CWC Students And Professor Win Statewide Archaeology Awards

Professor Todd Guenther and eight Central Wyoming College archaeology students attended the 2016 annual conference of the Wyoming Association of Professional Archaeologists and Wyoming Archaeological Society in Cheyenne. More  than 150 people were in attendance which included not only professionals in the field but also members from colleges across the state and Wyoming’s bordering states.

Three students received the Brad Humphrey Travel Award from the Wyoming Archaeological Society for their research. Morgan Robins presented her research titled “The Dinwoody Bison Jump: Communal Hunting at 11,000 feet in the Wind River Mountains.” And Ashley Glynn Harris presented her research titled “The Atlantic City Pioneer Cemetery Recording Project.”

Along with receiving the Humphrey award Nelson White III also received Best Student Research Paper for his work titled “Living Structures: A Native American Archaeologist’s Perspective.”

Our students presented among junior/senior level students, graduates and professionals. They hold their own pretty well compared to people who are a lot older and have a lot more experience. ”

Professor Todd Guenther

CWC archaeology students tend to be pretty ambitious and goal oriented. They not only conduct research on campus but many put in extra field projects so they can have adventures in science in the backcountry, Guenther said.

Robins submitted a grant proposal seeking funds to help support additional Interdisciplinary Climate Change Expedition archaeology field work on the Dinwoody Bison Jump and was awarded a $1,300 David Reiss Memorial Community College Scholarship from the Wyoming Archaeological Society and a George Frison Institute grant from WAPA.

Guenther received the coveted “Golden Trowel Award” from the Wyoming Archaeological Society for his contributions to the discipline by creating many opportunities for student engagement, learning and inspiring another generation of students to enter the profession.

“It’s great, I love it and I’m grateful,” Guenther said about his award. “I have so much affection and admiration for the people in WAS and WAPA; it’s great to be part of that. I’ve received praise this year for all the things our CWC students get to do but none of it could have happened if the entire CWC community did not help and if we didn’t have the considerable support from many people and agencies all around the state. This should be a group award.”

Later this May, all four will join other CWC students to will live in tent camps for the next three months during the CWC archaeological field school. Throughout the course of the summer they will conduct large reconnaissance projects for the Bureau of Land Management in remote parts of Natrona, Fremont, Hot Springs and Park Counties. After that, they will climb high into the Wind River Mountains to conduct research near the Dinwoody Glacier continuing the  ICCE archaeology field work.