Student Funding and Awards

Peter Ryan Award

Peter Ryan is an alumnus of UNCG who died as a young man. In honor of his love for archaeology, Peter Ryan’s family has generously donated money to the university to support students who have engaged in archaeological fieldwork. The UNCG Archaeology Program provides awards of $1,000 or $2,000 once per year.

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2024 Recipients

Cassidy Fore

Archaeology Major, Anthropology and Spanish minors

Cassidy attended the Blackfriary Archaeological Field School (BAFS) in County Meath, Ireland in the summer of 2024.

“Overall, the BAFS allowed me, in the end, to be able to learn about the friary’s past and how to determine the order of events in which things occurred by revealing and understanding the stratigraphy and the finds of the site. I now have the greatest of insights into the integrated approach needed to be taken when it comes to excavating and recording and the post-excavation analysis. Along with how to be respectful of another country’s culture, how to work in a professional setting, and how to be organized and independent in a completely different environment. The BAFS will always hold a special place in my heart and I am incredibly thankful for the experience.”

 

Elias Downing

Archaeology and History Major, Anthropology and Classical Studies minors

Elias attended the Old Salem Archaeological Field School in Winston-Salem, North Carolina in the summer of 2024 with UNCG faculty member Dr. Geoff Hughes.

“Our tasks involved learning how to use an optical transit for survey, lay out a unit grid, use trowels during excavation, record stratigraphy, map units, and clean artifacts. These are just a few of the many skills and methods that were used during the excavation process. Aside from the methodological approach, Dr. Hughes also emphasized engagement with the community. One of the major things he ingrained in us during the excavation was the importance of the community during an excavation. Community engagement, whether it be involvement in projects or providing stories, is vital to archaeological work and in particular historical archaeology.”