I worked as The Shipwreck Survey's first intern on their Bonaire 2025 field school.

"Bonaire played an important role in colonial-period history, as it was a supplier of large quantities of salt. Its salt pans were very productive and produced high-quality salt, which was used to preserve food before the invention of refrigerators. Remnants of this industry can be found all over the island, including the surrounding waters. Moreover, as low-lying Bonaire was a navigational hazard that could not easily be seen at night, many ships wrecked along its rocky shores. As a result, Bonaire’s waters are littered with shipwrecks, cannons, anchors, remains of old docks, ballast piles, and artifacts." - The Shipwreck Survey

As an intern, my job was to facilitate presentations and work as staff for the project. This meant that I would be a safety diver on dives with students. I would ensure every student was accounted for, and everyone was comfortable underwater. Furthermore, I acted as a presenter on content I had experience with and could productively teach the students. I also worked in the admin part of the project. This meant keeping track of student documents, helping with gear rentals, student accommodations, etc.. 

Lastly, I also helped students with the tasks they were required to complete. For example, students learn how to conduct photogrammetry, site reporting, underwater surveys, and recording cannons, anchors, and artifacts. These are all items I was able to assist students with when they had questions.

This opportunity thoroughly taught me the behind the scenes of running a field school.

I participated in a maritime archaeological field school hosted by The Shipwreck Survey.

"With approximately 60 inhabitants on 2.6 square miles, Salt Cay is the least populated of the main inhabited islands in the Turks & Caicos Islands. In the colonial period, however, the island played an important role in Atlantic World trade networks.​ Bermudians sailed their ships over 800 miles every year to visit Salt Cay for its salt. Historically, salt was considered “white gold” because in the absence of refrigeration, it provided one of the few ways to preserve food." - The Shipwreck Survey

The field school was a 16-day program totaling approximately 100 hours of underwater and terrestrial fieldwork, lab work, training, workshops, and lectures. The island is remote and the second to last island in the Turks and Caicos chain.

Underwater and terrestrial work consisted of surveying techniques, setting up baselines, drawing underwater and terrestrial sites, underwater photography, aerial recording, photogrammetry (3D recording), site reporting, and recording cannons and anchors. We were also given presentations by the program directors and staff. These presentations consisted of the history and archaeology of the Turks & Caicos Islands, archaeological field and lab work, underwater photography, photogrammetry, and underwater cultural heritage management.

During our time on the island we investigated several archaeological sites including Endymion Rock, a site where the HMS Endymion wrecked. The Endymion was a British royal naval vessel which sank on August 28th, 1790. One of the program directors, Alex Hinton, conducted her masters thesis on this wreck, and was our resident expert. The work and research we conducted during our time on the island was put together in a presentation and disseminated in a public presentation to the island locals.

During my undergraduate career, I was a student in the Utah State University (USU) Honors program. This program required its students to complete an undergraduate thesis to graduate with honors. In doing so, I conducted a material studies thesis in collaboration with the USU Museum of Anthropology (MOA) on a mummified object. This research spanned 3 years and resulted in many outreach presentations, journalistic articles, and an 80-page thesis. 

Due to the intriguing nature of the mummified object, the USU Statesman, Utah State TODAY, the College of Arts and Science, and more, have written articles describing the research and progress I made. I was also invited to lecture for the College of Arts and Sciences Science Unwrapped.

Science Unwrapped is a public STEM outreach program. The program hosts a monthly science lecture that is open to both students and the public. The goal is to highlight the science taking place at USU as well as educate the public on these topics. For my lecture, I was fortunate to have around 220 curious minds who showed up and were excited to hear about my work. Along with this, I have been asked numerous times to present on the different opportunities of research offered by USU MOA and the possibilities of capstone research for honors students. Furthermore, my paper was accepted into the Western Museum Association's 2025 Annual Conference. This conference took place in Reno, NV and offered a platform for me to share my research academically to colleagues within my field. This research was one of the highlights of my undergraduate career and lead to many networking and outreach opportunities. 

