Board Elections
Candidate Profiles
The candidacy phase for the IRLAB Board Elections has concluded.
Below you will find the profiles of the candidates nominated for each Board position, including their statements, professional background, and vision for the Institute.
For this election cycle, one candidate has been nominated for each position.
In line with IRLAB’s Constitution & Bylaws, Ordinary Members are called to vote to confirm or not confirm each nomination.
We invite all eligible members to carefully review the candidates’ profiles before proceeding to vote.
Candidate(s)
1. Alessandro Cariboni
Short Bio: As many of you know, I am not primarily an academic but more specifically a field technician: I have been operating trowel in hand since my university days, over 20 years ago. I prefer to avoid long numerical lists, so I will limit myself to a brief summary of “what I am and what I have done”: I collaborated with the Departments of Archaeology at Pisa, joining the Paleopathology team to study bio-archaeological aspects and analyze human remains. I oriented my work towards technical and technological aspects of field operations. With Dr. Coschino, we were among the first in Italy to apply Photogrammetry to archaeology. My Surveyor training provided strong topographical skills: from AutoCAD/GIS utilization to field reconnaissance and cadastral maps. With IRLAB, I served as Area Supervisor at Badia Pozzeveri and Harrison Township. I subsequently became Field Director of the latter and Program Director of the Montaione project, a partnership created from scratch, now in its third year. Also with IRLAB, I collaborated with companies in Ohio for topographical/photogrammetric surveys in the CRM sector (e.g., North Market and Foster-Young Cemetery). I conducted archive research (OHC, 2019) within the HTCC project and introduced it to a major European journal. Outside of IRLAB, I maintained fieldwork—excavation, survey, research—in numerous projects (academic and corporate, 2004-present): pre-Roman (Giglio, Montaione), Roman (Vada Volaterrana, Montaione, Sassari), Medieval (Benabbio, Sardinia), Post-Medieval (Badia Pozzeveri), and HTCC (US). Parallel to this, I held less ‘orthodox’ jobs (e.g., pizza delivery, musician, surveyor). My main profession currently – and until IRLAB can assume a more prominent role – is UI (User Interface) design for websites. Concurrently, I hold the role of Director of Genealogy Service at Beyond The Record, performing historical and archival research for Italian Americans.
Statement: Having been part of IRLAB since its inception, I have witnessed every phase of its development: from initial to current partners, from successful to failed projects. I have been actively involved in every implementation stage: from partner convincing and business plan drafting to the concrete, on-site execution. I have engaged directly with collaborators, students, and partners. My projects in Italy and the US grant me a broad perspective on IRLAB’s potential and weaknesses. With this deep experience, I submit my candidacy for President: I have been an active member, both in the field and behind the scenes; I held the position of Vice President; I have worked with municipal offices, university departments, and on the ground. I have firsthand experience with the practical significance of all the collaborations we must establish. Building on this foundation, my contribution aims for an IRLAB that expands its projects, evolving from isolated annual experiences into continuous, stable, and reliable activities. I believe it is time to revolutionize our status quo: the positive feedback from our partners evidences their continued reliance on us year after year. My question, for too long, has been: Why limit ourselves to them? Why for short durations? Why terminate relationships with “our” students? Why restrict the respect we have earned instead of leveraging it for further collaborations? Why not pursue grants and funding that, with our background, we can surely access? Why not foster a dual relationship with our members, allowing them greater scope for proposing new projects? Why not delegate and communicate better amongst ourselves to optimize our functioning? I believe that what we have is excellent but not yet perfect. I believe my managerial, organizational, social, and public relations skills are ready to this role.
Candidate(s)
1. Francesco Coschino
Short Bio: Francesco Coschino is an archaeologist and paleopathologist (D.M. 244/2019, n. 2127) with a PhD in Antiquity Sciences and Archaeology and an MSc in Archaeology. He specializes in late antique and medieval archaeology and serves as Head of Documentation and Informatics at the Division of Paleopathology, University of Pisa.
