Archaeological Institute of America
Deadline: March 1, 2025
Announced: In April
Amount: $1,000 per winner
Purpose: Established in 2007 in honor of AIA Honorary President Jane Waldbaum, this scholarship is intended to help students who are planning to participate in archaeological field work for the first time. Students majoring in archaeology or related disciplines are especially encouraged to apply. The Scholarship Fund provides $1000 each to help pay expenses associated with participation in an archaeological field work project (minimum stay one month/4 weeks).
Eligibility:
AIA scholarships are open to students from all backgrounds. Minority and disadvantaged students are encouraged to apply.
For more information, please contact the Fellowships Coordinator at Fellowships@archaeological.org.
The Waldbaum Scholarship will be awarded to junior and senior undergraduates and first-year graduate students only.
Click here to make a gift in support of the Waldbaum Scholarship.
As part of the Archaeological Institute of America’s ongoing commitment to fieldwork and families, reasonable line items for the care of dependent and elderly family members are allowable expenses for AIA grants and fellowships
The deadline is March 1 (by 12:00 midnight EST). Applicants must complete the online application form. Submissions made via postal mail, fax or any other means will not be accepted. Please review the following Guidelines and Required Information prior to completing the application form.
All applicants must complete the following:
Unofficial or official transcripts must be sent to us electronically directly to fellowships@archaeological.org. ALL transcripts must be received by the March 1 deadline. All other application materials must be completed online, and received by the March 1 deadline.
Applicants must complete the online application form that asks for the following:
All application materials including transcripts and letters of recommendation must be received by the March 1 deadline. Incomplete or late applications will NOT be considered by the review committee.
NOTE: All applicants must notify the Fellowships Coordinator at Fellowships@archaeological.org immediately if there are any changes in their application information (i.e. the project you applied for is changed or cancelled; you received funding from other sources; etc.)
In addition to the application, letters of recommendation and transcripts, winners of the scholarship must provide a letter from the director of the project or coordinator of the field school program indicating that the applicant has been accepted for participation. Deadline for receipt of this letter is May 10. This letter must be on letterhead and signed by the director or administrator of the field project. It must be emailed to the Fellowships Coordinator, Archaeological Institute of America Fellowships@archaeological.org. Final determination of the scholarship winners cannot be made until this letter is received. [NOTE: if one of your letters of recommendation is from the director of the field project and he or she certifies that you have been accepted for participation, this requirement will be considered complete.]
Winners of the Scholarship must agree to submit a final report on their use of the funds and what the experience meant to them no later than 60 days after completion of the field project and to join the AIA at the student membership rate if they are not already members. Final reports will be posted on the AIA’s scholarship web page and may be featured in other AIA publications.
2024
UCLA
Brizeida is a graduating senior at UCLA where she is pursuing a degree in Anthropology and minoring in Spanish. In the summer, she will be attending her very first field school with the Institute of Field Research in Ireland. The field site of Monastic Midlands is a community based research project that seeks to understand the cultural history of the area. By studying the monuments and the geological structures of the area, this project seeks to understand the cultural heritage of the people who inhabited the site. Using a variety of archaeological techniques students will get first-hand experience in understanding the medieval site of Clonoghill Castle.
2024
New York University
Sophia Andrade, a rising senior at New York University will attend the Yeronisos Field Project in Cyprus this May. She’s especially excited about the opportunity to assist Professor Pieter Brouke on the cataloguing and interpreting of architectural blocks and moulding recovered from Yeronisos Island across 33 years.
2024
The College of Wooster
Sydney Berenson, a junior at The College of Wooster, will participate in Proyecto Arqueólogico Waka’s field school this summer. She’s especially excited about opportunities to work in Parque Nacional Laguna del Tigre under her advisor and to learn more about Maya iconography and culture from the knowledgeable Guatemalan archaeologists that she will work under.
2024
University of Victoria
Shayla Faminow, a new graduate at the University of Victoria, will attend the Eastern Boeotia Archaeological Project this May. She’s especially excited about opportunities to interact with Bronze Age material and help potentially excavate the first section of the Ancient Eleon Acropolis with the team.
