CWU Anthropology benefits from joint appointment of PNNL scientist

After two successful years of a joint appointment with a Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) scientist, the CWU Department of Anthropology is planning to extend the partnership for at least two more years.

Since the 2022-23 academic year, PNNL senior scientist and Central Washington University alumnus Doug McFarland (’97, ‘04) has served as a faculty fellow under joint appointment.

Partnering with universities like CWU gives PNNL an opportunity to share its expertise while helping cultivate the next generation of scientists. The organization’s joint appointment program currently features 200-plus researchers from more than 60 university and nonprofit research institutions. The program also helps PNNL accomplish its goal of collaborating with regional academic institutions and supporting impactful research collaborations

“Doug’s skills and drive have served as tremendous resources for our profession, and CWU faculty and students,” said CWU Anthropology Professor Dr. Steven Hackenberger, who helped facilitate McFarland’s appointment.

McFarland recently helped a CWU faculty team design a research program and grant proposal for four years of research on Yakima River Basin hydrogeology (isotope data), aquatic biology (insect and salmon populations), forest fire ecology (pine-oak forest regeneration), and traditional ecological knowledge and foods (roots, acorns, salmon, lamprey and freshwater mussel).

These joint projects have been possible thanks to more than $500,000 of external grant funding for CWU, dedicated to supporting staff and student researchers. The state Department of Archaeology and Historic Preservation (DAHP) is currently working with CWU on another two-year contract for the 2025-27 biennium. 

“Doug has become an invaluable mentor for staff and students engaged in landscape studies that entail field work, site documentation, and reporting,” Hackenberger said, noting that McFarland has shared both formal class presentations, workshop training, and one-on-one field instruction.

McFarland has a distinguished 25-year career of regulatory compliance, applied research, and research and development in the earth sciences and archaeology fields. His archaeological expertise includes prehistoric archaeology, geoarchaeology, and the legal and regulatory practice of cultural resource management throughout the Pacific Northwest, with significant project experience across Washington, Oregon, Idaho.

His career spans roles in the private sector, as a federal contractor, and at a national laboratory, where he has combined creativity and research to solve complex compliance challenges. He also has a strong background in developing and contributing to regulatory and technical reports, research initiatives, and peer-reviewed publications.

Joint appointments between PNNL and other research institutions create unique opportunities for researchers to expand their expertise and impact. Drawing on his cultural resource management experience, McFarland has been able to share valuable insights and protocol with CWU faculty, staff, and students, offering extensive depth and breadth to their research.

In addition to creating a relationship with PNNL, his joint appointment has strengthened CWU’s two-year collaboration with DAHP and a more recent partnership with the Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW).

CWU Anthropology Professor Dr. Patrick McCutcheon, a longtime colleague of McFarland’s, is ecstatic about the success of the joint partnership. He has found that being able to work alongside McFarland has accelerated research advancements at CWU that would not be possible if pursued separately.

“Doug’s practical experience in the field of cultural resource management archaeology and research equals that of CWU faculty and contributes a unique real-world experience for CWU student learning,” he said.

Since his arrival two years ago, McFarland guided CWU students with subsurface geophysical surveys of archaeological sites, the magnetic dynamics of experimental rock oven cooking and related site features, and the magnetic properties of terrestrial and marine sediments from shallow subsurface archaeological sites.

He has left a lasting impression on faculty and students alike.

"I always look forward to working with Doug,” graduate student Joseph Gambino said. “He conducts himself in a way that only someone who cares deeply about their work and its impacts would be able to. Throughout my time working with Doug, he has shared invaluable insights that continue to guide not only my field conduct, but also my thesis research. I feel much more equipped to be successful in a cultural resources career due to these shared wisdoms."