Joshua A. Smith, M.S., President
Senior Paleontologist & Consultant
Josh brings over two decades of experience in paleontological fieldwork, research, and consulting across the western United States. Originally from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, he studied biology and geology at the University of Louisiana – Lafayette before moving west in 1998 to work with the Utah Geological Survey on the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument paleontological survey.
From 2002 to 2004, Josh pursued graduate studies at the University of Utah, focusing on Late Cretaceous ecosystems, ceratopsian dinosaurs, and ichnology—the study of tracks and traces.
His professional career has included work as a museum paleontologist in three western states. In 2011, he was contracted by the Denver Museum of Nature and Science to lead the excavation of large faunal remains—including tusks and skulls—at the renowned Ziegler Reservoir fossil site in Snowmass, Colorado.
Josh has been a paleontological consultant since 2006 and founded Western Slope Paleontological Services in 2009. Based in Grand Junction, Colorado, he continues to work in the field while enjoying mountain biking, kayaking, and fossil hunting in his free time.