Dr. Ayres has been a professor at UO since 1976. His research interests include the development of chiefdoms and early food production, especially in the Pacific Islands (Micronesia, Polynesia) and in Southeast Asia.  He is continuing archaeological investigations at Pohnpei’s Nan Madol site, known for its massive stone architecture. Dr. Ayres uses computer graphics to facilitate architectural reconstruction and is engaged in provenance studies of archaeological materials, especially stone building resources and ceramics through geochemical analysis.