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AUTHOR • ANTHROPOLOGIST • EDUCATOR • CONSERVATION EXPLORER
A life spent studying people, exploring the world, and searching for the connections that give stories meaning.
T.J. Altieri is an author, anthropologist, educator, and conservation explorer whose work is united by an enduring interest in culture, memory, power, and human connection.
Since 2012, he has taught Social Studies and Anthropology in Connecticut public schools. He also coordinates the Conservation Discovery Corps at Connecticut’s Beardsley Zoo, combining education, conservation fieldwork, and youth development. The program received the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ 2014 Education Award.
T.J.’s professional background includes work at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, archaeological excavation and Cultural Resource Management along the East Coast, conservation projects, and extensive independent scholarship in ancient Celtic and European archaeology. He produced TEDxDanbury: What Lies Beneath? in 2017 and was recognized as Hofstra University’s Alumnus of the Month in June 2014.
An experienced paddler and expedition leader, T.J. served as Long Island Chair for Kayak for a Cause, helping raise more than $14,000 for local charities, and founded the paddlecraft community Paddle Posse. His conservation experiences have also taken him to Yellowstone National Park, where he participated in wildlife study and public education involving wolves, bears, and ecosystem conservation.
T.J. began publishing fiction in 2019 and is the author of five novels spanning speculative thrillers, archaeological mysteries, science fiction, supernatural action, and modern reimaginings of mythology. He was the guest author and keynote speaker at the American Association of University Women’s 2023 Author Luncheon and Book Signing and was Cafe Atlantique's Author of the Month for April 2026.
Contact: tj@tjaltieri.com
SELECTED CREDENTIALS
Author of five published novels.
Social Studies and Anthropology educator since 2012.
Coordinator of the Conservation Discovery Corps.
Contributor to award-winning zoo education programming.
Producer of TEDxDanbury: What Lies Beneath?
Archaeological and Cultural Resource Management field experience.
Hofstra University Alumnus of the Month, June 2014.
AAUW guest author and keynote speaker, 2023.
Expedition paddling and charitable-event leadership.
The Connection Behind The Work
Whether writing about archaeological discoveries, alien diplomacy, criminal empires, or supernatural conflict, I return to the same fundamental questions: What connects people? What separates them? What do we carry from the past, and how will we evolve?
My experiences in anthropology, education, archaeology, conservation, and exploration do more than provide settings for my writing. They shape the way I understand story, character, conflict, culture and the human need to find meaningful connection.
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