Collaborative Research at Skidmore (continued)

Collaborative Research (continued)

Skidmore students and their professors have worked together on numerous research projects. This kind of high-level scholarship does more than enhances a student's understanding in a given disipline; the practical, hands-on experience and "real-world" accomplishment also instill a sense of confidence that will benefit a graduate in any career. Projects from recent years appear below, arranged by academic area.

Anthropology

Project: Images of Native Americans: Research and Exhibit Design
Participants: Professor Jill Sweet and Tim Karis '01
Plan: This project will conduct research for designing an exhibition of the Curtis collection alongside contemporary works of art by professional Native American artists. The exhibit will be designed to communicate that although Native Americans have a fascinating past, they also have an equally intriguing present, and contrary to Curtis' predictions, Native Americans have not vanished, but rather are creating their own images in their own ways. [More about the exhibit]

Project: An Examination of Bone and Shell Objects from Ceremonial Contexts in New York State
Participants: Professor Renee B. Walker and Susana M. Columna '02
Plan: This project will assess over 3,000 bone and shell artifacts recovered archaeologically from ceremonial contexts in New York. The collection is currently in the possession of the New York State Museum, pending repatriation to appropriate Native American groups. This evaluation will entail basic identification and description of the objects, interpretation of ceremonial implications, determination of material used for manufacture (where possible), and recording images of each object. The description and interpretation will require an extensive search for comparative materials and research on other bone object collections of its kind. Determination of material used for manufacture will necessitate microscopic examination to look for traces of the tools used to make the objects. Finally, a digital camera will create a permanent, photographic record of each object.

Creative Thought Matters.