Alaska needs more Alaska Native professionals in heritage management because the field is facing a critical shortage of qualified employees. With all the development happening in the state, Alaska Native heritage managers serve as boundary spanners who can protect cultural resources for future generations. So, this summer I want to provide a paid opportunity to gain cultural resource experience with the hopes of including more diverse voices in the field.
You may be asking yourself: What does fieldwork look like? What will I eat? Where will I stay? Who will I work with? I would want to know too. Please reach out to me if you have any questions at all. You can apply for this position here: https://eeik.fa.us2.oraclecloud.com/hcmUI/CandidateExperience/en/sites/CX_1/requisitions/preview/240453/?keyword=anthropology&mode=location Tis the season for grad school applications! When I remember the process of gathering my application materials, nothing seemed quite as daunting and mysterious to me as the cover letter. What was I supposed to write? Were personal details important or did they just want to know what my career goals were? What about experience I was lacking? I wish I could tell my past self the things that I have learned over the past few years of reviewing applications. Instead, I will share them here in hopes that it can benefit you!
There is a very specific set of information that your cover letter should convey to prospective graduate programs in order for admissions committees to determine whether or not you're a good fit. Like any review committee, this is just one small part of their entire job and they may not spend a great deal of time on your materials. So, you need to make these things crystal clear:
I received the good news about a month ago that I won an National Science Foundation CAREER grant. I have been working on this grant, permits, etc. for over two years and I still can't believe that it's been funded. I am so looking forward to doing the research outlined in the proposal and it's given me an opportunity to reflect on where I've been and where I'm going as I kick off five years of research funding.
Grant writing is a weird mix of wishful thinking and robust planning. There are so many interesting facets of archaeology, in central Alaska and beyond, that really get my gears turning. In many ways, it's fun to list some of the things that I've been most passionate about and get reviewer comments on them. Writing a grant like this has also pushed me to pursue parts of my research that are more risky or difficult. Even if I hadn't received the grant, I had a solid foundation by making the connections I needed to in order to submit it. So what will I be up to? |
AuthorBree is an Alaskan Archaeologist originally from Fairbanks. Today, she's an Assistant Professor of Anthropology at the University of Wyoming. Archives
February 2024
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