2024
University of Georgia
Emma Iracondo is a junior at the University of Georgia studying Anthropology and Classical Archaeology. She plans to attend The Vésztő-Mágor Conservation and Exhibition Program in Hungary and is excited to learn how site preservation and conservation can impact archaeological excavations.
2024
University of California Santa Cruz
Kira Klonel is a junior at the University of California Santa Cruz studying Anthropology and Earth Sciences. She is excited to be attending the Spain Cova Gran field school this summer where she will be able to learn techniques of field excavation and paleoanthropology.
2024
University of Georgia
Aayush Umesh, a junior at the University of Georgia, will attend the Antiochia ad Cragum Archaeological Field School this June-July in Antalya, Turkey. He’s thrilled to learn more about Islamic culture in southern Turkey, and to examine the visual and material Roman rhetorics of Antiochia ad Cragum to synthesize his interests in archaeology and communication studies.
2024
UCLA
Alexandria (Alex) Velasco is a third-year undergraduate student at UCLA, and will attend the Monastic Midlands Excavation in Ireland this summer. She is eagerly anticipating learning survey & excavation techniques, historical & geological analysis methods, and being a part of the effort to share the findings of this work with the heritage community.
2024
Columbia University
Lucy Walaszek is a third-year undergraduate in the Columbia University and Trinity College Dublin Dual BA program, where she is pursuing a degree in archaeology. She will be participating in Columbia University’s field school at Hadrian’s Villa in Tivoli, Italy. She is excited to learn field techniques and to gain some speaking skills in Italian.
2024
University of Southern California
Bridget Zhang is a junior at the University of Southern California and will be attending the Liulihe Archaeological Project this June. She’s especially excited to learn more about the material culture of the Chinese Bronze Age and looks forward to visiting the amazing world heritage sites in Beijing.
Read about Bridget Zhang's experience
2023
Northern Illinois University
Annalisa Amber, a first-year graduate student at Northern Illinois University, will attend a field school at the late Mississippian site: Ten Mile Creek, in Central Illinois, this May. She’s especially excited to learn about mapping techniques. She also looks forward to learning about household/community-centered archaeology from the project’s team
Read about Annalisa Amber's experience
2023
Cal State Northridge
Tanichéé is a first year graduate student at Cal State Northridge studying Public Archaeology with a focus in Bioarchaeology. She plans to attend Archaeotek’s Medieval Cemetery Funerary Excavation of the Lost Churches Project in the region of Transylvania, Romania.
Read about Tanichéé Cain's experience
2023
University of Texas at Austin
Alessandra Dominguez is a graduating senior at the University of Texas at Austin where she is pursuing a double major in Anthropology and Art History. She has completed minors in Italian and Archaeology along with a certificate in Museum Studies. She will be attending her first field school at The Agora Valley Project at Morgantina in Sicily where she will be working with their environmental team. Alessandra is excited to enhance her field and lab skills while engaging with the Sicilian culture and practicing her Italian.
Read about Alessandra Dominguez's experience
2023
University of Pittsburgh
Meghan Hannum is a junior at the University of Pittsburgh studying Classics and Mediterranean Art and Archaeology. She will be excavating at the Lechaion Harbor Settlement and Land Project in Corinth, Greece. She is especially excited to visit the Archaeological Museum of Ancient Corinth and to immerse herself in village life!
Read about Meghan Hannum's experience
2023
Dickinson College
Hunter Omerzo, a junior at Dickinson College, will attend the University of West Florida Combined Terrestrial/Maritime Archaeology Field School June and July of 2023. He is thrilled to get in the water and start excavating the remains of Tristán de Luna y Arellano’s 1559-1561 expedition in Pensacola, Florida. He hopes to use this as a launching point for a graduate education and career in underwater archaeology.
