SHA and ACUA 2020 Election Results

• TREASURER
• RESEARCH EDITOR
• BOARD OF DIRECTORS
• NOMINATIONS AND ELECTIONS COMMITTEE
• ACUA BOARD OF DIRECTORS

TREASURER

Sara Mascia

Present Position: Vice President, Historical Perspectives, Inc.

Education:

Ph.D. in Archaeology Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts 1995.
M.A. in Archaeology, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, 1989.
B.A. in Anthropology and History, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC 1983.

Professional Service to SHA and other societies:  SHA Employment Coordinator, SHA Nominating Committee Member, SHA Conference Committee Member, SHA Academic and Professional Training Committee Member, SHA Membership Committee Member, SHA Secretary-Treasurer, SHA Treasurer. CNEHA Board Member, CNEHA Executive Vice Chair, CNEHA Treasurer, CNEHA 2006 Conference Co-Chair.

Research Interests:  American material culture, historical cemetery studies, farmstead sites, urban archaeology, accounting and bookkeeping.

Biographical Statement:

I have been a member of the Society for over 35 years and during that time I have served on several committees, among them the Nominating, Conference, Membership, Academic and Professional Training Committee, and the new Heritage at Risk Committee.  Working on these committees has provided me with insight into some of the issues that SHA members face as practitioners of a very complex discipline. 

As a member of the SHA board, I have been able to work with a number of SHA members to help further our discipline and encourage the SHA’s efforts in providing stellar publications and meetings for our membership.  I believe that it is a privilege to serve on the board and the various SHA committees that help promote our field to our colleagues and the public.  I continue to advocate that volunteerism is essential to the health and growth of our discipline and the SHA. 

As a Vice President at Historical Perspectives, Inc. for over 15 years, I have supervised staff and prepared budgets for a variety of complex projects and administered all aspects of project management.  My work in Cultural Resources Management has provided me with the skills to work within the fiscal parameters of a balanced budget.  This proficiency has further provided me with the foundation for my service as the Treasurer for the Society for Historical Archaeology.

 Given the qualifications and experience outlined in your biographical statement, what do you believe you can contribute to SHA if elected?

When I began my role as SHA Treasurer, I focused on streamlining the expenses of our organization in order to build the Society’s reserve funds.  The establishment of an appropriate reserve will help ensure that the SHA remains financially healthy in our extremely challenging economy.  I continue to believe that the growth and maintenance of the SHA depends on the stability of our reserves, which enables the Society to accomplish our long-term goals and support the student membership, the future of the Society.

The most challenging task of the SHA Treasurer is to maintain the stability of our membership and conference fees while working to safeguard all of the unique services that the Society provides.  Our organization has expanded its goals exponentially over the last two decades and we must continue to be able to financially support the resulting programs and objectives of our committees and our members.

My experience with CRM finance, academic grant management, association budget coordination, investment management, and accounting, combined with the recognition of the unique elements that make up our Society, has reinforced my qualifications to efficiently work with SHA board members and our Executive Director on maintaining a working budget and monitoring our  budgets. 

If elected to serve SHA, what priorities would you emphasize?

I have been fortunate to serve as the Treasurer for the Society for several years.  With the assistance of the entire SHA board, we have established a firm financial foundation enabling us to provide the membership with the funds to support the important work of our committees, the production of our high-quality publications, and our annual conferences.

As Treasurer of the SHA, I have worked with peers and students on pertinent issues encountered by all working archaeologists.  During the last several years, we have seen political discussions and pronouncements that have threatened historic resources and the foundation of the system of protections for archaeological sites in the United States.  One of our clear priorities is that the SHA must remain fiscally sound in order for all of us to continue to be vigilant regarding the ongoing legislative threat to our field, including monitoring our elected officials for potential changes to the protection of historic sites and educating the public about our work.  We are currently living in a turbulent era, and I sincerely believe that the promotion of our discipline, as well as the important projects that our members are working on, provides a bridge for the public to understand the research aims of all historical archaeologists.

Other priorities that are important to the growth of the SHA include facing the problems associated with discrimination and harassment.  The SHA board has been proactive in the condemnation of racial, sexual, religious, and all types of discrimination.   I am also gratified that the board voiced a united front against sexual harassment in our discipline and in the SHA.  

