Lauren McCormick works with written and visual sources from the biblical world. She uses emergent imaging technology to detect and reconstruct paint on ancient artifacts, increasing the data through which they may be analyzed. Dr. McCormick is currently building for the Badè Museum of Biblical Archaeology a web exhibit of one Judean Pillar Figurine that she recolorized using Reflectance Transformation Imaging and Decorrelation Stretch Imaging. In her publications, Dr. McCormick investigates the petrography, manufacture, and typology of figurines from Tell en-Naṣbeh (biblical Mizpah), and explores paint as a fourth dimension of sculpture. A recent talk can be viewed here. She is currently co-editing a volume with Elizabeth Knott entitled "Ambiguity in the Ancient Near East: Material Records, Mental Constructs, and their Interpretations". McCormick earned her PhD in religious studies from Syracuse University in 2023, after obtaining a Bachelor's degree from Rutgers University and Master's degrees from New York University and Duke University. Her dissertation ("My Eyes Are Up Here: Guardian Iconography of the Judean Pillar Figurine") won a university-wide award for excellence and creativity in research. She has been a visiting scholar at various museums and is a member of "Digging Up Data", a mentorship program aimed at data literacy.

At the Center for Culture, Society, and Religion, Dr. McCormick will produce an interview-based video podcast using ancient figurines as a proxy to discuss today's issues.