At the 2026 Annual Meeting at Lincoln, BABAO’s fourth Service Award was awarded to Dr Trish Biers.
As most of you know, Trish has been an exemplary member of this community for many years, working tirelessly on issues relating to the trade and sale of human remains, as well as ethics, caretaking, and policy surrounding our field and this organisation. Alongside this, she has supported many students in their careers, through her in-person and online teaching engagements, undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral thesis supervision, and mentorship. […] Her dedication, passion and enthusiasm for our field and this organisation have been second to none, and we believe she richly deserves this award in recognition of her substantial service to BABAO.
We are delighted to nominate Dr Trish Biers for the BABAO Service Award in 2026. As most of you know, Trish has been an exemplary member of this community for many years, working tirelessly on issues relating to the trade and sale of human remains, as well as ethics, caretaking, and policy surrounding our field and this organisation. Alongside this, she has supported many students in their careers, through her in-person and online teaching engagements, undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral thesis supervision, and mentorship. Trish has held the position of Museum Representative for BABAO since 2019, serving for two terms! This is twice the usual length, a testament to her dedication to this organisation and her central role within it. Her dedication, passion and enthusiasm for our field and this organisation have been second to none, and we believe she richly deserves this award in recognition of her substantial service to BABAO.
Trish has over three decades of experience in museum collections, having worked at the San Diego Museum of Man during her Undergraduate and Masters studies, the Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology (Cambridge, UK) during and after her PhD at the University of Cambridge, followed by a period in the Repatriation Osteology Laboratory at the Smithsonian Museum, and finally since 2017 as the Curator of the Duckworth Collection at the University of Cambridge. Drawing on this wealth of experience from institutions across the globe and engaging with communities internationally, Trish has been instrumental in helping shape the conversation about the treatment of human remains in the field as a whole and in the United Kingdom in particular. This is exemplified by her co-editorship with Katie Stringer Clary of the landmark volume ‘The Routledge Handbook of Museums, Heritage and Death’ and a recent paper co authored with colleagues which sets the stage for ethical considerations on the treatment of cremated remains (Squires et al. 2025).
Taking up the mantle of caring for such a complex collection of remains at the Duckworth, Trish expends significant time and effort ensuring ethical standards are implemented across the diverse areas of the collection. She plays an instrumental role on the internal Ethics Review Board within the Department of Archaeology at the University of Cambridge. At the Duckworth, she holds weekly volunteer sessions for undergraduates, master’s students, and the occasional lost doctoral student to rebox and rehome individuals. Not only does she provide students with the opportunity to experience working with human remains, but she also teaches them the importance of ethical treatment and respect for the dead. Because of Trish, the next generation of osteoarchaeologists will emerge into the field ethically aware, with excellent care practices, and continuing to build upon the high standards she set for them. Trish also teaches in a range of modes on fantastically diverse topics and is passionate about outreach with audiences of all ages. She never misses an opportunity to share her enthusiasm for our field. Trish offers ongoing support to students and mentees as they progress into their careers. Two authors of this letter have benefited greatly from Trish’s support; as students they learned skills from her which are now crucial in their careers, and they regularly draw on knowledge they gained from working alongside her.
Trish is one of the foundational members, and co-coordinator of, the BABAO Taskforce for the Trade and Sale of Human Remains, which was formalised in 2020 after several years of ad-hoc letter writing to shops and sellers. The Taskforce now has over 20 members and has logged over 200 sales, many of which have been curtailed by the Taskforce’s intervention. During her time on the Taskforce, Trish took on a pivotal role in liaising with external organisations and with MP Bell Ribeiro-Addy to ensure that BABAO’s work would receive recognition in the Human Remains (Prohibition of Sale, Purchase and Advertising) Bill. She regularly takes press interviews with TV, newspapers and radio to highlight this important issue and to further the significant work of the Taskforce, most recently talking to BBC Northern Ireland’s Talkback morning radio show to discuss the sale of an Egyptian mummified head in Belfast. Her continued contribution to the Taskforce is immeasurable (and she totally rocks).
Trish is generous and open with her time, knowledge and experience, and these fantastic qualities are immediately recognised by everyone she speaks to. To her students, Trish is a role model of the highest standard, an inspiration and aspiration, and an esteemed and trusted mentor. Amongst her colleagues, Trish is valued for her rich knowledge, and alongside her thoughtful and caring nature, this makes her an essential member of every team she is in. BABAO has benefited substantially from all of these excellent qualities that Trish has brought to every engagement she has been involved with for the organisation. We are lucky to know and work with her.
Text prepared by Jess Thompson, Taylor Peacock, Emma Pomeroy, and Lauren McIntyre (nominators).