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Industrial Archaeology Graduate Alumni Profiles

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Stephanie Kathleen Atwood

Stephanie AtwoodI grew up in the Keweenaw, instilled with an appreciation of the area's copper mining history and industrial remains by my grandfather, a Cousin Jack who not only worked for the mines in his youth but who was also the last in a long line of Cornishmen to work the area's copper mines. In 2003, I received a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and Art History from Macalester College in St. Paul, MN but was able to spend the spring semester of my junior year studying abroad at Goldsmith's College in London, England. Shortly after graduation, I worked on a project to nominate Laurium, MI—my hometown—as a historic district for the National Register. The process of doing this required the surveying and research of over 900 properties within the village limits. It was with this work that I realized that my interest in history, architecture, and conservation came together in the field of Historic Preservation, which proved to be a viable career path.

Stephanie Atwood with FDRMy thesis focuses on Lake Linden—a village only 4 miles southeast of Laurium but with a completely different history. While Laurium was platted purely for residential settlement, Lake Linden was the mill site for Calumet & Hecla—the largest mining company on the Keweenaw. C&H choice for the site was entirely due to its location on Torch Lake, which absorbed the countless tons of stamp sand the mill would deposit as waste. The village also served as a destination for immigrating French Canadians who could work for their compatriot, Joseph Gregoire, a provider of lumber to C&H. However, most of the Quebecois, as well as the other immigrating nationalities, had employment as surface workers at the mill. Today, very little material still stands on the mill site, which has resulted in many locals and tourists alike skimming over Lake Linden without realizing the important part in played in the copper mining industry. My work will include composing a historic district nomination for Lake Linden, writing a comprehensive history of the village, and providing interpretive and rehabilitation ideas. It is my hope that this work will encourage awareness and appreciation of Lake Linden for its history as well as its material remains, which are primarily residential and commercial buildings.

Shannon Bennett

Shannon BennettMy name is Shannon Bennett and I am a first year graduate student in the Industrial Archeology program. I spent my undergraduate years in Mt. Pleasant at Central Michigan University. There, I received an Education degree with a major in history and an art minor. I am now throughly looking forward to combining these interests with the field of archeology. After completion of the program, I hope to pursue a career that intergrates these fields as well as my educational degree either in a museum or collegiate setting.

Pat Baird

Pat BairdCame to MTU from Tucson, Arizona, and received his B.A. in Anthropology from the University of Arizona (1999). He became interested in mining history and archaeology while working as a seasonal archaeologist with the National Park Service, and this interest in mining led him to Tech. His thesis project focused on the Yukon-Charley Rivers National Preserve in Alaska, where he documented the cultural resources related to a gold dredge operated from 1936 to 1960, with special emphasis on the camps and water control system. He and his team created a GIS database incorporating spatial data, current and historical maps, photographs, and descriptions of all the historical cultural resources.  Pat completed his degree in 2005.

Kim Finch

Kim FinchGraduated from Wilfrid Laurier University, Ontario in 1998 with a BA in North American Historical/Industrial Archaeology, and History. While at Laurier, she participated in fieldwork at military sites in Ontario and in Bermuda. She was invovled in MTU field schools at the Carp River Forge, Fort Wilkins, and the West Point Foundry.  Some of my interests include the formation of industrial communities, and zooarchaeology. Her thesis incorporated geoarchaeological studies, including ground-penetrating radar and resistivity, at the West Point Foundry, NY. She enjoys rock climbing, camping, hiking, and kayaking, eh!  Kim completed her degree in 2004 and recently she has been doing contract archaeology in Navada for Summit Envirosystems in Carson City, working for Rob McQueen (MS in IA, 1992).

Rachael Herzberg

Rachael Herzberg Rachael Herzberg hails from Ohio and earned her BA in archaeology from the University of Evansville in 2003. Her thesis focused on the boring mill at the West Point Foundry in Cold Spring, NY. Rachel graduated in 2005.  Her other interests also include reading, music, movies, traveling.

Gary Kaunonen

Gary KaunonenHello my name is Gary Kaunonen and I am originally from central Minnesota. Both of my grandfathers worked in the Minnesota iron mining industry, so my interest in Industrial Archaeology springs from both personal and intellectual perspectives. I did my undergraduate at Minnesota State University-Mankato, receiving Bachelor of Science degrees in Anthropology, History and Psychology. I also had a short but amusing collegiate baseball career that was ended too soon by arm injury and bad decision making. I am currently working for Keweenaw National Historical Park in the Division of Interpretation and Education as well as being a student here at Tech in the IA program. Other interests are organized labor, cross country skiing and working with sled dogs. The wife and I have a small 6 dog kennel of Alaskan huskies that provide for most of our entertainment needs.

