Southwest Petrographic Specialists was founded in October, 2006. Dr. Elizabeth Miksa, President and lead petrographer, has over 20 years of experience as a geologist and archaeological ceramic analyst. She received her petrographic training as an undergraduate at Washington State University. The bulk of her career has been spent in the southwestern United States, with graduate training in the University of Arizona Geosciences Department (Ph.D. 1998) and employment at Desert Archaeology, Inc.