Mary Sullivan (MA 2007):

Getting my masters degree at Ole Miss was a great choice. I’m now teaching anthropology at a community college in Florida, which was the reason I went for my MA in the first place. Although I’d majored in anthropology as an undergraduate and worked in the field for four years prior to starting my MA, once I got on the “other side of the chalkboard,” I realized my grasp of the subject had increased significantly after being at Oxford.

The structure of Ole Miss’s program really appealed to me. We did classroom work for a year and then we focused on our individual thesis projects. I was given the latitude to do the research I wanted (continuation of a project in South America using geophysics). I’m a very independent student, but the help I needed was immediately available when I asked for it. In fact, many people gave generously so that I would have a successful defense.

Another major asset to the program is the Center for Archaeological Research. I had many opportunities to do paid fieldwork in the area (including cutting edge geophysics research), which was beneficial in terms of money and experience. Most archaeologists work in CRM, so making those opportunities available for terminal masters students is not only valuable, but in my mind, necessary.

Finally, I moved from Honolulu (where I was accepted into the MA program at UH) to Mississippi for my degree, and I don’t regret it for an instant. The availability of financial aid, community, and fun was so palpable on my campus visit that I cashed in tropical paradise for catfish country. And it was the best decision I could have made.

Erin Stevens (MA 2006):

I graduated in 2006 with an MA in Anthropology and the kind of preparation that only a department as uniquely focused as the University of Mississippi’s can provide.  The faculty’s open-door policy and commitment to teaching encouraged my development as a beginning researcher and laid the foundation for professional relationships that have continued into the present.  I was able to work with the Center for Archaeological Research on a number of research projects throughout the Southeast, many utilizing the innovative geophysical techniques the Center is known for.  My thesis research focused on political aspects of the mound building practices of people living in the northern Yazoo Basin in the mid-15th century.  After graduating from Ole Miss, I entered the Ph.D. program at the University of North Carolina, where I have worked with the Research Labs of Archaeology on projects in South Carolina, Mississippi, and Peru.  I am excited to get back to the Delta for my dissertation research and look forward to continuing collaborations with the Anthropology Department at Ole Miss.

Polly Held (MA 2004):

After graduating from Ole Miss in 2004, I landed a fantastic job as an Archaeologist/ Principal Investigator at a major Cultural Resource Management consulting firm in Austin, Texas.  Every job--whether a bridge replacement, pipeline, or land development project--consists of the same basic approach that mirrors the work that goes into an Ole Miss Master’s thesis: conduct archival and historic background research, perform field survey, analyze findings, and draft reports including conclusions and recommendations.  Every report is almost like a mini-thesis.  My Ole Miss grad school experience gave me a great professional training in CRM, as well as the confidence to use these skills to run projects of my own.  My job takes me to different places around the country to conduct research, and what makes it particularly fun for me is exploring a variety of contexts and figuring out solutions to new challenges on a day-to-day basis. 

Hayley Smith (BA 2007)

After I graduated from Ole Miss in 2007, I got involved with the Student Conservation Association, which sponsors internships for students in conservation, preservation, and interpretation. I had the unique experience of spending the summer at Scotty's Castle in Death Valley National Park as a living history interpretation intern. After Death Valley, I moved to Lava Beds National Monument, where I worked as an interpretation intern and librarian. Thanks to my degree from Ole Miss and being accepted into a graduate program, I was hired as a National Park Service interpretation ranger I used the skills and knowledge that I gained at Ole Miss every single day as a ranger. My job required working with local American Indian groups and interpreting their culture for visitors; what I learned at Ole Miss was a crucial starting point for that work. Classes at Ole Miss also taught me how to research, something that is critical to working in any kind of academic field. After leaving the Park Service, I joined the Department of Anthropology at Vanderbilt University as a graduate assistant. The anthropology program at the University of Mississippi more than prepared me for graduate school. I am very thankful that I went to Ole Miss- it's one of the best things I could have done for my career.

Pamela Edwards Lieb, (MA 2003 )

I graduated from the University of Mississippi in 2003 with a Master's Degree in Anthropology, having gained the necessary theoretical and methodological knowledge needed for a successful career in that field. My goal upon graduation was to work at the Mississippi Department of Archives and History (MDAH), the state agency that serves as the central information center for all of Mississippi's archaeological information. I achieved that goal and currently serve as the Chief Archaeologist and Curator of Archaeological Collections at MDAH. While at Ole Miss, I had the opportunity to work with many professionals in Mississippi archaeology, with various American Indian tribal representatives, attend state and regional conferences, and participate in cultural resource management work. Not only did Ole Miss provide the appropriate curriculum to prepare me for a career in my field, I also received hands-on experience in archaeology and was able to work with remote sensing technology and other tools of the trade that are so vital in today's archaeology. These experiences at Ole Miss not only prepared me for the job I have now, but they also fostered friendships and connections that continue to benefit me on a daily basis. As the Chief Archaeologist for the state, my job includes working with various federal, state and local agencies; consulting with American Indian tribes; developing programmatic agreements, memoranda of agreements; coordinating the Mississippi Archaeological Research Grant program; reviewing cultural resource survey reports and assessments; and serving as curator of the state's archaeological collections. I am thrilled to have had the opportunity to attend and graduate from Ole Miss and encourage all future archaeologists to apply.