He has extensive experience in archaeological fieldwork, bioarchaeology, GIS, 3D documentation, and digital methodologies. Francesco teaches archaeology, bioarchaeology, and field methods in several Italian and international universities. He is co-director and instructor in multiple excavation projects, including Badia Pozzeveri, Montaione, Gallicano, and the Ohio State University programs.
A founding member and current President of IRLAB, he has contributed to developing field schools, research initiatives, public archaeology activities, and institutional collaborations. His work bridges scientific research, teaching, and public engagement in archaeology.
Statement: I am applying for the position of Vice President to support IRLAB in strengthening its research mission, educational programs, and long-term institutional development. Over the past decade, I have contributed to IRLAB’s excavation projects, field schools, academic outputs, and public outreach activities.
As VP, I aim to help consolidate governance practices, improve communication between board and members, and support sustainable growth in research, training, and international partnerships. I am committed to collaborative leadership and to ensuring that IRLAB continues to serve as a dynamic platform for archaeological and bioarchaeological scholarship.
Candidate(s)
1. Allyson Simon
Short Bio:I am a current PhD candidate in the Department of Anthropology at The Ohio State University. I have worked with IRLAB, specifically at the Harrison Township Cholera Cemetery, for the past two years, taking on various roles as field supervisor and research coordinator. I also organized and led the first Juvenile Osteology Workshop hosted by IRLAB in December of 2025. My research focuses on paleodemography, skeletal aging, and skeletal embodiment of socioeconomic marginalization in the past, especially in historic contexts.
Statement: I am running for the position of Secretary to help advance IRLAB’s mission to study the human past and facilitate training opportunities for students and professionals in archaeology and bioarchaeology. As Secretary, my goals are to expand educational and research opportunities offered in the U.S. through the development of new programs and workshops. For example, recently I oversaw the development of the Juvenile Osteology Workshop, facilitated by IRLAB in Columbus, Ohio in December of 2025. If elected to the IRLAB Board, I will work to develop additional programs such as this one. I am committed to developing existing collaborations and establishing new partnerships with academic institutions and local agencies.
Candidate(s)
1. Giuseppe Vercellotti
Short Bio: I received a Master’s in Biological Sciences from the University of Pisa and a PhD in Anthropology at The Ohio State University. I am one of IRLAB’s founding members and I have had the privilege of serving on IRLAB’s board as Treasurer since its inception. Over the past 20 years, I have also been a C-level executive for several companies, which allowed me to develop advanced strategic planning and business management skills. Lastly, I have served on the board of medical device companies with a mandate to oversee Quality Assurance & Regulatory Affairs, an experience that has proved extremely helpful to ensuring that IRLAB meets all regulatory requirements associated with its privileged tax-exempt status.
Statement: Having been involved with IRLAB since its inception, I have had the privilege of seeing our organization evolve over time.
I strongly believe that IRLAB is pretty unique, as it fits in the open niche between academia and CRM, two distinct sectors that both recognize the value of our focus and expertise. I dream of an IRLAB that can go beyond a couple of field schools a year and rather offer services year-round, whether they be field schools, short courses and workshops, webinars, general public education/outreach, pro bono cemetery excavation, specialized services offered to CRM firms, and so on. I would love to see us grow into an organization that can provide stable employment and benefits to our members in the furtherance of our mission to teach and research the human past.
I know that this is all possible if likeminded people roll up their sleeves and work together to achieve common goals. And this is why I am once again asking the privilege of serving IRLAB as treasurer.
As treasurer, I intend to continue to set the strategic vision for the organization and oversee the financial aspects of its implementation. Specifically, I intend to support the board with management of the association’s finances, ensuring that plans and budgets are created and met, working with our CPAs to submit all appropriate tax filings timely, and disbursing funds responsibly in the furtherance of the association’s goals. I would also like to work closely with other officers and members to expand our out-reach and fund-raising activities, thus maximizing the positive benefits of our non-profit status.