Sheli Smith (1st row, 3rd from left) and Annalies Corbin (1st row, far right) at the ACUA Conference.
The 48th Annual Society of Historical Archaeology was held this year in Seattle with a theme of “Peripheries and Boundaries.” Nearly1000 attendees from around the world presented almost 400 papers and posters on topics ranging from contact sites along the Pacific to War of 1812 wrecks found in over 7,000 feet of water. Along with the papers, the annual ACUA (Advisory Council on Underwater Archaeology) Photo Competition hosted a record 56 images including two video shorts. The winning images grace each month in a yearly societal calendar. The conference culminated in a public session held at the local Burke Museum, which invites the public to attend. This year, Sheli Smith, PAST Dir. of Programs, presented two papers this year chronicling PAST’s participation in the Gulf of Mexico Deepwater Research (SCHEMA) and the Yukon Steamboat Survey.
As in the former years, PAST sponsored the international student travel award and hosted an ACUA luncheon. PAST also provides support for the SHA Society through Annalies Corbin’s position as Co-Publications Editor and through Annalies and Sheli’s positions on the ACUA Board. Throughout the year PAST continues to support the society by assisting in the publication of the annual Underwater Archaeological Proceedings, the annual ACUA Photo Competition calendar, and the SHA Special Series of edited papers. 2016 will see more involvement with the ACUA professional survey, as the PAST Knowledge Capture team lends a hand in designing and interpreting future surveys.
About Sheli Smith’s Paper
Providing Outreach that Empowers Teachers and Students to Create Integrated STEM Learning
Utilizing the whole experience of a multi-disciplinary expedition to reach teachers and students empowers the recipients. The Deepwater Shipwrecks and Oil Spill Impact study provided an array of
information to teachers and students covering diverse topics from how do folks in the southern tip of Louisiana build homes that survive flooding to what do microorganisms tell us about the impact of the oil spill and shipwrecks they thrive upon. Getting the information out through multiple channels from Facebook to traditional websites to super information sites enables bigger and braoder reach out into the public. This paper explores the methods and approach to managing information that has the potential to resonate with numerous audiences and impact education in a more transdisciplinary way