There Is Much Else that May Be Told: Lessons in Navigating Nontraditional Career Paths in Anthropology, Archaeology, and Beyond

Summary

This is an abstract from the "There and Back Again: Celebrating the Career and Ongoing Contributions of Patricia B. Richards" session, at the 89th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

Throughout her career, Patricia B. Richards has held many prominent positions within and adjacent to conventional academic anthropology, among them senior scientist, adjunct curator, principal investigator, and associate director of an archaeological research laboratory. While these positions have traditionally been held in different regard from the professoriate, they allowed her to forge a successful nontraditional career path well before it was widely considered a viable option. Her experiences navigating this path and the work ethic she models have influenced the teaching, advice, and mentorship she provides to her many students, preparing them for equally successful careers in a variety of anthropological professions. By framing this mentorship and support as guiding principles, this paper defines in small part the positive and wide-ranging impact Dr. Richards has made on the discipline through the paths taken by her mentees. We share these dynamic principles (and their associated anecdotes) to demonstrate their continuing influence and inspire similarly impactful mentorship.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• There and Back Again: Celebrating the Career and Ongoing Contributions of Patricia B. Richards   •
• Society for American Archaeology 89th Annual Meeting, New Orleans, LA (2024)

Keywords

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 38947.0