If re-elected to the board, my overall priority as Treasurer is to ensure that the SHA remains a fiscally heathy organization.  As a member of the board, I believe it is our responsibility to encourage both student and professional participation in our organization and to advocate for our discipline.  One of the most important ways of ensuring the health of the organization is to support our student members and continue the spirit of volunteerism, which is vital to ensure the future of our Society.

RESEARCH EDITOR

Kathryn Sampeck

Present Position:  Associate Professor, Department of Sociology and Anthropology, Illinois State University

Education:  

B.A. (1989), M.A. (1991), Anthropology, University of Chicago
Ph.D. (2007), Anthropology, Tulane University

Professional Service to SHA and other societies:  Editor, Historical Archaeology (current); Archaeology Seat, Executive Board, American Anthropological Association (2020-2022); Chair, Afro-Latin American Archaeology Interest Group (2018-2020), Society for American Archaeology; Secretary, Archaeology Division, AAA, 2016-2018.

Research Interests:  Colonialism, Mesoamerica, U.S. Southeast, community-based archaeology, Afro-Latin America, landscape archaeology, early modern commerce

Biographical Statement:

 I have done archaeological work in Kenya, Spain, Bolivia, Honduras, El Salvador, and the US Southeast and have primarily focused on processes of colonialism in Spanish America. My field schools and ongoing research conducted in partnership with the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, prioritizes significant public outreach and education through events, exhibits, programs for educators, public lectures, and interviews. Historical Archaeology is intrinsically interdisciplinary, involving rigorous scientific methods and approaches such as GIS modeling and compositional analyses, sophisticated evaluation of an amazing range of material culture, as well as highly meticulous work with primary documentary materials, yet I have found that our work is not well enough known to scholars in other fields.  Much of my service to the discipline has been directed towards increasing dialogue of historical archaeologists with other disciplines as well as increasing participation and awareness of historically marginalized peoples.

Given the qualifications and experience outlined in your biographical statement, what do you believe you can contribute to SHA if elected?

 If elected to serve on the SHA Board, I will bring to bear my substantial experience working both in the US and abroad in Cultural Resources Management as well as academic Historical Archaeology, as a consultant for Presidential bilateral committee work to inhibit illegal international antiquities commerce, and as an educator of public, undergraduate, graduate, and descendant constituencies.

If elected to serve SHA, what priorities would you emphasize?

 If elected as SHA Board Member, I will work to enhance participation in the Society by fostering networks to encourage international involvement, more training opportunities for future professionals from minority and descendant communities, and stronger ties with allied scholars, institutions, and organizations.

 

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Lori Lee

Present Position: Associate Professor of Anthropology at Flagler College

Education: Ph.D., Anthropology, Syracuse University, 2016; M.A., Anthropology, University of Texas at Arlington, 1997; B.A., Anthropology, University of Texas at Arlington, 1993

Professional Service to SHA and Other Societies: SAA: Ethics Revision Task Force II (2019–present); SHA: Member, Gender and Minority Affairs Committee (2012–present); Council of Virginia Archaeologists: Collections Committee (2010–2014); Randolph College: Diversity Enrichment Committee (2012–2014); Flagler College: Diversity Committee (2014–present)

Research Interests: African Diaspora archaeology; health practices; consumerism; identity; memory; migration

Biographical Statement: 

I have been working as an archaeologist since 1998. My professional experience includes working as a field and lab archaeologist at a nonprofit historical house museum in Virginia, time with the National Park Service in the Virgin Islands, and ten years in an academic setting. In these various capacities, I have worked with diverse stakeholders while engaged in archaeological research, practice, and public outreach. My research approach involves community-based, multidisciplinary projects that incorporate public outreach and community engagement.

While working at Thomas Jefferson’s Poplar Forest, I was part of an archaeology team continually engaged in research, education, and public outreach. Our research contributed to reconstructing the landscape and built environment, developing museum exhibits and docent tours, and understanding the lives of all social groups who lived at Poplar Forest. We also taught children, college students, and teachers in camps and field schools, worked with avocational archaeologists and volunteers, and engaged with the public through events, museum exhibits, and social media. This experience reinforced for me the significance of public archaeology for education, creating new advocates, and making archaeology relevant to diverse audiences.

