Diane Zaino Chase facts for kids

Diane Zaino Chase, born in 1953, is an American expert in anthropology and archaeology. She studies the amazing Ancient Maya civilization. As of 2025, she holds important leadership roles at the University of Houston, helping to guide its academic programs.

Her Journey in Education

Diane Chase went to the University of Pennsylvania and earned her first degree in anthropology in 1975. She continued her studies there, getting her PhD in 1982. Her research focused on ancient sites in northern Belize.

Before joining the University of Central Florida, Dr. Chase taught anthropology at the University of Pennsylvania, Princeton, and West Chester University.

From 1985 to 1995, she was a guest curator at the Orlando Museum of Art. This means she helped organize and present exhibits.

In 2003, she received the special "Pegasus Professor" award. This award honors professors who have made a big difference at the university. It recognizes their excellent teaching, research, and service.

Dr. Chase has taken on many leadership roles in universities. She has helped manage academic programs and plan for the future of different departments. In 2010, she became the executive vice provost for academic affairs at the University of Central Florida. Later, in 2014, she was appointed interim provost and vice president for academic affairs at the same university.

In 2016, Dr. Chase became the executive vice president and provost at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV).

In 2019, she joined Claremont Graduate University. There, she worked on programs to help students with recruiting, admissions, and making sure they had a great experience until graduation.

Since 2023, Dr. Chase has been a senior leader at the University of Houston. She supports student success and helps faculty members do their best work. She also makes sure the academic quality of all four University of Houston System schools is high.

Exploring the Ancient Maya World

Dr. Chase has been working on archaeological digs since the 1970s. Her main focus is the Ancient Maya. From 1979 to 1985, she and her husband, Arlen Chase, excavated at Santa Rita, Corozal.

Discoveries at Caracol

Since 1985, Dr. Chase and her husband have led the Caracol Archaeological Project in Belize. Their work at Caracol for over 30 years has greatly helped us understand the Ancient Maya. Dr. Diane Chase has found and excavated several ancient burials.

Some important discoveries at Caracol include:

• In 1986, they found Altar 21. This stone carving recorded a major victory of Caracol over the city of Tikal.
• That same year, they found two untouched tombs, including one of a royal woman from 634 CE.
• Another royal tomb was discovered in 1993, dating back to 537 CE.

Using New Technology

In 2007, Dr. Chase, her husband, and biologist John Weishampel received a grant from NASA. They used a special technology called LiDAR. LiDAR uses lasers to see through thick jungle canopies and even penetrate the ground. This helps them find ancient ruins hidden beneath the trees.

Sharing Knowledge and Preserving History

Dr. Chase has written many books and articles about Mesoamerican archaeology. Her deep knowledge of the Maya has led to her being featured in TV shows, like the series Nova.

Dr. Diane and Arlen Chase's work at Caracol also included making the Caana structure stable. Caana is the largest building made by people in Belize. Because of their efforts, the government of Belize declared Caracol a National Park. They also paved a road to Caracol, making it easier for tourists to visit. Even though it's far from the nearest town, nearly 100 visitors come to the site every day.

Dr. Diane Chase has managed to continue her important archaeological research while also holding many university leadership roles. Her archaeological work with her husband has changed how we understand the ancient Maya. They have shown us more about how the Maya organized their societies and how large their ancient cities were.

In 2023, Dr. Chase and her husband were featured on CBS Saturday Morning, talking about their long research at Caracol. In the same year, she also led an important article published in a science journal. It discussed how ancient Maya cities changed over time.

Her Family Life

Dr. Diane Chase is married to Dr. Arlen F. Chase. He is also an archaeologist who studies the ancient Maya. Their oldest child, Adrian, is also studying Mesoamerican archaeology. They have two other children, Aubrey and Elyse Chase. All three children have joined their parents at the Caracol archaeological site in Belize.

Awards and Recognitions

• 2009: Chosen as a Fellow in the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
• 2006: Received a Research Incentive Award.
• 2004: Joined the Phi Kappa Phi honor society.
• 2003: Awarded the status of Pegasus Professor, the highest honor for a faculty member at the University of Central Florida.
• 2001: Received a Research Incentive Award.
• 1999-2001: Served as a Distinguished lecturer for Sigma Xi.
• 1998: Received a Teaching Incentive Award.
• 1998: Won the Web Site Excellent Award for www.caracol.org.
• 1995–present: Co-Beneficiary of the Trevor Colburn Endowment with A. Chase.
• 1994: Received a Teaching Incentive Award.
• 1987: Elected to Quill, the literary society of the University of Central Florida.