Dr. Rubén G. Mendoza, PhD and RPA, is the firm’s principal investigator and project and program archaeologist and historian. He is a Register of Professional Archaeologists (RPA) certified archaeologist, historian, writer, and photographer who completed the MA and PhD programs in the Department of Anthropology at the University of Arizona. Since 1992 he has served as the principal investigator on a number of major projects from throughout California, the US Southwest, and Mexico. Mendoza is the Principal for Archives & Archaeology, and has personally authored hundreds of scholarly papers, and in his capacity as PI for area studies, is the project lead for archaeological studies and historical assessments of 18th through 21st century California buildings, both private and commercial.