Thesis Abstract 

Legacy collections and objects with little context are often untapped opportunities for both museums and museum studies students. The purpose of this study is to display how students can utilize object research to engage in experiential learning and develop their skillset in scientific methodologies and disseminating findings, while also offering museums the opportunity to develop relationships with research facilities and benefit from student research findings. This study demonstrates the utility of student research by investigating an Egyptian canid mummy bundle, dating to the Late Period or early Ptolemaic Period, received by the Museum of Anthropology at Utah State University in 2018 with limited provenance or confirmation of its authenticity.

The goal of this case study is to better understand the materials, methods, and cultural significance of zooarchaeological mummification and to situate this artifact within a broader historical and religious framework. Objectives are fourfold: (1) to identify the contents of the mummy bundle, (2) to date the mummy bundle and establish chronological context, (3) to identify the textiles and construction methods used in the mummification process, and (4) to contextualize canid mummification within ancient Egyptian religious and societal practices.

To achieve these goals, we must utilize a multi-method approach that includes micro-CT scanning to identify the bundle contents and state of preservation, and radiocarbon dating for three distinct layers of the textile from the bundle. We must also conduct scanning electron microscopy to analyze the microstructure of the textiles and mass spectrometry to identify organic compounds applied to the textile. The information we can gather from these analyses offers valuable insights into Egyptian funerary and mortuary traditions and the role of animals in religious contexts.

The Utah State University Museum of Anthropology is dedicated to educating the Utah State University (USU) and Cache Valley communities about the fields of anthropology and museum studies. The museum is also a lab in itself. It is known as a teaching museum, this means that every exhibit that is currently or has been on display, was created by students.

As an employee of the museum, during my student career and after graduation, I was responsible for a variety of projects. I conducted historic object research, conservation and preservation work, exhibit creation and construction, website design and creation, and outreach programming.

I helped to produce the Museum's 'Saturday at the Museum' programming and coordinate community and school tours. These responsibilities required event planning and organization, scheduling, cross-departmental cooperation and collaboration, as well as promotion and marketing.

I also redesigned the Museum's main website. I am docent trained. Lastly, I am the lead curator on an exhibit to display the object research I conducted during my undergraduate thesis. This project includes adobe illustrator proficiency and technical planning due to safe keeping any and all museum objects used in the exhibit.

I work as a researcher on the Water Heritage Anthropological Project (WHAP), which is a research project through the Utah State University (USU) School of Social Sciences. The project directors are Dr. Molly Cannon, Assistant Professor at USU, and Dr. Anna Cohen, Assistant Professor at Florida State University. The project is focused on analyzing and explaining the human connection to water.

My role as a researcher includes an array of responsibilities. For starters, I redesigned the project's website in order to increase digital public traffic and better comprehension of the projects mission and goals. This project required cross-departmental cooperation with our web design team and I.

Next, I created a digital exhibit, which uses ArcGIS StoryMap and allows patrons to walk through the themes of the project. These themes are sourced from the codes attributed to our qualitative data. Using these themes, we are able to demonstrate the different impacts water has in our local and global communities. We also highlight quotes of participants in our interviews. The ArcGIS StoryMaps were created using ESRI data to make the project's research digestible for the public. I also created a social media outreach program to promote the digital exhibit. This outreach program required becoming proficient in social media content creation, and included editing and videography. 

​During my undergraduate career, I was the Anthropology Peer Advisor for the College of Arts and Sciences at Utah State University (USU).

I worked in this role for a year and a half, beginning in August 2024. I was responsible for helping students to find success within the Anthropology program and being a collaborator with the other advisors and peers in the advising center. The position requires its advisor to have excellent verbal, written, and public speaking skills as they advise current and prospective students in person, by phone, or email.

An advisor must provide accurate information on curriculum, graduation requirements, and university policies. In this role, I created graduation plans in DegreeWorks, monitored progress toward majors, and guided students in using campus resources while maintaining FERPA confidentiality. I helped students make informed decisions, set realistic goals, and understand the value of higher education. I also documented advising interactions and performed related duties.

