Mueller’s research on “lost crops” and ancient agricultural systems could help shape more resilient food practices in a changing climate.
Natalie Mueller, an assistant professor of archaeology, is one of two recipients of the Cromwell Harbor Foundation’s inaugural Chrysalis Prize, which recognizes promising early-career scholars with $250,000 in unrestricted support, mentorship, and entry into a growing cohort of multidisciplinary thinkers.
A celebration recognizing Mueller and Dakota McCoy, an evolutionary biologist at the University of Chicago, took place March 6 at the Boston Athenaeum, with a keynote address by Nobel laureate Esther Duflo.
According to the foundation, the Chrysalis Prize was created to reward imaginative, cross-disciplinary research that expands our understanding of humanity.
“The Chrysalis Prize recognizes Dr. Mueller for her ability to rigorously synthesize complex, multidisciplinary concepts. Natalie is an original scholar whose collaborative approach and innovative research drives transformative scholarship in archaeology,” said Tristram “T.R.” Kidder, the Edward S. and Tedi Macias Professor and a professor of anthropology.