My thesis project deals with looking at industrial communities, specifically an industrial neighborhood in Hancock, MI, in the context of immigration and labor relations within the political economy from circa 1910 to 1913-14. It is a fascinating project which includes aspects of anthropology, geography, history (immigration, social, labor, economic and political), historic architecture and material culture, but I have run into a stumbling block. An essential resource that exists on one of the key actors in the neighborhood, the Tyomies Publishing Company, is written in the Finnish language. Moreover it is written in an archaic, slightly anglicized version of Finnish, so I am having difficulty finding a translator. Once I have this work translated, I will have a huge piece of the historic puzzle filled in that will help me better understand the people and institutions that I am attempting to study.

T. Arron Kotlensky

T. Arron KotlenskyMy name is T. Arron Kotlensky and I am a first-year graduate student in the Industrial Archaeology program at Michigan Tech. A native of Western Pennsylvania, I have long held a personal passion for the study of industry and technology, a passion that is now turning professional. Though I am very fascinated by all aspects of industry, my particular research interest is in mining industries and mining culture.

During the 2005 summer, I carried out an excavation project aimed at learning more about the blast furnace that operated on the site of the West Point Foundry. In particular, I focused on establishing the exact layout and dimensions of this furnace and its relationship to the intricate water system that runs beneath the furnace itself. Beyond learning about these aspects, I also hope to evaluate the quality of the iron produced from the furnace through chemical and physical analysis conducted at Michigan Tech's metallurgical laboratories.

Cristina Menghini

Graduated from University of Perugia (Italy) with a BA in Anthropology. Her interest in Industrial Archaeology started after attending a course in Terni organized by ICSIM (Institute for Business History and Culture). Her thesis was about Italian immigrants in Houghton County. She graduated in 2004 and was employed by ERG, S.p.A., Genova, Italy.  She is now doing similar work as a business archivist with ENI, the Italian petroleum corporation, in Milan.

Chris Merritt

Chris Merritt A Montana transplant, I finished my Bachelor's of Arts in Anthropology with Archaeology emphasis from the University of Montana in 2004. The last two summers I have worked as an Archaeological Technician for the United States Forest Service in Ely, NV and Salt Lake City, UT. My thesis is looking at the spread and consumption of locally produced pottery across the Mormon Domain of the Great Basin during the pioneer period (1847-1900). As part of my thesis research Tim Scarlett and I performed an excavation during the 2005 field season at a pottery shop in downtown Salt Lake City.

Photo Caption: Chris Merritt inside the excavation unit at Frederick Petersen's Pottery site in Salt Lake City. At my feet are two skeletons of interred family canines intrusive to the pottery site, and dating from the 1920s.

Certificate of Merit

Chris Merritt received a Certificate of Merit from the United States Department of Agriculture in September, 2004, for showing exemplary initiative and a dedication to the cultural resource protection while working for the Ely Ranger District of the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest.

Larry Mishkar

Larry Mishkar Larry's interest in the industrial landscape began at the tender age of 7, while watching a conductor poised in the copula of a speeding Soo Line caboose. A few years later, he discovered photography, his 'passport' for adventure and exploration of the natural and man-made worlds. This exposure to the world of industrial archaeology helped him focus his interests and passions into documenting the buildings, structures, and people involved in our industrial heritage. Pursuing the industrial landscape is a worldwide endeavor, with explorations to Germany, France, Malaysia, Canada, Norway, Finland, Sweden, Scotland, Spain, Holland, and the United States. His thesis documented 169 railroad bridges of the Alaska Railroad. He finished in 2004; spent 18 months as Research Associate, and is currently doing freelance IA and photography, while based in St. Paul, Minnesota. For a glimpse of his efforts, visit www.larrymishkar.com

Suika Rivett

Suika Rivett Suika was born on a U.S. Air Force base in Okinawa, Japan and moved to NW Arkansas as a child spent most of her life there. She earned a B.A. in Anthropology from the University of Arkansas Fayetteville in 2003. While at the U of A, I studied both Historical Archaeology and Forensic Archaeology. I developed my interest in Historical Archaeology while working at the Arkansas Archaeological Survey in Fayetteville, AR and through the many short digs I worked at through the U of A and the Survey. My specific interest in Industrial Archaeology started when I worked with a group at the Van Winkle Mill site near Rogers, AR. Professor Sabo, who she had worked with at the Van Winkle Mill, suggested looking into Michigan Tech for graduate studies.  Her thesis focused on the two CCC sites at the Black River Harbor Parl in the Ottawa National Forest.  She earned her degree in 2005.

James Rudkin

James RudkinMy name is James Rudkin. I am currently a Master Graduate student in Industrial Archaeology at Michigan Technological University. I am originally from Royal Oak, Michigan, but since then I have moved around, getting my education. I have received an A.S. degree in Marine, Engineering, Navigation and Seamanship, from Florida Keys Community College, in Key West Florida, along with an A.A. From there I moved my wife Casey and two daughters, Bo and Zo, to Ohio, where I earned a B.F.A in Glass and a B. A. in Art History, from Kent State University. Now my family and I are back in Michigan, living in Calumet. I still work with glass as an artistic medium along with studying it as a part of material culture. I enjoy studying process and development within the context of Industrial Heritage. This is why MTU is a perfect fit for me.

