Barbara Frank Receives Archaeological Fellows Award
Published: May 14, 2024 | Author: Clare-Estelle Perkins | Read Time: 2 minutes
Barbara Frank, director of the SUU Archaeology Repository, has received the Utah Professional Archaeological Council (UPAC) Fellows Award. Frank was honored for her exceptional contributions to Utah archaeology over the past 45 years, including her mentoring of students at the Field School and in the Repository, and her significant contributions to the prehistory of southwestern Utah.
"I love archaeology and feel fortunate to have been able to have a job which I still love," said Frank. "I enjoy communicating my enthusiasm for the field to students and interested audiences."
Frank has been an integral part of SUU since the summer of 1984, when she first joined Dr. Richard A. Thompson, who taught Anthropology from the early 1960s to 1985, as part of the Archaeological Field School Program. She has been running the Archaeology Repository since 1995.
“Archaeology, a sub-discipline of Anthropology, is about discovering new ideas and ways of looking at the human experience through time, it aids us in how we look at the world, and the people who inhabit it through the lens of time,” said Frank. “I love connecting with the past, and the prehistoric cultures of this region, through fieldwork and exposing students to the field.”
The UPAC Fellows Award is a recognition from her fellow archaeologists of Ms. Frank's contributions. It is for her valued mentoring of students at the Field School and in the Repository, her contributions to Utah archaeology during the past 45 years and her contributions to the prehistory of southwestern Utah. This award is only given out periodically, with Frank being the 12th recipient in the past 40 years.
"I have been a professional archaeologist in the state of Utah since around 1979," Frank said. "I am regarded as an expert concerning the prehistoric Ancestral Puebloan (Virgin Anasazi), and Paiute cultures of southwestern Utah, as well as the general archaeology of the area."
In addition to her work at SUU, Frank has also contributed a chapter in the book “With Grit and Determination: A Century of Change for Women in Great Basin and American Archaeology” (University of Utah Press), about her experiences of being a successful archaeologist without the benefit of a graduate degree.
Barbara Frank's dedication to archaeology and her extensive knowledge of prehistoric cultures in southwestern Utah make her a deserving recipient of this prestigious award. SUU is proud to have her as part of our staff and congratulates her on this well-deserved honor.
Tags: College of Humanities and Social Sciences Anthropology FacStaff History Sociology and Anthropology
Contact Information:
Nikki Koontz
4355865400
nikkikoontz@suu.edu