When considering what drew her to Appalachian State University, anthropology major and departmental honors student, Autumn Melby, recalls “I knew I had a passion for history, but I wanted to go beyond the written record and do something more hands on.” After attending an open house and meeting Dr. Cheryl Claassen who emphasized that the anthropology department at Appalachian advocated undergraduate independent research, Melby knew Appalachian was the place she needed to be in order to take full advantage of hands on research opportunities.
During her freshman year, Melby approached Dr. Thomas Whyte, asking for research and volunteer opportunities in the department. Whyte helped facilitate a research project for Melby that turned into a three year long study culminating in her senior honors thesis. This project allowed Melby to do primary research on pottery created by indigenous people living in the High Country 500 years ago, and to conduct her own experiments on her findings.
“Dr. Whyte has been instrumental in my growth as a professional scholar. He has made me a better writer, reader and scientist,” said Melby.
Melby also worked for Dr. Alice Wright, as a lab assistant curating for the Garden Creek Archaeological Project. She worked with database cataloging and found that through her continued research opportunities she has become a more well-rounded researcher and critical thinker.
“Since she arrived at Appalachian, Autumn has capitalized on every opportunity to grow as a student, researcher and professional,” said Wright.“Her papers were never just literature reviews, but rather thoughtful considerations of existing research with an eye toward what's next. This sort of creative thinking is simultaneously the most difficult, most fun and most satisfying part of being an archaeologist engaged in active research, and it's something that most people don't learn how to do until they are immersed in graduate school.”
Along with her studies and independent research, Melby was involved with the Anthropology Club throughout her academic career. She has helped facilitate talks by various professors, cultivated discussions about current issues in anthropology and organized social events for the club. She has also attended multiple anthropology conferences to present her findings, including last fall when she presented a poster on the initial research for her honors thesis.
One of Melby’s favorite memories at Appalachian was going to her first conference in Athens, Georgia.
“It was my first experience seeing what scholars in my field were doing, how they did it and how achievable it was,” said Melby. “I remember thinking –this is a real thing that has real implications.”
Melby, has been awarded a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship and will be studying at the University of Pennsylvania this coming fall, where she has received a full ride. The NSF Graduate Research Fellowship program recognizes and supports outstanding graduate students in NSF-supported science, technology, engineering and mathematics disciplines who are pursuing research-based master’s or doctoral degrees at accredited United States institutions. This award will offset Melby’s living expenses while she pursues her Ph.D. in anthropological archeology.
To learn more about the NSF fellowship program and the 2017-18 recipients, read: https://cas.appstate.edu/news/two-appalachian-students-receive-national-science-foundation-graduate-research-fellowships-0
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About the Department of Anthropology
The Department of Anthropology offers a comparative and holistic approach to the study of the human experience. The anthropological perspective provides a broad understanding of the origins as well as the meaning of physical and cultural diversity in the world — past, present and future. Learn more at https://anthro.appstate.edu.
About the College of Arts and Sciences
The College of Arts and Sciences is home to 16 academic departments, two stand-alone academic programs, two centers and one residential college. These units span the humanities and the social, mathematical and natural sciences. The College of Arts and Sciences aims to develop a distinctive identity built upon our university's strengths, traditions and unique location. Our values lie not only in service to the university and local community, but through inspiring, training, educating and sustaining the development of our students as global citizens. There are approximately 5,850 student majors in the college. As the college is also largely responsible for implementing Appalachian's general education curriculum, it is heavily involved in the education of all students at the university, including those pursuing majors in other colleges. Learn more at https://cas.appstate.edu.
By: Johnna Reisner
June 28th, 2018
BOONE, N.C.
Autumn Melby, Photo Submitted.
Autumn Melby, Photo Submitted