David A. Reid, Ph.D

David A. Reid is a Visiting Research Assistant Professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago having received his Ph.D. in Anthropology with a focus in Archaeology in 2020. In his current position, David serves as the GIS and Data Management Coordinator for UIC-DPAA projects. For his dissertation, Reid directed a multidisciplinary team in archaeological survey and excavation of sites associated with the first expansionary empires in South America. His academic work integrates spatial analyses and remote sensing to detect archaeological sites in southern Peru using historical aerial photography, imagery from declassified U.S. spy satellites, contemporary satellite imagery, and the use of UAV drone technology. This research was funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF), The Wenner-Gren Foundation, American Philosophical Society, and The Field Museum of Natural History. In his current role, he applies these geospatial methods to identify potential search areas for missing World War II aircraft and MIAs in the Philippines and develops GIS map products to aid investigative teams in Southeast Asia.