About CHML

The Cultural Heritage Monitoring Lab (CHML) is a partnership between the Virginia Museum of Natural History (VMNH) and the Smithsonian Cultural Rescue Initiative (SCRI). The CHML provides global monitoring capability for cultural heritage sites threatened by armed conflict and natural disaster. It is housed on the first floor of the Virginia Museum of Natural History, and it operates through a distributed workforce of archaeologists, art historians, GIS experts, and other heritage practitioners. Among other technologies, the CHML utilizes high-resolution satellite imagery provided by industry partners to rapidly identify destructive events and active threats to monuments, museums, archives, historic buildings, archaeological sites, and landscapes. Through its partnership with the SCRI, the CHML works with the US Army Reserve's recently reactivated Monuments Officers (38G/6V), and other NGO and government stakeholders at research and response-oriented organizations.

Our Capabilities   |   CHML Internship Program

In Partnership with

The CHML supports SCRI's mission to protect cultural heritage threatened or impacted by disasters and to help U.S. and international communities preserve their identities and history.

Our Supporters

The Culture Conflict Research Network (CCRN)

USGS National Civil Applications Center (NCAC)

Iridium Communications Inc.

Contact

Hayden Bassett, Ph.D.
Director
hayden.bassett@vmnh.virginia.gov 

Kate Harrell, Ph.D.
Senior Research Associate & Director of Education

William Welsh, M.A.
Director of Business Development & Public Outreach
william.welsh@vmnh.virginia.gov

Damian Koropeckyj, M.A.
Senior Analyst

Madeleine Gunter-Bassett, M.A.
Senior Analyst