Given the qualifications and experience outlined in your biographical statement, what do you believe you can contribute to SHA if elected?

I am honored to be nominated as a candidate for the Society’s Board of Directors. My 22 years of professional experience working as an archaeologist for a nonprofit museum, a government agency, and in academia have given me an appreciation of the common and unique challenges faced by archaeologists working in different sectors. My research is interdisciplinary and community-based. This approach requires working with multiple stakeholders. Working as a national park service employee in a contested landscape (a U.S. territory created by imperialism on a former Danish colony where 2/3 of the island became a national park ‘gifted’ by Laurence Rockefeller in 1956) I gained valuable experience working with local community members to advocate for their wants and needs while working for a U.S. government agency. My research and professional experience with building relationships among divergent stakeholders would be helpful as an SHA board member.

As a member of GMAC and a faculty member at an undergraduate institution, I value the importance of the undergraduate institution in diversifying our profession. I have been a member of diversity committees at each institution where I have taught in order to directly engage this issue to affect change. I engage my students in learning about the community they live in and contributing by working with local institutions and community members to document histories, investigate material culture and landscapes, and recognize and address issues of structural inequality. I encourage them to become advocates and engage in outreach. These learning experiences are important for growing SHA membership. As a member of SHA’s Gender and Minority Affairs Committee, I worked with Barbara Heath, then chair of the Membership Committee, on creating the 2014 Membership Survey. I am currently working with GMAC on other initiatives to diversify membership, promote anti-racism, and rectify gender concerns.

If elected to serve SHA, what priorities would you emphasize?

If elected as board member, I would support the current initiatives of the various committees and board. The many challenges presently faced by archaeology include social science funding cuts, legislative changes that could drastically redefine aspects of historic preservation and archaeological practice, and sea level rise. Advocacy and public outreach must be prioritized to combat these challenges. These issues are a clear priority for our discipline to thrive.

The Membership Committee completed a Needs Assessment Survey in 2014. This survey revealed that many members would like additional benefits, but most are not willing or able to pay more for them. I am interested in working with various committees to consider how some of these benefits could be achieved with minimal or no additional cost to members through expanded use of social media and virtual platforms. The 2021 SHA virtual conference will be an important testing ground for determining which elements of SHA can be best-served through virtual means (and which can not) and documenting and assessing the response of the membership to this new, necessitated approach will be an important priority. SHA has always emphasized and valued education and public outreach and many members already use social media to enhance both. SHA needs to unite more of these various initiatives on the SHA website to make them more accessible and easier to locate for students and professionals. SHA has the opportunity to form collaborations to create repositories of recorded lectures, labs, and analysis techniques to assist our profession at a time when faculty need these tools to educate students through virtual platforms and museums need them to engage and educate the public. These are important priorities as we move through this pandemic.

Finally, I would like to help SHA continue to develop practical approaches to creating a more diverse professional community and addressing unique challenges faced by women, people of color, and LGBTQIA+ people through continued work with GMAC on their important initiatives.

William A. White, III

Present Position: Assistant Professor, Department of Anthropology, University of California, Berkeley

Education: Ph.D., Anthropology, University of Arizona, 2017; M.A., Anthropology, University of Idaho, 2005; B.A., Anthropology, Boise State University, 2001

Professional Service to SHA and Other Societies: SHA: Member, Academic and Professional Training Committee (APTC) (2015–present), SHA Blog coordinator (2019–present); Society of Black Archaeologists: Founding Member (2011–present); Archaeological Research Facility (ARF): Affiliate (2017–present); Erma Hayman House Preservation Task Force (2014–present); American Cultural Resources Association (ACRA): Member (2019–present)

Research Interests: African Diaspora archaeology; race and racialization; heritage conservation; community-based participatory research; digital humanities

Biographical Statement:

Throughout my career as an archaeologist, my research has centered on how race and racialization has shaped the course of history in the United States. Prior to working in academia, I spent over a decade in the cultural resource management industry where I specialized in historical artifact analysis with an emphasis on racialization, consumerism, historical marketing, and how products are used to produce individual personas. My current work investigates how the racialization process embeds itself in the meaning and interpretation of landscapes, material culture, and history. My collaboration with the Society for Black Archaeology at the Estate Little Princess on St. Croix, U.S.V.I. is a community-based project designed to provide a space for African American youth to learn more about what life was like on a Danish colonial sugar plantation for the slaves and black contract laborers who once lived there.

