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UWL Archaeology Alumni Podcast Series – Tonya Droessler

Tonya Droessler (’91, geography major and anthropology minor) discusses the impact of college on widening her world view, learning a variety of technical and soft skills during field school with UW-La Crosse (UWL), gaining experience in the field and the lab at MVAC, and how the guidance of MVAC and UWL staff prepared her and her fellow students to follow diverse career paths. She also describes how the knowledge and skills she gained led to employment in archaeology, aided her during a stint in the Peace Corps, and later transferred to a career in school counseling. Her takeaways for students include getting hands-on experience as soon as possible and not discounting smaller schools like UWL, which can provide valuable benefits such as access to professors and practical experience.

UWL Archaeology Alumni Podcast Series – Liz Schultz

Liz Schultz (’02, archaeology major and geoarchaeology minor) talks about her journey from an archaeology summer camp in her youth, through UW-La Crosse (UWL) and graduate school, to her current position as executive director of the Oberlin Heritage Center in Ohio. Liz discusses how her experiences at MVAC taught her skills that extend beyond the field of archaeology, including how to successfully run an organization and work collaboratively. In addition to acquiring hands-on experience, Liz recommends students explore study abroad opportunities and identify professional organizations of interest to develop a professional network and take advantage of membership benefits for students.

Dr. Ken Ritchie took a non-traditional route to earning a BS in archaeology from UW-La Crosse (UWL) in 2001, going back to school after visits to national monuments and parks and discussions with professional archaeologists convinced him that archaeology was a viable career option. At UWL and MVAC, he developed strong fieldwork skills and learned how to generate and analyze data, which led to research in Denmark as a graduate student at UW-Madison, work in multiple European countries, and his current position as a zooarchaeologist and field archaeologist at the Moesgaard Museum in Aarhus, (Højbjerg) Denmark. Ken also talks about the broader importance of knowing how to collaborate with people from different backgrounds and being open to opportunities for learning and new experiences.

Meg Rivers attended UW-La Crosse from 1998 to 2002 and earned a BA in archaeological studies with a minor in art. Spurred by an early interest in archaeology and Egyptology, Meg chose UWL as an ideal place to start her studies. Here she discusses how opportunities at UWL and MVAC, such as serving as an assistant director for the art gallery on campus and learning artifact illustration, helped her develop critical thinking skills, taught her to listen to different groups of people, and led to a focus on museum work and a career at the Smithsonian. Stay tuned until the end for some bonus museum stories!

Dr. Matt Hill attended UW-La Crosse from 1986 to 1991 and majored in geology with a minor in anthropology. Here he talks about on-the-job learning at MVAC and the influences of Jim Gallagher, Jim Theler, Connie Arzigian, and Robert “Ernie” Boszhardt. Matt also discusses enhancing his archaeological skill set in graduate school and his more recent work at Iowa State University, which has taken him from studying extinct megafauna to projects such as analyzing animal bones associated with the famous hominin Lucy. He encourages those interested in an archaeology career to stay curious about the past and develop skills in statistics, GIS, and a second language.

UWL Archaeology Alumni Podcast Series – Liz Leith

Liz Leith attended the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse (UWL) from 1998 to 2002 and majored in archaeological studies with a minor in recreation management. Here she discusses formative experiences at UWL and MVAC that helped her develop a realistic career path, building on that foundation to actively seek opportunities for growth at the University of Oklahoma, and the enduring value of forging professional connections. Liz also points out how MVAC provides “the perfect blend of circumstance and resource” for UWL archaeology students to gain applicable skills.

UWL Archaeology Alumni Podcast Series – David Alderman

Dr. David Alderman attended the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse (UWL) from 1999 through 2003, double majoring in archaeology and biology with a concentration in cell and molecular biology and a minor in chemistry. Here he talks about the synergy of the two majors, incorporating them into his senior thesis on land snails as indicators of favorable conditions for corn agriculture, and how studying archaeology helped him develop broadly applicable skills in critical thinking, problem solving, and operationalizing information. Watch until the end for a bonus segment where Dave recalls making the bison scapula and clam shell hoe replicas MVAC still uses in public outreach!