Help the Archaeological Research Facility at UC Berkeley get more educational content on the web! Support our work at http://arf.berkeley.edu/donate
Want to know more about the ARF's programs? Join our weekly mailing list by clicking here: http://bit.ly/arf-events or sending an email request to: arf-programs@berkeley.edu
Title: Cultural Resource Management—The Wide (and Wild) World of Consulting
Speaker: Dr. David Hyde, Principal Investigator/Historical Archaeologist, Far Western Anthropological Research Group, Inc.
Abstract: Working in environmental compliance as a private consultant presents a challenging and dynamic career opportunity for archaeologists. Consulting cultural resource management (CRM) archaeologists must navigate complex regulatory frameworks and work productively with clients, stakeholders, and other interest groups, often with conflicting agendas and goals. Within these challenges, though, CRM work also provides opportunities for diverse archaeological experiences/research, meaningful community engagement, and productive collaboration. In this talk, David will discuss his transition from academic work and life as a Berkeley PhD student to being a CRM “professional,” touch on the skills and information he wishes he had before making that move, and provide insights into the realities of CRM consulting work so that graduate students might better understand if it is a good career option for them. This will be a candid conversation (not a sales pitch!) directed primarily by audience questions and interests.
About the speaker: David completed his PhD in Anthropology at Berkeley in 2019. In his research he explored emergent community relations and material practices within a pluralistic workforce at a historic-era lime kiln site and company village on the Santa Cruz coast. Since 2018, he has worked as a Principal Investigator and Historical Archaeologist for Far Western Anthropological Research Group Inc., out of their Sausalito (Bay Area Branch) office. In this role, David conducts archaeological projects within an environmental compliance framework throughout Northern California, participating in all aspects of that work, from project management to fieldwork, historical research, artifact analysis, and reporting.