Edward Tennant

Ed TennantEd came to Michigan Tech after earning his B.A. in Anthropology at the University of Arkansas, where he focused on gold mining technology and sites in New Zealand.  His thesis project  at MTU, completed in 2005, worked on the integration of archeological data maps , and other data sources using the ARC GiIS platform.  Ed is currently enrolled in the doctoral program at the University of Florida, and serves as the Society for Historical Archaeology's Newsletter editor for Current Research for Asia,  For more information, see his web site: http://host200.ipowerweb.com/~little-y/about.shtml.

Erin Timms

Erin Timms Erin earned a degree in Art History form Youngstown State University in May 2003, along with a certificate in historic preservation. Three-years experience working at a steel mill, along with the industrial history of Youngstown, Ohio helped direct her to industrial archaeology. She had worked on an archaeological excavation of the Trumbull Blast Furnace (circa 1826) while in college. Her MTU thesis examined the blast furnace at the West Point Foundry with a particular focus on the blowing engine technology used at the site. She compelted the project in 2005. 

Dave Vago

Originally from Philadelphia, Dave graduated from the University of Maryland in May of 2001 with a B.S. in architecture. He then worked at the Georgia State Railroad Museum at Savannah until the spring of 2003. But in the summer of 2002, he took leave to work as an interpreter at the Cass Scenic Railroad State Park in West Virginia. His scholarly interests are in railroad history and technology and Appalachian industrial communities. His thesis project, completed in 2005, was for the Houghton County Historical Society and invovled developing a plan to interpret the remains of the Calumet and Hecla Mining Company's stamp mills at Lake Linden, Michigan. Dave joined the Preservation Alliance of West Virginia as its executive director in 2005, but in fall 2006 will be moving onto a project to interpret the Civil war battlefields of West Virginia.  His long term plans involve going into industrial museum and site development planning.

Alicia Valentino

Alicia ValentinoAlicia was born and raised in northern Virginia and came to the Upper Peninsula for the I.A. program and the 'winter wonderland.' Her 2003 thesis was on the West Point Foundry site in New York, and attempted to integrate a variety of different data sources, including photographs and historic records using theArcView GIS platform for site and data management. She also created a chronology of site development. She completed her doctorate at the University of Arkansas in 2006, the first ever in the department there. She joined other Tech graduates working at Summit Envirosolutions, Inc. in Nevada for a couple of years and is now working with a CRM firm in Seattle, Washington. She added, " It's a grand old time out here in the mountains." Alicia enjoys climbing or trying to find someone with whom to play softball in the parking lot.

Joe Wilson

Joe earned a BS in anthropology at Kent State University (Ohio) in 2000.   He was introduced to industrial archaeology in 1999 as a student at the University of Leicester, UK,  He later earned a MA in Religion at the University of London, School of Oriental and African Studies (2002). He returned to the US to study IA at Michigan Tech, and completed his thesis on the history and archaeology of the Huron Copper Mill, a reputable 19th century mine in Michigan's Copper Country in 2004.  He is now a technologist at the DNA laboratory at the Greenwood Genetics Center, Greenwood, South Carolina, and a visiting instructor in Anthropology at Lander University, Greenwood, South Carolina. Joe has been awarded a 4-year fellowship for Ph.D. work at the University of Florida beginning fall 2007. He joins Ed Tennant in that program.

OTHERS:

Julia Blair (2001): Copper Country Archives in the Michigan Tech library.

Jennifer Bollen (1999): after finishing her business degree at Emory University, she is now the Manager for Subscription Services for NASCAR.com, part of Turner Broadcasting in Atlanta. 

Brian Cleven (1997): staff archaeologist for R. Christopher Goodwin/Associates, Frederick, MD.

Sarah Cowie (1996): enrolled in the doctoral program at the University of Arizona

Grant Day (1996): Cultural Resource Analysts, Lexington, KY.

Kelly Dixon (1995): after completing her doctorate in archaeology at the University of Nevada at Reno, she is an assistant professor of anthropology, University of Montana.

Richard Fields (1996): Fort Gibson Historic Site, OK.

Barry James (1995): Historian, Michigan Iron Industry Museum, Negaunee, MI

Julie Kloss (2002): Two Pines Research Group, Shaffer, MN

Timothy Mancl (2003): Heite Consulting, Camden, DE.

Marco Meniketti (1998): after completing his doctorate in archaeology at Michigan State;  he is assistant professor of anthropology at San Jose State.

Efstathios Pappas (2002): temporary faculty at the University of nevada at Reno.

Dorothy Quirk (1999): University of Michigan Law School Library

Andy Sewell (1999): staff archaeologist, Fort McCoy Archaeology Laboratory, Wisconsin.

Craig Stencel (2000): Senior Project Manager of the Survey Research Center, St. Norbert's College, DePere, WI

Timothy Tumberg (1997): archaeologist, Minnesota State Historical Society, Fort Snelling History Center.

Paul White (1999): doctoral program, Brown University.