CAMPUS DIRECTORY

Dr. Beth Shook

• Email: bashook@csuchico.edu
• Location: BSS 346D

Education

2005 University of California, Davis Ph.D. Anthropology

1999 University of California, Davis M.A. Anthropology

1998 Cornell College, Mount Vernon, Iowa B.A. Cultural Anthropology/Indigenous Peoples of the Americas, B.A. Biochemistry/Molecular Biology

Research and Teaching Interests

Beth Shook has been a full-time lecturer at Chico State since 2004, where she teaches a wide range of courses in biological anthropology. These include Introduction to Biological Anthropology, Biological Anthropology for Majors, Formal Research Methods, and Human Variation. Although broadly trained in all four subfields of anthropology, her research centers on molecular anthropology.

Dr. Shook’s research began with ancient DNA and has since expanded to focus on the use of rapid DNA technologies in forensic contexts. Her work examines how fire and thermal trauma affect human remains and contributes to the development of standard operating procedures (SOPs) for selecting samples and preparing burned tissues for DNA analysis.

At Chico State, Dr. Shook has supervised graduate student research in forensic anthropology, bioarchaeology, and interdisciplinary projects that integrate these areas with DNA analysis. She is also deeply committed to teaching and mentorship, working with graduate students on pedagogy through the Supervised College Teaching and Professionalism courses. In addition, she coordinates the biological anthropology teaching laboratory and serves on the Lecturer Council, representing the College of Behavioral and Social Sciences.

Beyond the classroom, Beth Shook has served as the Campus Coordinator for the Chico Affordable Learning Solutions (CAL$) program since 2018. Through CAL$, she supports faculty in developing and adopting affordable course materials, including zero-cost and low-cost textbooks, Open Educational Resources (OER), and library materials, while also helping students access reasonably priced resources. Dr. Shook is also the lead editor of the open-access textbook Explorations: An Open Invitation to Biological Anthropology, now in its second edition and used by instructors and students around the world.

Selected Publications

2025. Silveira D., A. Kendell, B. Shook, and A. Sperber. A Water-Cooled Probe Thermocouple System for Accurate Temperature Measurements in Human Donors during Forensic Fire-Death Scenarios. Forthcoming.

2025. Kendall, A., A. Sperber, B. Shook, S. Saut, D. Silviera. Re-Evaluating Temperature Data in Human Tissues Exposed to Fire. Forthcoming.

2024. Silveira D., A. Kendell, and B. Shook. The Impacts of Thermocouple Insulation Failure on the Accuracy of Temperature Measurement Data in Forensic Fire-Death Scenarios - Part 1: Physical Disintegration. Journal of Forensic Science 69 (5): 1899-1905. https://doi.org/10.1111/1556-4029.15576

2024. Silveira D., A. Kendell, and B. Shook. The Impacts of Thermocouple Insulation Failure on the Accuracy of Temperature Measurement Data in Forensic Fire-Death Scenarios - Part 2: Low Electrical Resistance and Contamination. Journal of Forensic Science 69 (5): 1906-1917. https://doi.org/10.1111/1556-4029.15577

2023. Shook, B., L. Braff, K. Nelson, and K. Aguilera (editors). Explorations: An Open Invitation to Biological Anthropology, Second Edition. Arlington, VA: American Anthropological Association. https://pressbooks.calstate.edu/explorationsbioanth2/

· Includes: Nelson, K., L. Braff, B. Shook, and K. Aguilera. Chapter 1: Introduction to Biological Anthropology.

· B. Shook and L. Braff. Instructor’s Guide for Explorations: An Adaptable Resource.

2021. Shook, B., K. Nelson, K. Aguilera, and L. Braff (editors). Explorations Lab and Activities Manual. Arlington, VA: American Anthropological Association. http://explorations.americananthro.org. Authored labs include:

· Shook, B. Misconceptions about Evolution. Corresponds with Chapter 2.

· Shook, B. Creating a Monster Phylogeny. Corresponds with Chapter 5.

· Shook, B. Fossil Primates. Corresponds with Chapter 8.

· Shook, B. Early Homo Lab. Corresponds with Chapter 10.

· Shook, B. Patterns of Human Variation (Online). Corresponds with Chapter 13.

· Perrone, A. and B. Shook. Directional Terms. Corresponds with Appendix A.

2019. Shook, B., K. Nelson, K. Aguilera, and L. Braff (editors). Explorations: An Open Invitation to Biological Anthropology. Arlington, VA: American Anthropological Association. http://explorations.americananthro.org and https://pressbooks-dev.oer.hawaii.edu/explorationsbioanth/.

2019. Nelson, K., L. Braff, B. Shook, and K. Aguilera. Chapter 1: Introduction to Biological Anthropology. In Explorations: An Open Invitation to Biological Anthropology, ed by Shook, B., K. Aguilera, K. Nelson, and L. Braff.

2019. Shook, B. Biological Anthropology Lab Manual – an OER Resource.

2018. Shook, B. Helping Students Synthesize Academic Literature: Development of an Excel Research Grid. Teaching and Learning Anthropology Journal 1(1):46-55.

2010. Dewar, G, J.K. Ginter, B. Shook, N. Ferris, and H. Henderson, F. A bioarchaeological study of a Western Basin tradition cemetery on the Detroit River. Journal of Archaeological Science 37:2245-2254.

2008. Shook, B. and D.G. Smith. Using ancient mtDNA to reconstruct the population history of Northeastern North America. American Journal of Physical Anthropology 137:14-29.

2004. Bolnick, D.A.W., B. Shook, L. Campbell, and I. Goddard. Problematic use of Greenberg’s linguistic classification of the Americas in studies of Native American genetic variation. American Journal of Human Genetics 75:519-523.

2004. Malhi, R.S., K. Breece, B. Shook, F.A. Kaestle, J.C. Chatters, S. Hackenberger, and D.G. Smith. Patterns of mtDNA diversity in Northwestern North America. Human Biology 76(1):33-54.

2002. Malhi, R.S., J.A. Eshleman, J.A. Greenberg, D.A. Weiss, B.A. Schultz Shook, F.A. Kaestle, J.G. Lorenz, B.M. Kemp, J.R. Johnson, and D.G. Smith. The structure of diversity within Native North American mitochondrial DNA haplogroups: Implications for the prehistory of North America. American Journal of Human Genetics 70:905-919.

2001. Malhi R.S., B.A. Schultz, and D.G. Smith. Distribution of maternal lineages among Native American tribes of Northeastern North America. Human Biology 73(1):17-55.

2001. Schultz, B.A., R.S. Malhi, and D.G. Smith. Examining the Proto-Algonquian migration: Analysis of mtDNA. In Papers of the 32nd Algonquian Conference, ed. by J.D. Nichols (Manitoba: University of Manitoba Press), pp. 470-492.

2000. Smith, D.G., J.G. Lorenz, B.K. Rolfs, R.L. Bettinger, B. Green, J. Eshleman, B.A. Schultz, and R.S. Malhi. Implications of the distribution of albumin Naskapi and albumin Mexico for New World prehistory. American Journal of Physical Anthropology 111:557-572.