Ryan Jelso

To be part of the Campus Archaeology team had been a goal of mine since my very first month on campus. I remember one of my professors taking out class on a walk to one of CAPs excavations and I found it really intriguing. As a busy college student, my time with Campus Archaeology would come four years later. I graduated in the summer of 2013 and was lucky enough to be part of the Summer Survey crew before I left campus. The time I spent with CAP helped me build a perspective on how important cultural heritage and public archaeology are to society.

As a double major, (Environmental Studies/Anthropology), my college years were spent trying to find a way to merge my two passions. After I graduated, this remained the case. I took some time off to organize my thoughts and aspirations, while also exploring career fields where both my interests would be involved. Currently, I will be starting a job as a Research Support Specialist with The Henry Ford. I will be working in the Benson Ford Research Center helping with the maintenance of their collections. My time with CAP definitely helped me obtain this position.

There are some similarities between my CAP experience and my new place of employment. As a museum, The Henry Ford’s collection captures the traditions and lifestyles surrounding American innovation. It explores the evolution of American industry. With CAP, we used the archaeological collection, as well as the archives, to gain a better understanding of the traditions and lifestyles that have taken place on MSU’s ever-evolving campus throughout the years. Also, I think another important CAP experience that has helped me get a job with a museum like The Henry Ford is CAP’s commitment to public outreach. With any major museum, public outreach is an extremely important skill/experience to have.

I am also part of a Graduate Certificate program in Forest Carbon Science at MSU. It looks at the relationship between forest management and climate change. I will hopefully be beginning a dual Master’s program in Fall 2015. I am interested in Natural Resource Management and Public Policy. Overall, my goals are to become a leader in the field of cultural and natural resource conservation. My time with CAP is fundamental to helping me achieve that goal. Lastly, learning about the history and working on the CRM projects through CAP allowed me to build a deeper connection to MSU.