Steve Claggett
State Archaeologist
Directs the Office of State Archaeology, of which the Underwater Archaeology Branch is a part. He is responsible for overall project guidance, plus legal and policy matters and--in concert with DCR administrators--QAR Project funding initiatives with private foundations, corporations and government agencies. Claggett holds degrees in History (Centre College of Kentucky) and Anthropology (Wake Forest University). He has been with NCDCR for over thirty years, serving as State Archaeologist since 1985.
Shanna Daniel
QAR Conservator
Born and raised in Texas, Shanna came to North Carolina to join the QAR staff. Shanna has a B.A. in sociology with an emphasis in anthropology/archaeology and a M.A. in anthropology with an emphasis in archaeology and conservation. She is certified to use scanning electron microscopes and environmental scanning electron microscope and also has credentials in historical preservation and conservation.
Julep Gillman-Bryan
Dive Safety Officer and Research Vessel Captain
Born in Columbia, S.C. and raised in Sanford, N.C., Julep lived for years aboard a Dutch-built wooden sailboat with her husband Peter. Julep is a U.S. Coast Guard licensed captain, PADI Master SCUBA Diver Trainer, Emergency First Response Instructor, DAN Oxygen Provider Instructor and SCUBA repair technician. She has worked on scores of shipwreck surveys, and excavations across North Carolina, and as an experienced underwater photographer, she has taken the majority of underwater photographs on the QAR shipwreck site.
Nathan Henry
Assistant State Archaeologist
Part of the QAR project since 1997, Nathan works mostly with artifact documentation and conservation. Prior to joining theQAR team, he worked on dozens of shipwrecks in the U.S. His focus has been Civil War shipwrecks in North Carolina's inland sounds and rivers. A 1997 graduate of undergraduate program in archaeology at UNC-Wilmington, Nathan recently completed a master's degree in maritime studies at East Carolina University.
David Moore
Mapping Coordinator
David received the bachelor’s degree from UNC-Wilmington and the master’s degree from East Carolina University, Greenville. He has researched Blackbeard history for thirty years, and has lectured and written on the topic in the U.S. and Great Briatin. He was a principal investigator of the shipwreck the slave ship Henrietta Marie.
John W. "Billy Ray" Morris
Deputy State Archaeologist and Head of the Underwater Archaeology Branch
Recently (2012) appointed as Deputy State Archaeologist and head of the Underwater Archaeology Branch. Morris directs and supervises all aspects of North Carolina's maritime archaeology program, including the Queen Anne's Revenge Project, and ongoing research and protection for shipwrecks of all types (Civil War blockade runners, merchant vessels, locally-built sail- and steam-powered fishing and river boats). He holds a degrees from UNC-Wilmington and East Carolina University's Program in Maritime Studies.
Courtney Page
QAR Archaeological Technician
Madeline Spencer
Office Manager
Madeline was born and raised in Southport, North Carolina. After attending Cape Fear Community College and working for many years as a local accountant and gift shop manager with the N.C. Maritime Museum at Southport, she began working for the Underwater Archaeology Branch. Madeline is responsible for QAR budget, purchasing, assisting with publications and maintaining the database of North Carolina shipwrecks.
Chris Southerly
Assistant State Archaeologist
Chris did undergraduate work in biochemistry at Virginia Tech before earning his bachelor’s degree in anthropology-archaeology from James Madison University. After completing his master’s degree in Maritime History and Underwater Archaeology from East Carolina University, Chris joined the Underwater Archaeology Branch. In addition to working on the Queen Anne's Revenge, does environmental review program and leads the management of all North Carolina’s extensive underwater cultural heritage through digitization, interagency cooperation, and public outreach.
Sarah Watkins-Kenney
QAR Conservation Lab Director and Chief Conservator
Born and raised in the United Kingdom, Sara has worked as an archaeological conservator for museums, universities, regional conservation services and archaeology projects around the world. Before joining the QAR team, Sarah was Head of the Metals, Ceramics and Glass Conservation Section at the British Museum from 1994 to 2003. She holds a bachelor's degree in archaeological conservation from Cardiff University and a master's degree in Museum and Gallery Management from City University London, and she is currently a Ph.D. candidate in East Carolina University's coastal resources management program.
Terry Williams
QAR Archaeological Technician