbean. Amanda completed her doctoral degree at Louisiana State University where her dissertation focused on the investigation of submerged prehistoric archaeological landscapes on the Gulf of Mexico’s outer continental shelf. Amanda serves as Senior Marine Archaeologist for Tesla Offshore where her primary responsibilities include interpreting geophysical remote sensing data, preparing archaeological assessments, and directing commercial divers and ROV crews in federally-compliant seafloor investigations. From 2009-2012, Amanda served as Principal Investigator for a federally-funded research contract to investigate potential shipwreck sites in the Gulf of Mexico. The project resulted in the investigation of eight shipwrecks that included a Civil War gunboat, three WWII casualties of German U-boat attacks, an early 20th-century ocean-going tug, and several fishing vessels. The final report, including the results of geophysical survey, diver investigation, and laboratory analysis, is available for download from the U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management’s website. In addition to her responsibilities with Tesla Offshore, Amanda serves on the board of directors for the Society for Historical Archaeology, the Advisory Council on Underwater Archaeology, and the Register of Professional Archaeologists.