Virginia J Ochoa-Winemiller

An archaeologist and human geographer. Dr. Ochoa-Winemiller specializes in the ancient Maya people and cultures from Mexico and Central America. Since joining NJCU in 2015, she has been both a professor and program coordinator of the Latin American, Caribbean, and Latino Studies program. Dr. Ochoa-Winemiller confounded the NJCU Center for Latin American, Caribbean and Latin(x) Studies in 2019. 

Teaching 
Dr. Ochoa-Winemiller has been engaged in academic teaching since 2004. Her teaching expertise includes courses in Anthropology (Cultural, Ethnography), Archaeology (Mesoamerica, Maya, Central America, Death, Ethnoarchaeology), Geography (Africa, Europe, US, Latin America, Human, World Regional, Urban), Geographic Information Systems (Introduction, Social, Urban), and Latin America (Food, Drugs, Migration, Race and Ethnicity, Sex and Gender, and Urbanism), subjects relevant to today’s student audiences. At NJCU, Dr. Ochoa-Winemiller offers online, blended, and face-to-face courses every semester. 

Research 
Since the 1990s, Dr. Ochoa-Winemiller has conducted research in several archaeological sites from México, Belice, and Honduras including Dzibilchaltún, Chichen Itzá, Uxmal, Labná, Chau Hiix, Chichicaste, Dos Quebradas, to mention some. Her research is integrated combining geography, ethnographic methods, prehistoric archaeology, geographic information systems (GIS), and 3D technology. Dr. Ochoa-Winemiller work interests include 3D metrology and analysis of ancient production and distribution of clay artifacts, spatial analysis of ethnic housing, impact of globalization and urbanization in the construction of modern Maya ethnic identity, and the Ancient Maya use and perception of rural landscapes focusing on settlement patterns, social stratification, and origins of urbanism. 

Areas of Expertise: Ancient and modern Maya, ancient Honduras, Archaeology, ancient ceramic production, ancient urbanism, GIS, and 3D metrology. 

Recent Selected Publications: 
Books
(2023) Domesticidad y vida cotidiana urbana en una capital del Norte de Yucatán. La ocupación de un conjunto habitacional del Preclásico Tardío a la época Colonial en Dzibilchaltún, Yucatán, México. British Archaeological Reports (Oxford) Ltd, trading as BAR Publishing. ISBN paperback: 9781407359533. 

Textbooks 
(2020). Racialism, Drugs & Migration. Contemporary Issues in Latin America and the Caribbean. Editor. San Diego, CA: Cognella Academic Publishing. 

(2019) Latin American and Caribbean Readings: Landscapes and Cultures. Editor.  San Diego, CA: Cognella Academic Publishing.

Refereed Articles
(2021) "Comercio, reproducción y apropiación: La hibridación cultural en el oriente de Honduras." Memorias del XXXIII Simposio de Investigaciones Arqueológicas en Guatemala 2019, Asociación Tikal, Guatemala.