Community engagement and professional training is central to the perpetuation of archaeology, and I believe we should use new media and a new ethos of inclusion to reach out to the people who live in the communities where we work. I use digital media, websites, videos, and podcasts, to help publics access my work and to connect with students who want to learn about archaeology. I also make every effort to provide experiential learning opportunities for university students in archaeological field methods and theory. I invest extra effort to introduce archaeology to students from underrepresented groups in hopes of giving them the professional training they need to become archaeologists because it is difficult for many young people to envision being an archaeologist when they’ve never seen one that looks like them or has had the same life experiences as they have. This aspect is essential to my goal of diversifying archaeology.

Given the qualifications and experience outlined in your biographical statement, what do you believe you can contribute to SHA if elected?

If elected to the Board of Directors, I will bring my strong background in professional training and cultural resource management to the table. As someone who started in CRM and is now working in academia, I am aware of the concerns both halves of American archaeology are facing. The incentive to stay in business while fulfilling ethical obligations as archaeologists guides CRM; teaching archaeology at a land-grant university is bounded by the mission to provide for an educated populace while helping prepare tomorrow’s archaeologists. To help fulfill these obligations, I have found myself working with indigenous communities, businesses, government agencies, and local preservation groups who see archaeology as a vehicle for rewriting histories, preparing young people for college, and introducing youth to the professional life. I believe community-focused archaeology is the best way we can create historical preservation advocates who support CRM as well as research partners that help make our work more meaningful to those who have to live with the aftermath of our activities.

The Board of Directors will benefit from my commitment to anti-racism advocacy, collaboration, and professional training. I have participated in the SHA’s industry-leading anti-racism efforts and have incorporated them into my practice and teaching. I have also participated in numerous workplace risk management and anti-harassment efforts offered by the American Cultural Resources Association (ACRA), National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS), and other organizations out of my desire to make sure every archaeologist can thrive in a safe and inclusive workplace.

My years running CRM and academic projects have given me a respect and familiarity of budgetary constraints, scopes of work, and regulatory contexts that guide so much of our research. The SHA is a non-profit, volunteer organization, so knowing how to work within financial obligations is also part of what I can willfully contribute to the SHA.

If elected to serve SHA, what priorities would you emphasize?

I would be honored to serve the SHA’s Board because being a member of this organization has shaped my professional career and conduct in a positive way. I have attended nearly every SHA conference since 2004, presenting research, organizing luncheons, attending workshops, and being part of committees. This is an organization that is dear to my heart.

I would like to offer the board my dedication to making positive change in archaeology by increasing diversity and community collaboration. My commitment to community engagement and collaboration is something that builds upon so much of what the SHA is already doing. I will also continue doing what I can to provide professional training to underrepresented students and welcoming them to the SHA because I believe that increasing diversity is one of the best ways we can strengthen this organization. Mentorship and training opportunities can be stymied if young archaeologists enter a space that they feel is lonely and off-putting. The SHA can augment its atmosphere of inclusivity through its ongoing anti-racism efforts, which I endorse. I would also like to increase our anti-harassment efforts as they are sorely needed in archaeology.

Archaeology in the 2020s is facing threats on multiple fronts and we need to increase the number of people who are advocates of our research and understand the importance of historical preservation. I believe this can best be done by reaching out to those who can benefit from our work. Helping preserve local heritage where it has been overlooked or suppressed is one of the best ways we can serve others while promoting archaeology as a public good.

NOMINATIONS AND ELECTIONS COMMITTEE

Justin Dunnavant       

Present Position: Postdoctoral Fellow, Vanderbilt University; Assistant Professor of Anthropology, UCLA (starting fall 2021).

Education: Ph.D., University of Florida

Professional Service to SHA and Other Societies: Society of Black Archaeologists: President/Co-Founder

Research Interests: African and African Diaspora historical archaeology

Biographical Statement:

Dr. Justin Dunnavant is an Academic Pathways Postdoctoral Fellow at Vanderbilt University’s Spatial Analysis Research Laboratory and will be joining the faculty of UCLA’s Anthropology Department as an Assistant Professor in the fall of 2021. He holds a BA in History and Anthropology from Howard University and an MA and Ph.D. from the University of Florida. While his former research interrogated the history and representation of minority groups in southern Ethiopia, his current work in the US Virgin Islands investigates the relationship between ecology and enslavement in the former Danish West Indies. Justin has conducted archaeological research in US Virgin Islands, Belize, Jamaica, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Mozambique, and The Gambia.

As a regular participant in Diving with A Purpose’s Maritime Archaeology Training Program, Justin is developing his skills in maritime archaeology. Working with DWP, he has assisted with the documentation of the Slobodna and Acorn wrecks as well as the search for the slave ship, Guerrero.

In addition to his archaeological research, Justin is co-founder and President of the Society of Black Archaeologists, an AAUS Scientific SCUBA Diver, and consults for the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture.

Given the qualifications and experience outlined in your biographical statement, what do you believe you can contribute to SHA if elected?

My current role as President and Co-founder of the Society of Black Archaeologists has given me insight into the many facets involved in the nomination and election process for a non-profit professional organization. I have learned the importance of crafting the roles and responsibilities of elected positions that fit within the guidelines of the organization’s by laws as well as the importance of identifying ways to boost member participation to cultivate a community of viable future leaders for the organization.

I hope to use my connections and knowledge across a wide range of areas to ensure that the nominees represent the wide scope of SHA’s membership while also remaining within the bounds of the organization’s mission and vision. My methodological experiences in terrestrial and maritime archaeology as well as geographical scope across the US, Caribbean, Central America, and Africa has put me in conversation with historical archaeologists from diverse backgrounds. Additionally, I hope to encourage participation and solicit insight from heritage professionals in fields related to, but not necessarily in, archaeology. My work with heritage professional in NOAA, NPS, and the National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC) will prove beneficial in identifying and soliciting strong candidates in these spaces. I remain committed to diversifying the field of archaeology by increasing opportunities for members of all underrepresented communities.

If elected to serve SHA, what priorities would you emphasize?

If elected to serve the SHA Nominations and Elections Committee, I would prioritize soliciting nominees that reflect the wide breadth of SHA members’ talents, interests, and backgrounds while also fostering opportunities for members to boost their comfort and competency in the organization. I am a believer that a strong, engaged membership is crucial to ensure a strong future of the organization. This requires ensuring that announcements, opportunities, and roles/responsibilities are disseminating in a timely manner and a manner that is accessible and clearly articulated to all members. It requires consideration of our members who live and operate in different geographic regions, with different access to resources, and who operate with different levels of capacity. In the age of the modern pandemic, maintaining member support, interest and engagement while encouraging participation is important.   

Carolyn White

Present Position: Professor of Anthropology, University of Nevada, Reno

Education: Ph.D., Archaeology, Boston University; Certificate in Museum Studies, Boston University; B.A., Archaeological Studies, Oberlin College

Professional Service to SHA and Other Societies: SHA: Chair, Academic and Professional Training Committee (2016–present), Chair, Student Paper Competition (2013–2019), Associate Editor, Historical Archaeology (2016–present), Member, Academic and Professional Training Committee (2010–2014), Member, Steering Committee Contemporary and Historical Archaeology and Theory (2014–present)

Research Interests: North America, Europe, Japan; material culture; contemporary archaeology; household archaeology; museum studies; cultural heritage studies; landscape archaeology; identity, individual, and group affiliation; method and theory in archaeology; 17th–21st century

Biographical Statement: 

I am Professor of Anthropology at the University of Nevada, Reno where I hold the Mamie Kleberg Chair and direct programs in Museum Studies and Historic Preservation.

My research and teaching focuses on cultural heritage, the materiality of daily life, and the built environment in the recent past and present. I have studied numerous archaeological sites in the mainland US, Hawaii, England, Japan, and Germany and now work within the context of contemporary and active site archaeology. I have written books and articles on topics ranging from the intersection of art and archaeology, the ephemerality of artist studios, the materiality of individual lives, the built environment of Black Rock City, and the archaeology of the present. My newest book, The Archaeology of Burning Man, has just been published by University of New Mexico Press (2020).

Given the qualifications and experience outlined in your biographical statement, what do you believe you can contribute to SHA if elected? 

I have been a member of the Society for Historical Archaeology since my days as a very green graduate student and have enjoyed working with the society for nearly twenty-five years now. I have chaired the Academic and Professional Training Committee since 2016 and have been a member of that committee since 2010. As an academic who has the privilege of advising and teaching undergraduate and graduate students in both theoretically-oriented and practice based courses, I am cognizant of the many needs of students who are moving into the profession. Students’ needs are constantly evolving, as is the world these students entire when they complete their degrees. Increasing student involvement is critical to the health and vitality of the organization and has been a focus of mine over the course of my professional career. As someone who works in many regions and over many time periods, I have had the opportunity to witness firsthand the expansion of historical archaeology around the world and think that it is vital to continue to raise the profile of the SHA as historical archaeology spreads further through archaeological communities.

If elected to serve SHA, what priorities would you emphasize?

As a member of the SHA Nominations Committee, I would prioritize diversity at all levels. A key role for the nominations committee is to identify individuals that are underrepresented in SHA and encourage wider participation. Further, the blend of professionals from the CRM community, public facing positions in local, state, and federal government, and academic contexts is an essential strength of SHA membership. I would like to see the leadership of SHA reflect the varied makeup of professional roles that make our organization both strong and relevant.

 

ACUA BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Bert Ho

Present Position: Chief of Cultural Resources and Museum Management, San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park

Education: M.S., Anthropology, focus on Underwater Archaeology, Florida State University, 2004; B.A., Anthropology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, 2001

Professional Service to SHA and Other Societies: SHA: Member (2001–present); various ACUA SHA conference panels; Register of Professional Archaeologists: Member (2004–present)

Research Interests: marine remote sensing; WWII sunken aircraft; U.S. West Coast maritime history; maritime collections management; artifact conservation

Biographical Statement:

Bert Ho began his underwater archaeology career volunteering with Florida’s Bureau of Archaeological Research while studying for his master’s in anthropology at Florida State University. He was fortunate to work alongside and learn from some great colleagues in the rivers of the Florida panhandle and along the Gulf Coast documenting and excavating shipwrecks and submerged prehistoric sites. Armed with his master’s, Bert was hired by NOAA to serve on a Navigation Response Team conducting hydrographic surveys primarily in the Northeast where he honed his remote sensing skills with shallow water multibeams and side scan sonars. He also responded to disasters that compromised the accuracy of nautical charts, like Hurricanes Ivan, Katrina, and Rita; ship groundings; and US Airways Flight 1549’s landing on the Hudson River in 2009. After six years with NOAA and serving as the team leader the last two, Bert joined the National Park Service’s Submerged Resources Center (SRC) in 2010 as an archaeologist, focusing on remote sensing surveys and site mapping. During his time with SRC, Bert led numerous projects throughout the U.S. and internationally searching for and mapping shipwrecks, planes, and other submerged resources. Highlights include documenting shipwrecks at Gulf Islands National Seashore; mapping several wrecks at Biscayne National Park including HMS Fowey; projects in Panama and Colombia with partner Universities and agencies; working with colleagues in South Africa and Mozambique searching for and documenting wrecks involved in the Atlantic Slave Trade; and leading an expedition to survey and locate lost aircraft from the Battle of Midway. In 2018, Bert again built on his career by joining the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, San Francisco District as a regulatory archaeologist. He used his knowledge working underwater to conduct numerous Section 106 consultations on projects regulated by the Clean Water Act and Section 10 of the Rivers and Harbors Act. His belief that your career is never defined by a single job in one specialty, but rather a constant opportunity to learn and broaden your knowledge through experiences, led him back to the NPS at San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park. He now leads a division that manages the largest archival collection in the NPS, a Maritime Research Center, and a small craft collection of over 100 unique boats. He is the park’s lead for NEPA and NHPA compliance and serves on the park’s senior management team as Chief of Cultural Resources and Museum Management.

Given your qualifications and experience, what do you believe you can contribute to the ACUA/SHA if elected?

I believe that throughout my career I have found opportunities to better equip myself with various skills that make me more versatile in the field of archaeology. I trained to be a better diver, a better surveyor, and constantly strived to be more efficient in project logistics. I led projects from remote islands in the north Pacific, and from the metropolis that is New York City, each with their unique operational challenges that tested me repeatedly. Through all these experiences and projects, the single most important underlying skill that was constantly developing had nothing unique to the field of underwater archaeology. It was the ability to connect and relate to people from vastly different backgrounds, points of view, and personalities; and truly listen to understand what is driving their interests.

Often in archeology we focus on the challenges with the fieldwork, the challenges with government policies, or the ever-shrinking operating and research budgets. While those are all necessary challenges to overcome, it is equally, if not more so, important to focus on understanding the motivations of our partners and those with opposing interest to preserving underwater cultural heritage. In my current position at San Francisco Maritime NHP, none of the skills I gained in the field from operating boats to running a magnetometer are as useful as the most human skills of listening to others and respecting their opinions even if I strongly disagree with them. It may seem simplistic to say that I bring “people skills” to the ACUA/SHA, but if we are to include underwater archaeology into as many discussions and decisions related to our collective past and shared future, then we will need board members with these skills communicating our message.

If elected, what priorities would you emphasize taking into consideration the ACUA and SHA missions and goals, ongoing committee activities, and the management and financial challenges of the society?

I have been fortunate to learn from mentors in all my jobs and within the agencies that I have worked for during my career. This largely has been a result of long legacies created within U.S. federal agencies that have decades of experience working in the field of underwater archaeology, slowly expanding their resources over time. That is a privilege that our international colleagues do not always have in working and building underwater archaeology as a discipline in their own countries, and I want to work towards bridging that gap. I will emphasize partnerships that not only can share technology but can share knowledge and experience in both directions to continue to refine how we conduct underwater archaeology worldwide. I have found that I learned just as much from my non-U.S. colleagues, particularly about perseverance, adaptability, and a commitment to giving their best for the resources.

Ashley Lemke

Present Position: Assistant Professor of Anthropology, University of Texas at Arlington; Chair, Advisory Council on Underwater Archaeology

Education: Ph.D., Anthropology, University of Michigan, 2016; M.A., Anthropology, University of Michigan, 2010; B.A., Anthropology and Classical Civilizations, University of Texas, 2008

Professional Service to SHA and Other Societies: SHA: Member, Board of Directors (present), ACUA: Chair, Board of Directors (present), Vice Chair, Board of Directors (2019), Secretary, Board of Directors (2017–2019)

Research Interests: hunter-gatherers; anthropological theory; underwater archaeology

Biographical Statement:

Ashley is an anthropological archaeologist primarily interested in hunter-gatherers, anthropological theory, and underwater archaeology. She has worked extensively on land and underwater in Europe and North America. Her underwater research is primarily focused on 9000-year-old caribou hunting sites in the Great Lakes. She has also worked on submerged prehistoric sites in the Gulf of Mexico and is leading a new project in the Atlantic Ocean. She is an assistant professor at the University of Texas in Arlington where she teaches Introduction to Archaeology and Underwater Archaeology regularly, as well as a terrestrial field school. Dr. Lemke’s field school was awarded the 3rd place Field School Diversity Award by the Gender and Minority Affiars Committee in 2018. Lemke has served on the ACUA since 2017 and is running for her second term. She has served as an officer every year she has been on the board, including 2 years as Secretary, one year as Vice Chair, and she is the current Chair.

Given your qualifications and experience, what do you believe you can contribute to the ACUA/SHA if elected?

Since joining the ACUA in 2017 I have been so impressed by the long history of the organization, its significant accomplishments, and its dedication to protecting, researching, and preserving underwater cultural heritage. I have learned so much from the other ACUA board members and have gained a deeper understanding of the diversity of underwater sites and researchers as well as the potentials and challenges we face with a growing underwater record. I contribute a strong voice to ACUA particularly concerning sites underwater of great antiquity. There is a growing interest in submerged pre-contact sites and it is critical for ACUA to have strong expertise in these matters. My experience in different officier roles has given me a deep understanding of the organization and what is needed for efficient and effective action.

If elected, what priorities would you emphasize taking into consideration the ACUA and SHA missions and goals, ongoing committee activities, and the management and financial challenges of the society?

If elected, my first priority would be the protection of underwater cultural heritage. Increased ocean acidification, pollution, industrial development and military exercises all pose serious threats to submerged sites. ACUA has a strong history of advocating for cultural heritage and I would work to continue those efforts. Another priority I would emphasize is to continue the ACUA missions to promote safe working and learning environments and champion underwater archaeologists from diverse backgrounds. Working closely with GMAC, the ACUA graduate student associates have highlighted issues of women and people of color in underwater archaeology and I would continue to prioritize this important work. Despite the challenges facing us, my prior experience with ACUA makes me confident that I will be able to continue ACUA’s primary missions while facilitating new ideas and avenues for the organization to look into.

Caitlin Zant

Present Position: Maritime Archaeologist, Wisconsin Historical Society

Education: M.A., Maritime Studies, East Carolina University; B.A., History and Geography, Carthage College

Professional Service to SHA and Other Societies: SHA: Member (2013–present); Register of Professional Archaeologists: (2015–present); Wisconsin Underwater Archaeology Association: Vice President (2016–present); Wisconsin’s Underwater Heritage: Editor (2019–present)

Research Interests: transport, trade, and maritime landscapes of the Great Lakes region; use of 3D imagery to track change and degradation of submerged sites; management of maritime cultural resources; remote sensing data collection and interpretation; citizen science and public archaeology

Biographical Statement:

I have been a Maritime Archaeologist with the State Historic Preservation Office at the Wisconsin Historical Society since 2014. I work to protect, preserve, and document Wisconsin’s shipwrecks and submerged cultural sites. Over the last 6 years, I have worked with local, State, and Federal agencies, as well as avocational groups and enthusiasts to conduct archaeological field and research projects to preserve the maritime history of Wisconsin and the Great Lakes region. With a BA in History and Geography, and a MA in Maritime Studies, I have always been interested in an interdisciplinary approach to the field of maritime archaeology and have applied that to my work in the field. With the Wisconsin Historical Society, I have been fortunate to work with an array of stakeholders. I have also focused attention on education and outreach as a method for engaging coastal communities and promoting a preservation ethic in these communities so they can be partners in the protection of our submerged resources. I have also had extensive experience on mitigation projects, museum exhibits, public engagement, and NRHP nominations for submerged sites.

Given your qualifications and experience, what do you believe you can contribute to the ACUA/SHA if elected?

In Wisconsin, we have a long history of working with volunteers and other groups with varying interests. As a shipping hub that is still active with commercial development, we have many competing stakeholder interests. It is something that is never boring, and it’s given me a wide range of skills to communicate with people. Working with a variety of different groups, stakeholders, and individuals with various and sometimes conflicting objectives, I have committed myself to working toward effective communication and understanding to promote collaboration and partnerships. Having clear and open conversations with these stakeholders is the first step toward this goal. In Wisconsin we have been successful in collaborating with individuals and groups with different interests through education and engagement. I have developed relationships with previous treasure hunters. Through education and continued relationship building, some of the now-reformed looters have come to realize the importance of protecting and preserving these sites in situ, and they now work with us to locate and identify new wrecks. Their knowledge and research has helped drive multiple new projects and NRHP nominations. I believe that this commitment and dedication to engagement is an asset that I would be able to direct toward my work within ACUA.

If elected, what priorities would you emphasize taking into consideration the ACUA and SHA missions and goals, ongoing committee activities, and the management and financial challenges of the society?

If elected, my priority would be promoting an interdisciplinary approach to tackle issues facing ACUA and the field of maritime archaeology at large. With new challenges facing our field, such as climate change, effects of invasive species, human and environmental factors, and increasing waterfront development, we must look to innovative solutions. I believe that by looking toward new connections and seeking varied expertise and viewpoints, we will be able to further this organization’s goals of preservation, education, and cooperation.