American Arkology Society President Charles Koestrin, Ph.D.
Message from the President
Message from the President
As I am sure you are aware, 2021 was a big year for arkology.
The Bravo reality-television program “Ark Hunters” and the PBS Frontline documentary “Future Tense,” both of which debuted in the past year, have recaptured the public imagination, bringing our field to the cultural forefront once again.
AAS has responded to this enthusiasm by expanding our educational programming. Despite the ongoing pandemic, The Outreach and Education Committee, led by Committee Chair Will Ollcrime, launched the “ArKids” initiative, which brought arkology-related educational workshops to public elementary schools. In conjunction with National Arkology Week, the Committee sponsored arkology book clubs at 128 public libraries across the country to foster evidence-based arkology discussion.
AAS has also taken advantage of renewed interest in arkology to further its policy agenda. AAS’s Legislative Policy Committee, led by Committee Chair John Mackey, continues to make inroads with senators and representatives who support our mission to preserve and protect arkology sites.
We are proud of our contributions to the realms of public education and policy, but more than ever, we are our proud of our diverse membership, which runs the gamut from cartographers to critical theorists, paleobiologists to poets.
We are only as strong as our members, who strengthen our organization and further our mission in so many ways. Your active participation is critical to that mission’s success. Though our 2021 annual meeting was held virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic, our members stepped up to share their research across our community. We are already looking forward to next year’s Annual Meeting in Phoenix, March 1-3. I hope you’ll take advantage of the vibrant community we’ve built over the past three-and-a-half decades.
If you are not a member, there’s never been a better time to engage with AAS and help us define our future. Whether you are an armchair arkologist or an academic, there’s a place for you in AAS.
Sincerely,
Charles Koestrin, Ph.D.
AAS President
As I am sure you are aware, 2021 was a big year for arkology.
The Bravo reality-television program “Ark Hunters” and the PBS Frontline documentary “Future Tense,” both of which debuted in the past year, have recaptured the public imagination, bringing our field to the cultural forefront once again.
AAS has responded to this enthusiasm by expanding our educational programming. Despite the ongoing pandemic, The Outreach and Education Committee, led by Committee Chair Will Ollcrime, launched the “ArKids” initiative, which brought arkology-related educational workshops to public elementary schools. In conjunction with National Arkology Week, the Committee sponsored arkology book clubs at 128 public libraries across the country to foster evidence-based arkology discussion.
AAS has also taken advantage of renewed interest in arkology to further its policy agenda. AAS’s Legislative Policy Committee, led by Committee Chair John Mackey, continues to make inroads with senators and representatives who support our mission to preserve and protect arkology sites.
We are proud of our contributions to the realms of public education and policy, but more than ever, we are our proud of our diverse membership, which runs the gamut from cartographers to critical theorists, paleobiologists to poets.
We are only as strong as our members, who strengthen our organization and further our mission in so many ways. Your active participation is critical to that mission’s success. Though our 2021 annual meeting was held virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic, our members stepped up to share their research across our community. We are already looking forward to next year’s Annual Meeting in Phoenix, March 1-3. I hope you’ll take advantage of the vibrant community we’ve built over the past three-and-a-half decades.
If you are not a member, there’s never been a better time to engage with AAS and help us define our future. Whether you are an armchair arkologist or an academic, there’s a place for you in AAS.
Sincerely,
Charles Koestrin, Ph.D.
AAS President
