Karsyn Johnson, from Ada, Oklahoma, is taking her education to new depths.
Johnson graduated from the University of Oklahoma in 2021 with a major in archaeology and a minor in Judaic studies. She received the Schusterman Scholarship in 2020, which would have allowed her to study in Israel for a summer session, but it was delayed until 2021 because of COVID-19.
She completed her master’s in maritime civilizations at the University of Haifa in 2025, receiving an honorary “Dean’s Distinguished Graduate Studies Scholar” award. That year, she also published her first academic article in the Antiquity Journal.
Johnson said the adventure of not knowing what would happen, but having faith that she was there for a reason, has been one of her favorite parts.
“In the beginning, I was so new, and buying a one-way ticket was unheard of, for me at least. But now, I have friends and colleagues from all over the world, and I am so happy that I decided to take a leap of faith and study in Israel,” she said.
She credited her friends, family, her local dive shop Sharky’s Scuba, and scientific guidance from fellow diver Kevin Blackwood with helping her prepare for the Maritime Civilization program in Israel.
The University of Haifa’s Department of Maritime Civilizations also played an important role.
“Without them I would not know the beautiful and curious nature of underwater archaeology or how to approach research as an archaeologist,” she said.
Johnson’s time in Israel was not without challenges. On Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas and other Palestinian militant groups launched a surprise attack on Israel, killing 1,195 Israelis and foreign nationals, including 815 civilians. Johnson said being in the middle of a war was not something she expected.
“Living in a war-torn country was not ideal or in the plan, it instilled a resilience in me that I wouldn’t have learned otherwise, and I am so grateful for that,” she said.
She plans to publish another article this summer on ancient wooden composite ship anchors.
Johnson said she’s not done with her education.
“I plan to start my PhD in the near future, in the hopes of a binational collaboration with Ruhr University Bochum in Germany and the University of Haifa in Israel.”
In the meantime, she will continue researching experimental archaeological methods to understand ancient maritime construction techniques of the Phoenician and Greek cultures in the Mediterranean.
After her PhD, Johnson hopes to become a professor and teach maritime and experimental archaeology.