The prize recognises her outstanding scholarship, which illuminates the past and seeks to anchor public discourse in a deeper understanding of history.
Dr Nikita said of her experience in Sheffield: 'My fellowship at the Department of Archaeology, University of Sheffield, came at a time in my career when all doors seemed closed and I had serious doubts regarding my academic future. I am eternally grateful to my colleagues in Sheffield for their active support of my research.'
Dr Nikita was selected as a winner of the 2022 prize, alongside eight other outstanding early- and mid-career scholars of history. A selection committee of eminent scholars in the historical fields assessed hundreds of nominations from around the world as part of a rigorous process to select the winners, who will each receive $300,000 to recognize their achievements to date and support their future work.
Her research aligns with biocultural approaches and seeks to provide insights into the activity, mobility, demography, health, and diet of past populations. In addition, she is engaged in refining the available osteoarchaeological methodology for the study of commingled remains, biodistances, and activity markers. Her research has resulted in over 70 articles and book chapters, including the textbook ‘Osteoarchaeology: A Guide to the Macroscopic Study of Human Skeletal Remains’, published by Elsevier, which received an honorable mention at the American Publishers Awards. She is currently co-Editor in Chief for the second edition of the Encyclopedia of Archaeology (Elsevier), as well as Associate Editor for the Journal of Archaeological Science and Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences.