Departmental News

Posted:  Apr 17, 2023 - 12:00pm

Six UNM Anthropology undergraduates (Erin Cassidy, Jo Lynne, Jessica Hilfers, Jessie Johnson, Robin Kibler, and Autumn Myerscough) have been awarded the Society for American Archaeology (SAA) Cheryl L. Wase Memorial Scholarship for the Study of Archaeology for the 2023-2024 academic year.   

The Cheryl L. Wase Memorial Scholarship for the Study of Archaeology provides funding for undergraduate education in archaeology. It is awarded to women who are residents of New Mexico and pursuing a Bachelor's Degree in Anthropology with a specialization in archaeology from a fully accredited university in the state of New Mexico (Eastern New Mexico University, New Mexico State University, or University of New Mexico).

Archaeologist Cheryl L. Wase spent most of her career working in the high deserts of New Mexico. She died at the too young age of 53 in 2004. When her mother, Jane Francy Wase, passed away in 2013, she left a bequest to the SAA to endow a memorial scholarship in her daughter's name. This generous memorial bequest brings together three major themes that defined Cheryl Wase's life: her dedication to archaeology, her love for New Mexico, and her constant willingness to help and support other women.  

The Wase Scholarships cover the cost of tuition/course fees and books for all classroom and field based courses included in an accredited curriculum to earn a Bachelor's degree in Anthropology with a Emphasis/Focus/Concentration in Archaeology. A specialization in archaeology determined to be an Emphasis in Archaeology (ENMU students), a focus on Archaeology (NMSU students) or a Concentration in Archaeology (UNM students). The scholarship is renewable for up to five years, as long as the recipient remains enrolled, maintains a 3.0 grade point average, and continues to pursue a Bachelor's Degree in Anthropology with a specialization in Archaeology. Amount awarded is variable as is the number of scholarships available each year.

"I returned to school last semester, to pursue a life-long interest in archaeology, as an undergraduate, double majoring in Anthropology (Archaeology) and Geography (GIScience). I am interested in southwest archaeology as a whole, particularly in the Ancestral Puebloan and Mogollon cultural areas. My research interests are broad, but roughly correlate to large landscapes, such as the Upper Gila, Four- Corners and Jemez Mountains.  I hope to collaborate with and support descendent communities, doing my part to decolonize archaeology in the Americas and amplifying indigenous voices whenever possible." -Jessica Hilfers

"I’m currently a first year student at UNM so I don’t have much to show for research, but I know what I want to focus on in the future! I plan to get my open water diving certification and learn to sail over the next couple summers, then move somewhere a bit more costal for graduate school. My goal is to get into under water archaeology! I’d like to focus on shipwrecks from the golden age of piracy." -Erin Cassidy
  

"After completing my first year as an undergraduate I worked as an archaeological technician with the Umatilla National Forest out of the Pomeroy ranger district. During my time there I conducted pedestrian surveys, site evaluations, and more. I was able to learn about pre-contact sites and historics in the Umatilla and the Pacific Northwest. While in my second year of my undergraduate degree (at the University of New Mexico) I presented a research poster at the 88th annual Society for American Archaeology. My research poster was on the impact of one's first archaeology job and the need for more entry level positions for future archaeologists." -Autumn Myerscough