Thursday, December 16, 2010

Congratulations December 2010 graduates


Two Archaeology majors - Sara B. and Colleen W. - graduated on December 15, 2010.  Congratulations and good luck to both!

Below Sara and Colleen are shown in several of the pictures from our holiday open house, which was held in the department suite on December 8.  Happy holidays everyone!

Wednesday, December 8, 2010

Juniors Leah Thomas and Rachel Lawrence present at conference



Leah (left) and Rachel (right) at Moravian College.
Juniors Leah Thomas and Rachel Lawrence presented their original research at the Fifth Undergraduate Conference in Medieval and Early Modern Studies at Moravian College in Bethlehem, PA on December 4, 2010. Leah, who is a double-major in Archaeology and Art History, read a paper entitled “Italian Matrons and Courtesans: A Study in Portraiture,” while Rachel Lawrence, a double-major in Archaeology and History, presented “Vlad the Impaler: Monster with a Cause.” Both received UExplore Undergraduate Research Travel Grants that allowed for their participation in this conference.

Monday, December 6, 2010

Alumna Profile: Ti M. ('07) at Fort Garland, CO and in Cincinnati


Ti at Fort Garland, CO.

In the summer of 2008 I participated in Adams State College’s archaeological field school at Fort Garland, CO. We lived at the Fort in our own little tent city (I went through two tents by the end of it as the zippers on the first one I bought broke and the tent leaked like crazy!). It excavation lasted 6 weeks. During the first part of the season, we dug in the garbage section of the Fort for practice, and after that we moved on to the area near the stables and into the cellar of one of the buildings that is no longer standing (the building had burned down, but there was still some food remains, including seeds, left in the cellar). The well I helped excavate was 25 feet deep (below). At the bottom we found literally hundreds of horse shoes, and we have no idea why they were thrown in the well. We had lots of other experiences including Civil War days where reenacters came to the Fort to live like they would have during the Civil War era, and also went to see some early Native sites. It was a wonderful experience overall.


Ti goes down the 25-foot well.

Since graduating from UE I have been working for my father’s company, Nightingale-Alan Medical, and at Old Navy. I've worked on and off for my father for years, and the current accountant is planning to retire, so the job was offered to me by my father and his business partner. I had trouble finding a job in Cincinnati using my degree, and I decided not to do CRM, so I was glad to take this job. In exchange the company is helping pay for my Masters of Science degree in accounting and financing (I am undecided on pursuing an MBA) online through the University of Maryland. My boyfriend Scott and I recently bought a house, and we are doing some major remodeling. Between the house, school and two jobs, I keep very busy.


Wednesday, December 1, 2010

Alumnus Profile: Andrew R. ('94) in Princeton, NJ

I double-majored in archaeology and writing at UE, and co-founded the Archaeology Club (now SAHA) as well as the literary magazine Pendulum (now the Evansville Review). To satisfy my love of both archaeology and publications, I spent alternating summers excavating at Poggio Civitate (Murlo) and interning at Archaeology magazine. I also served as the copy editor for the University Crescent (when it was still a newspaper) and edited the English department's poetry chapbook, On Time.

 A.R. wears his pottery-reading cap at Isthmia.
After graduating in 1994 with the first class of students to complete the new four-year program in archaeology, I headed to graduate school at the University of Missouri - Columbia, where I studied under Kathleen Slane and Bill Biers, the author of the introduction to Greek archaeology textbook used at UE. During my two years at Mizzou I worked at the Museum of Art and Archaeology and had a summer internship at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art in Kansas City. I kept my interest in publications alive by designing and publishing the book of abstracts for the biannual graduate student symposium shared with the University of Kansas.

Graduating in 1996 with an MA in Art History and Archaeology, I excavated at the site of Isthmia, serving as a photographer, database administrator, and pottery reader. I was able to analyze the pottery and stratigraphy from under the Roman Bath's mosaic to place it in the time of Hadrian, a date that was suspected but not yet confirmed. One of my photographs of human remains from the site will be appearing in the Isthmia 9 volume to be published in 2011 by the American School of Classical Studies at Athens.

I next spent ten years as a museum software professional managing database software rollouts, documentation, and implementation in the US, Canada, and the UK. In 2007 I joined Bolchazy-Carducci Publishers, specialists in Greek and Latin textbooks. My core responsibilities were to manage all digital publications and to create a long-term strategy to support our textbooks online. I designed a Latin iPhone app and created the first social network, eClassics, for exploring technology and Classics pedagogy. My obsession with online gaming and language education led to a conference paper given in Trondheim, Norway, which is to be published in 2011 as part of the conference proceedings.