Read about Hunter Omerzo's experience
2023
University of Texas at Austin
Sarah Roberts is a junior at The University of Texas at Austin studying Classical Languages and Archaeology and will be attending the Agora Valley Project at Morgantina this July. As this summer’s excavations will focus on the Roman Period, she is excited to learn about how the impact of the Punic Wars and the Roman occupation of Morgantina is reflected in the material remains of everyday life in the agora.
Read about Sarah Roberts's experience
2023
Brown University
Madeline Sharp, a recent graduate of Brown University, will attend the Institute for Field Research’s Colombia: Providence Island Field School this June. At Brown, she studied Biological Anthropology and Applied Mathematics-Biology. She’s especially excited to be working in the Caribbean: her home region.
Read about Madeline Sharp's experience
2023
University of British Columbia
Christopher Thoms-Bauer is a first-year graduate student in Classics in the Department of Ancient Mediterranean and Near Eastern Studies at the University of British Columbia. He plans to participate in the Apulum Roman Villa Project in Romania.
Read about Christopher Thoms-Bauer's experience
2022
Juliet Christin is a Senior at the University of Michigan – Ann Arbor studying Classical Archaeology. She plans to attend the 2022 field program of the Gabii Project in central Italy.
Read about Juliet Christin's experience
2022
Bethany Deware is a Junior at the University of Massachusetts – Amherst studying Classics and Anthropology. She plans to attend Poggio Civitate Archaeological Field School (Italy) in 2022.
Read about Bethany Deware's experience
2022
Renae Dishman is a Senior at Indiana University studying Classical Civilization (Art & Archaeology). She plans to attend the American Excavations Samothrace Project.
Read about Renae Dishman's experience
2022
Sarah Kenton is a Senior at Tulane University studying Classical Studies and French. She plans to attend the Pompeii 1.14 Project.
Read about Sarah Kenton's experience
2022
Sadie Pasco-Pranger is a Junior at Oberlin College studying Classical Civilization. She plans to attend Cosa Excavations in 2022.
Read about Sadie Pasco-Pranger's experience
2022
Emily Pihlaja is a Junior at Columbia University studying Archaeology. She plans to attend the NOMAD Science Mongolia Field School in 2022.
Read about Emily Pihlaja's experience
2022
Milsy Westendorff is a first year graduate student at Northern Illinois University studying Anthropology. She plans to attend Ka’Kabish Archaeological Research Project (Belize) in 2022.
Read about Milsy Westendorff's experience
2022
Ruzena Zatko is a first year doctoral student at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, studying Archaeology. She plans to attend the Advanced FieldWork in Central Alaska in 2023.
Read about Ruzena Zatko's experience
2021
Lindsay Alahakoon is a Post-Baccalaueate at the University of California, Santa Cruz, studying Cognitive Science and Anthropology. She plans to attend the Roca dels Bous Project in Spain.
Read about Lindsay Alahakoon's experience2021
Raquel Arran is a Junior at the University of Manitoba, studying Anthropology. She plans to attend the Slavia Field School in Mortuary Archaeology at Giecz in Poland (deferred to 2022).
2021
Claire Campbell is a Senior at the University of Arkansas, majoring in Classical Studies. She plans to attend the Marzuolo Archaeological Project in Italy (deferred to 2022).
2021
Alexis Cutshall is a Junior at Drew University, studying Studio Art, Art History, Anthropology, and Museum Studies. She plans to attend the ARCHAEOTEK Ossuary Excavation and Commingled Remains Osteology Research Workshop Lost Churches Project in Romania.
Read about Alexis Cutshall's experience
2021
Veronica Flores-Guillen is a Senior at Texas State University, majoring in Anthropology and Geography. She plans to attend the Aditu Arkeologia Field School in Spain.
Read about Veronica Flores-Guillen's experience
2021
Kelly Lan is a Junior at University of California, Riverside. Studying Anthropology. She plans to attend the El Palmar Archaeological Project in Mexico (deferred to 2022).
2021
Aubree Marshall is a 1st year graduate student in Anthropology at Michigan State University. She plans to attend the Marco Gonzalez Archaeological Field School in Belize (deferred to 2022).
