Alumnus Profile: Andrew M. ('06) in Tallahassee

After graduating from UE in the spring of 2006, I attended the University of Nebraska-Lincoln to earn an MA in Anthropology, specializing in Professional Archaeology. I chose to attend UNL so that I could learn more about conflict (battlefield) archaeology and gain some experience in that subfield. I did my master’s thesis on an artillery shell scatter from a frontier military post site in western Nebraska dating to the mid-1860s. As part of my thesis data collection, I also assisted my thesis advisor and a member of my thesis committee in the survey of several other battlefield or military associated sites dating to the same period in western Nebraska. While I was at Nebraska I also worked part-time as a teaching assistant for two semesters and as an archaeological technician with the National Park Service’s Midwest Archeological Center for a year. During that year, I assisted in the excavation of test units at several prehistoric sites at Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore to help determine their eligibility for the National Register and also completed several site assessments. When I was not in the field, I was working in the MWAC lab cleaning, identifying, labeling, and storing artifacts that we collected.

After graduating from UNL in December of 2008, I took some time off and worked on co-authoring an article with a member of my thesis committee regarding the history and projected future of conflict archaeology. I also married a fellow UE alum, Hillary C. (’07), during this time. In October of 2009, I started working for R. Christopher Goodwin and Assoc. out of New Orleans as a second tier archaeologist doing archaeology across the southeast. I am currently nearing the end of my first year with this company and have worked in Louisiana, Alabama, and Florida completing all phases of archaeological work on both historic and prehistoric sites that will be affected by construction.

Alumna Profile: Hillary C. ('07) at Florida State University

After graduating from UE in 2007, I was admitted to the Ph.D. program in Classics at Florida State University. I am currently in my fourth year of the program and intend to start on my dissertation on the Roman economy, trade goods, and cultural identity soon. Additionally, I hold a graduate assistantship which allows me to teach a course on Classical Mythology. Though challenging, this opportunity enables me to gain teaching experience at the college level while pursuing my degree. While at FSU, I have also been fortunate to intern at the National Park Service’s Southeast Archaeological Center where I have received further hands-on training in aspects of excavation as well as the care and storage of prehistoric and historic artifacts from the southeastern United States. This interest in local archaeology, as well as anthropological theory and methodology, was founded in my seminars at UE as well as the field experience I first gained working on Tin City. With the encouragement of the UE faculty, this interest was fostered in my experience with SUNY Geneseo’s excavation at a Hopewell settlement site, Brown’s Bottom (Chillicothe, OH) where in 2006 I received instruction in excavation practices. During the summer of 2007, I was admitted to IPFW’s Archaeological Survey, Research Experience for Undergraduates (Strawtown, IN) where I learned to use various methods of remote sensing and was also able to construct my own research project at a historical cemetery using resistivity and GPR.

In the summer of 2009, I married fellow UE alumn, Andrew M. (’06). This past summer (2010) I traveled to Rome and participated in The Howard Comfort, FAAR’29, Summer Program in Roman Pottery at the American Academy in Rome.  Under the guidance of former AAR Mellon Professor Archer Martin and his assistant Raffaele Palma, I (and eight other students) had the unique opportunity to actively engage with pottery from across the Mediterranean and meet various specialists in the field. By the end of the program we were able to apply our new skills to the pottery from the Domus Tiberiana on the Palatine Hill. Currently, we are collaborating on a publication about the pottery from the program.

I am truly thankful for the strong education in archaeology and classical studies offered by the faculty at UE. Their encouragement and support while at UE and even today, has been invaluable and laid a solid foundation from which I hope to continue my education.

Alumna Profile: Amanda L. ('09) in Arizona

I graduated from UE last December and was hired by the Grand Canyon National Park for a 6-month Visitor Use Assistant position in March. I was excited to have the opportunity to work for the National Park Service and in the middle of May I moved to the tiny town of Williams, AZ where Grand Canyon had stationed me at the local visitor center. I honestly love this job and look forward to going to work every day, which was something I never expected. I get to spend my days at the Williams and Forest Service Visitor Center telling people about how awesome the Grand Canyon and Kaibab National Forest are, as well as the funny little quirks that make Williams one of America’s great small towns. Plus I’ve had the opportunity to experience all the Canyon area has to offer, like helicopter tours, cavern tours, trips to Sedona, and climbing around the ruins at Wupatki National Monument, all to help me be better at telling visitors what there is in the region! Working for the National Park Service is a great first job.

The visitor center I work for also has a small exhibit room that I have been able to help improve. We recently brought the Junior Ranger Program booklets down to our center to help prepare kids and get them excited for their trip to the Grand Canyon. I have really enjoyed getting to meet people from all over the world and talk about their vacations, their impressions of the Canyon and about life in general. I would certainly recommend any archaeology major to consider the National Park Service when starting their job search. They won’t regret it.