Molly Masterson

MPhil Archaeology 2018
DPhil Archaeology 2020

Molly Masterson is a fixture in the graduate community at Keble. Having matriculated in 2018 and completed her MPhil (with distinction) in 2020, she is now a DPhil candidate in Archaeology. Throughout this period, she has called Keble home.

“I grew up in the countryside of Pennsylvania and completed my undergraduate studies at a small liberal arts college outside Washington, DC. Oxford was a completely new world for me, but from day one onwards, I found myself within a welcoming, supportive, and friendly community at Keble. I was inspired by the achievements of the people at this College and will be forever grateful for the opportunity to be part of this community.”

Supervised by Professor Chris Gosden and supported by a Sloane Robinson Foundation Scholarship, Molly now conducts research into plant-human relationships in prehistoric Britain. In addition to helping us better understand life in the past, she hopes her research can contribute to the tackling of modern challenges—including climate change. Lessons regarding how humans and their environments engaged with and shaped each other have the potential to change the ways in which we regard nature in a contemporary sense.

Aside from her academic work, Molly has been active in various organisations across Oxford. At her department, Molly currently serves as President of Graduate Archaeology at Oxford (GAO). Previously, she has been Freshers’ President and Social Secretary of the Keble MCR. Her tenure coincided with the start and peak of the COVID-19 pandemic when the restrictions made it difficult to maintain Keble’s community spirit. Always positive, friendly, and enthusiastic, Molly rose to the challenge of fostering this community during unprecedented times and succeeded in making the MCR a home for Keble members, past and present.