In August 2010 I became the Director of Publications for the American School of Classical Studies at Athens (offices in Princeton, NJ) where I am finally able to join my love of Mediterranean archaeology, print publishing, and digital publishing into a highly satisfying career. I manage the production and publication of the Agora and Corinth excavation reports (the "blue" and "red" books) as well as for other affiliated sites like Isthmia, Lerna, Samothrace, and others. I also work with the journal Hesperia and the Hesperia Supplements. As a person with one foot squarely in traditional publication and the other in digital environments, I am discovering ways to support our print publications online while at the same time planning a future of born-digital books, articles, and tools for archaeologists and researchers. Combine all of that with a plucky office dog named Hector and a free, annual trip to Greece, and you have the recipe for a perfect job. I've never been happier or this busy.

Corinth XVIII Part II is shocking reading!

Thanks to the attention and instruction of Pat Thomas, Erik Nielsen, Allison Griffith, and Shirley Schwarz, I was fully prepared for graduate school and beyond. It's my pleasure that I get to publish some of Dr. Thomas's research, and I look forward to publishing the future work of others who are currently UE undergraduates. 

Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Archaeology events during International Education Week

 
November 15-19 was International Education Week at UE.  The keynote speaker was our colleague Dr. Morag Kersel, Assistant Professor of Anthropology at DePaul University.  She spoke to a packed room on the topic "Serving the State: Archaeology, Cultural Diplomacy and Foreign Relations."


Morag Kersel (center) before her talk on Monday.
On Tuesday, two Archaeology majors presented on their excavation experiences abroad in summer 2010.

Megan Anderson ('12) talks about her experiences at the Rio Bravo Archaeological Field School in Belize.

Michael Koletsos ('12) talks about his summer at Nemea, Greece.

Morag Kersel (second from left), Jennie Ebeling (fourth from left) and Megan Anderson (on right) in front of the big map.
Dr. Kersel was interviewed in this recent and very interesting al-Jazeera video called Looting the Holy Land.

Monday, November 29, 2010

20 Years of Archaeology at UE - Roman Banquet

After the alumni luncheon and a nap for some, Archaeology Homecoming festivities continued Saturday afternoon with a fabulous presentation by Chris P. ('05) on his experiences as an archaeologist at Ft. Benning, GA.  In the meantime, some devoted SAHA (Society for Archaeology and the History of Art) officers and members were preparing a feast for the Roman Banquet, which was held at 6:00 in Hyde 8.  Delicious!
Pat Thomas, Jim Berry, Nathan ('02), Chris ('05), Andrew ('94) and Alexis ('94) at Chris' talk.

Some came in togas; some did not.


The garum was tasty!

 
An archaeologist in training works the room.

20 Years of Archaeology at UE - Alumni Luncheon

The alumni luncheon was held on Saturday November 13 in the Melvin Peterson Art Gallery.  UE's new president Dr. Tom Kazee and his wife Sharon Kazee attended along with about 25 alumni, faculty and friends of the department.  After Dr. Kazee made some opening remarks, Andrew R. ('94) gave a funny and very moving keynote address in honor of Pat Thomas' 20 years of service to UE Archaeology.  Art History faculty member Heidi Strobel thanked Pat on behalf of the department, and Professor of Anthropology and honorary member of the Department of Archaeology and Art History - Jim Berry - gave a toast.  It was a terrific event.

Jim Berry, Misty ('05) and Al Kaiser.

Tori ('10), Heidi Strobel and Sarah ('06).

UE President Dr. Tom Kazee.

Andrew ('94) gives the keynote address.


Heidi Strobel thanks Pat Thomas on behalf of the department.
 
Andrew ('94) and Alexis ('94) present alumni business cards.


And the surprise gift is ...
 
... a commemorative hoodie!


Pat Thomas addresses the crowd.


Jim Berry gives the toast.


T-shirts and hoodies on display.

Heather ('09), Haley ('04), Wendy Thomas, Pat Thomas, Andrew ('94), Nathan ('02) and Alexis ('94).

Heidi Strobel, Tori ('10), Abby ('02), Sarah ('06), Kurt, Andrea ('10), Kirsten ('06) and Brandon ('05).

Al Kaiser, Chris Lovasz-Kaiser, Chris ('05), Misty ('05), Micki ('06) and Jim Berry.

Whitney ('03), Pat Thomas and Abby ('02).

Heidi Strobel, Al Kaiser, Pat Thomas and Jennie Ebeling.

20 Years of Archaeology at UE - Bread Baking in Experimental Oven

On Saturday November 13 Lauren ('12) demonstrated the bread oven she built for Food and Drink in Antiquity (ARCH 492) class last spring.  Despite the rain, a group of students, alumni and faculty enjoyed delicious bread baked inside and on the top of the oven, which is located in the campus garden on Frederick Street.