Antonio is a Registered Professional Archaeologist (RPA) #5176 and exceeds the U.S. Secretary of the Interior’s Professional Qualification Standards (36 CFR 61) for Archaeologist.

Antonio transitioned from a successful career in the IT sector to pursue his lifelong passion for archaeology and anthropology. Despite facing considerable challenges, he achieved academic excellence, graduating with a B.S. degree with cum laude honors and a Masters in Evolutionary Anthropology/Archaeology from Rutgers University New Brunswick. Additionally, he obtained a Documentary Filmmaking Certificate from Rutgers Mason Gross School of the Arts, studying under esteemed mentors such as National Geographic’s Peter Schnall and director Rebecca Haimowitz.

Antonio’s intellectual curiosity extends beyond traditional academic boundaries, as evidenced by his fascination with botany, ethnobotany, soils, paleontology, astronomy, remote sensing, and GIS. His scholarly interests span a wide array of topics, encompassing human origins, evolution, paleoenvironments, hominin adaptations, archaeology, geology, and anthropology. He is passionate about exploring the intersection of technology and archaeology, as demonstrated by his noteworthy accomplishment of creating a digital elevation model of Lake Turkana from NASA satellite data, which was featured in Blue Marble Geographics’ newsletter.

Inspired by the renowned astrophysicist Carl Sagan, Antonio finds solace and inspiration in Sagan’s profound insights into the beauty of science and the mysteries of the cosmos. Sagan’s seminal works, such as “The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark” and his series “Cosmos,” have left an indelible mark on Antonio’s intellectual journey.

Outside of his cultural resource management compliance and scholarly pursuits, Antonio revels in exploring the natural world, capturing its wonders through his drone and camera. Whether traversing the rugged landscapes of New Jersey or immersing himself in local geological features, Antonio’s passion for discovery knows no bounds.