MSUās Lambert, other researchers awarded NSF grant to create safe, inclusive archaeological field schools
Contact: Sarah Nicholas
STARKVILLE, Miss.āA Mississippi State faculty member is part of a collaboration awarded $300,000 from the National Science Foundation in support of research aimed at preventing sexual harassment during undergraduate field-based courses.
Shawn P. Lambert, assistant professor in MSUās Department of Anthropology and Middle Eastern Cultures and research fellow at the Cobb Institute of Archaeology, is partnering with researchers from the Southern Arkansas University Research Station of theArkansas Archeological Survey and Southern Illinois University Edwardsville seeking to combat sexual harassment during archaeological field studies.
Lambert said recent research in STEM fields has demonstrated āsignificantly high ratesā of sexual harassment in academic field schools across the U.S.
āMany students experienced harassment and/or assault during their first field school experience in undergrad, which is a mandatory requirement in most archaeology-focused departments,ā Lambert said. āThese findings show us that we are not doing our due diligence to promote a safe and inclusive environment during one of the most critical periods in young archaeologistsā academic careers. Our research team wants to determine the best practices that field school directors can administer to create the safest environment possible.ā
During the three-year grant period, the research team will conduct a landscape analysis, work with field directors and students, develop recommended practices, and finally, help implement the practices while documenting how they help create a safer and more inclusive field learning environment.
āUltimately, our team hopes to understand the critical components to develop a set of evidenced-based best practices that people in our field and beyond can utilize to prevent sexual harassment and assault,ā Lambert said.
āStudents who have been historically underrepresented in STEM, including women, students of color, students who identify as LGBTQ+, and students with diverse abilities, have an increased likelihood to experience harassment compared to those individuals who do not identify with these groups,ā he added.
The researchers noted that sexual harassment may be one factor contributing to the exodus of underrepresented groups in field-based sciences and STEM during undergraduate education. When this group leaves the scientific community altogether, a loss of diverse intellectual thought occurs, they said.
Ļć½¶Ö±²„Department ofĢżAnthropology and Middle EasternĢżCultures Professor and Head Hsain Ilahiane said a safe and inclusive fieldwork setting is critical for student retention and also is important for the promotion of anthropology as a major.
āDr. Lambertās NSF grant expands on this finding and seeks to create a safe and inclusive environment for women and minorities,āĢżIlahiane said.
Lambert said the collaborating universities are strategically placed around the Southeast to facilitate the success of the program. āThis research covers the entire southeast region of the United States, from Oklahoma to Florida, and on any given year, there could be 80-100 archaeology field schools scheduled.ā
āIn our profession, especially in conducting a regional study like this, there is strength in numbers,ā Lambert said. āThe more individuals and institutions that can rally around this project, the better.ā
All members of the Southeastern Archaeological Conference (SEAC), joining Lambert on the research team are:
āEmily Beahm, research station archeologist with the Arkansas Archeological Survey, University of ArkansasāWinthrop Rockefeller Institute Station.
āCarol Colaninno, research assistant professor in the Southern Illinois University Edwardsville STEM Center.
āCarl Drexler, research assistant professor with the University of Arkansas and station archeologist with the Arkansas Archeological SurveyāSouthern Arkansas University Research Station.
Lambert received his Ph.D. in 2017 and masterās degree in 2013, both in anthropology, from the University of Oklahoma. He earned his bachelorās degree from the University of Alabama in 2011.
His primary research focuses on the early Mississippian period (ca. A.D. 800ā1200). Lambert specializes in remote sensing and the analysis of ceramics, including design style, trace elemental analysis, and iconography to seek detailed histories of development, transformation, ritual integration, and movement of communities and interaction networks.
He has participated in recent projects in Oklahoma, Arkansas, Texas and Louisiana that focus on the role of ceramics in building and sustaining interregional community interactions.ĢżĢżĢż
Field directors interested in the project, can find more information at or email safefieldschools@gmail.com.Ģż
MSUās College of Arts and Sciences includes more than 5,200 students, 325 full-time faculty members, nine doctoral programs, 14 masterās programs, and 27 undergraduate academic majors offered in 14 departments. For more details about the College of Arts and Sciences or the Department of Anthropology and Middle Eastern Cultures, visit or .Ģż Ģż
Ļć½¶Ö±²„is Mississippiās leading university, available online atĢż.