Michael Kolb

Michael Kolb, Ph.D., is a professor of Anthropology in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology at Metropolitan State University of Denver. His areas of expertise include ancient and historical political economies. Kolb’s research focus is on the building of monumental architecture. 

He also has led a team of faculty and students in an archeological dig on the Auraria Campus with a long-term goal of housing the artifacts in a museum to educate students about the history and legacy of the area and those who were displaced.  

In addition to teaching, he is actively involved in several professional organizations, including the American Anthropological Association and the NAFSA: Association of International Educators. He has co-authored “Labor Mobilization and medieval castle construction at Salemi, Western Sicily” featured in Architectural Energetics in Archaeology: Analytical Expansions and Global Explorations book as well as “Household Labor Practices and Dryland Agroforestry in Upland Kula, Maui Island” in the Journal of Field Archaeology.

Kolb is currently a Presidential Teaching Professor Emeritus of Anthropology at Northern Illinois University. Before joining MSU Denver, he was the Associate Vice Provost at Northern Illinois University. 

Kolb earned his Ph.D. in Anthropology from the University of California, Los Angeles. He holds a Master of Arts in Anthropology from the University of Wisconsin and a Bachelor of Science in Biology from St. John’s University.