The position required the ability to work in a fast-paced environment with multiple demands and changing needs. It also required the ability to learn and maintain current knowledge of complex program requirements, policies, and procedures. I worked with diverse student backgrounds and gained knowledge of and proficiency in a variety of current and emerging technology platforms. Lastly, I served on the events committee for the advising office. This position required office event planning and coordination on top of my advising duties.

During my undergraduate career, I served as the Anthropology Club President from 2024-2025. The faculty advisor during my term was Dr. Angela Montague. The goal of the club was to not only engage students of the major but also those with interest in the field.

My goal was to create a space that students could thrive and grow. In doing so, my plan was threefold. As I stepped into the position, the club was inactive, aside from the back of house paperwork that needed to be organized, the club needed to be revived. To do this, I held at least one event every month. This included movie nights, CV coaching, field school seminars, community outreach such as elementary school visits, and applied archaeology activities such as atlatl throwing, flintknapping, pottery surveys, etc. Through consistent events, I was able to grow member attendance.

My second step was to fundraise. In order to keep the club alive, funds were required to facilitate many of our events. Lastly, I felt that in order to keep the club active after my term, a space was needed for students to study, converse, snack, sleep, and relax. A space that would last. Therefore, I funded personally, and with a small grant, a club room for anthropology students. It is equipped with a Keurig, mini fridge, microwave, two couches, desk, office chair, and a desktop computer with ArcGIS. The room is stocked consistently with drinks and snacks along with toiletries, hygiene products, cleaning supplies, and club storage. We also have a library with textbooks used in current courses that students can check out for free. With these accomplishments, the club was presented its very first award, the Growth and Outreach Award by the university. 

I worked as an on-call Archaeological Field Technician at Westland Engineering & Environmental Services (WestLand). I began working with Westland during the summer of 2025 participating in Class III archaeological investigations as a crew member, under the supervision of the Project Manager and Field Director. I was expected to identify and record artifacts, features, and other site components using a GPS receiver and collect archaeological data in support of projects requiring compliance with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act.

To accomplish this, I worked in a team to systematically survey large tracts of undeveloped land to document cultural resource sites and make site significance recommendations to federal and state agencies tasked with carrying out various projects on public lands. Field Technicians are required to complete, or be in the process of completing, a bachelor’s degree in Anthropology or Archaeology, or related field.

For the position, WestLand wanted specific education and/or experience in the U.S. Southwest and previous experience conducting archaeological fieldwork. This requires an understanding of pedestrian survey methods, the ability to identify and document archaeological artifacts and features, and the use of various devices and app-based software to collect data. Archaeological field scientists are expected to work outdoors in challenging conditions and in remote locations and camping is often required for fieldwork.

The daily commute for field scientists often involves four-wheel drive vehicles and the use of unimproved dirt roads, in addition to overland hiking to reach the project area or remote archaeological sites. I was expected to walk up to 10 miles per day, traversing steep and vegetated terrain throughout 8-day field sessions. I worked cooperatively with crew members and supervisors, traveling and working safely throughout various environments, and collecting thorough archaeological data required to meet both state and federal agency standards.

I worked with LoganSimpson during the summer of 2025. My direct project manager was Maisie Schwartz. As a Field Technician, I was responsible for participating in archaeological excavation. I also was required to participate in pedestrian survey projects as a crew member, under the supervision of a field director or crew lead. Temporary Field Technicians are required to be completing or have completed a bachelor’s degree in Anthropology or Archaeology and/or completion of an accredited field school. I was also required to have education and/or experience in the U.S. Southwest.

I was expected to have experience conducting fieldwork in a cultural resource management setting and have the ability to identify archaeological artifacts and features. I was required to be able to work outdoors in extreme temperatures and in remote locations, camping was a possibility. I was expected to be able to walk up to 10 miles per day over steep terrain for extended periods of time and have capability and willingness to work 8-day field sessions.

I worked out-of-town for all of my projects. My role also required me to have a proficiency with electronic devices such as smart phones and tablets for digital data collection. Lastly, I was able to work cooperatively with crew members and supervisors and possess a valid driver’s license and a clean driving record for projects.