Holly is responsible for project administration, research, technical writing, and the supervision of all phases of archaeological investigation for projects in the Northeast.

Since joining PAL in 1988, she has directed more than 150 cultural resource management projects ranging from archival research to large-scale archaeological excavation on Martha’s Vineyard. She has collaborated extensively with Native American groups in Massachusetts and specializes in community-based and public archaeology projects. Her research focus includes New England archival research and ethnohistoric studies.

Holly earned her BA in Anthropology from Kenyon College in Ohio and her MA in History/Historical Archaeology from the University of Massachusetts Boston. She holds a Certificate in Genealogical Research from Boston University and is a member of the Society for Historical Archaeology, the American Society for Ethnohistory, the Native American and Indigenous Studies Association, and the New England Historic Genealogical Society. She is a co-author of Historical Archaeology and Indigenous Collaboration: Discovering Histories That Have Futures (University Press of Florida 2020), which was the Society for American Archaeology’s 2021 scholarly book award winner. 

Holly is a Registered Professional Archaeologist and is trained and certified in OSHA 40-Hour Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response (HAZWOPER) standards and Archaeological Resources Protection Act (ARPA) compliance.