Kevin E. Smith/Hilary Stallings

kesmith@mtsu.edu,hstallin@mtsu.edu

Mark Byrnes, Dean

College of Liberal Arts

Discipline specific equipment

PH109A

N/A

N/A

In 2010, we received $125,000 in ARRA (federal stimulus) funds for infrastructure improvements and expansion for the Undergraduate Research Laboratories of Archaeology. No space was then available, so funds were carried over as state dollars. Space is now allocated in PH109 and the former stimulus funds will provide for 55% of estimated renovation/construction costs. This request is for funding the remaining renovation costs, enhancements to teaching/research collections, and equipment improvements that will permit effective use of the expanded laboratories for collaborative teaching/research projects between students and faculty in the archaeology, bioarchaeology, and biological anthropology areas. Renovation and equipping the expanded laboratories is critical to meet the training needs of the program for undergraduate laboratory courses and providing space needed to justify external grants for undergraduate science training in our area. The expansion will provide training and research space not only for students majoring in anthropology (ca. 130), but also from a variety of disciplines involved in the Interdisciplinary Minor in Archaeology (history, geosciences) and students engaged in interdisciplinary research from biology, chemistry, forensic science, and others.