Read about Aubree Marshall's experience
2021
Isabelle Paulsen is a Junior at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, studying in Anthropology, Classical Humanities, and Environmental Studies/Archaeology. She plans to attend the Geté Anishinaabe Izhichigéwin Community Archaeology Project (GAICAP) Archaeological Field School at Red Cliff, Wisconsin.
Read about Isabelle Paulsen's experience
2021
Paige Schmitt is a Senior at West Virginia University, studying Anthropology, Criminology, and Forensic and Investigative Science. She plans to attend the Center for American Anthropology’s Advanced Field School in Illinois.
Read about Paige Schmitt's experience
2020
Tapanga Fagan is a junior at Texas A&M University, studying Anthropology. She plans to attend the El Campanario Archaeological Project in Peru (deferred to 2022).
2020
Charlie Fischer is a junior at Boston University, studying Health Science and Public Health, with a minor in Anthropology. She plans to attend the Apollonia Project in Bulgaria (deferred to 2022).
2020
Charlotte Houghton is a senior at Macalester College, studying Classical Languages. She plans to attend the Cosa Excavations in Italy (deferred to 2022).
2020
Caleb Ranum is a first-year graduate student at the University of Alabama, studying Anthropology. He plans to attend the Piapan Archaeological Project in Peru (deferred to 2022).
2020
Jason Silvestri is a first-year graduate student at the University of California at Berkeley, studying Egyptian Archaeology and Art History. He plans to attend the el-Hibeh Project in Egypt (deferred to 2022).
2019
Caroline Ammon is a junior at Indiana University–Purdue University Indianapolis, studying anthropology. She will attend the Boncuklu Project in Turkey.
2019
Allison Howes is a junior at Carleton University, studying Earth Sciences and Archaeology. She will attend Doclea Excavations–Romans in Illyricum, Montenegro.
2019
Brandie Johnson-Valdez is a senior at Portland State University studying Anthropology. She will attend the Oregon Chinese Diaspora Project Field School.
Read about Brandie Johnson-Valdez's experience
2019
Greta Koshenina is a junior at the University of Mississippi studying Classics (Classical Civilizations/Italian and Math. She will attend the Poggio Civitate Field School in Italy
Read about Greta Koshenina's experience
2019
Samuel Powell is a junior at Columbia University studying Classics. He will attend the Advanced Program of Ancient History and Art at Hadrian’s Villa at Tivoli, Italy
Read about Samuel Powell's experience
2019
Laura Smith is a first year graduate student at North Carolina State University studying Ancient History. She will attend the Cyprus Archaeological Field School.
Read about Laura Smith's experience
2019
Elisha Valleley is a junior at Boston University studying Archaeology and Remote Sensing. She will attend the Belize Valley Archeological Reconnaissance Project.
Read about Elisha Valleley's experience
2019
Isabell Villasana is a senior at the University of California, San Diego studying Anthropology/Global Health. She will attend the UCSD/La Posta Band of Mission Indian Archaeology Field School in San Diego.
Read about Isabell Villasana's experience2018
Caroline Beatrice (Wellesley College; Eastern Boeotia Archaeological Project), Elena Bowen (UCLS; Peru: Corral Redondo field school), Sean Cantrell (University of Michigan; Gotland Archeological Field School), Ty Catello (Rutgers University; Rutgers University Archaeological Field School), Brent Christianson (Washington State University; Kissonerga-Skalia Excavations), Lauren Clark (University of Montana; Crow Canyon Archaeological Center Field School), Shannon Conley (George Mason University; Astypalaia Bioarchaeology Field School), Susan Crane (University of Texas Austin; American Excavation at Morgantina: Contrada Agnese Project), Cannon Fairbairn (Brigham Young University; ad-Deir Monument & Plateau Project), Adriana Feely (University of Texas; Belize Summer Field School in Archaeology), Jason Gren (University of Winnipeg; Roman city of Aeclanum through The Apolline Project/Underwater Survey of Portus Iulius project), Alexander Huaylinos (City College of New York; NSF REU Site: Exploring Evidence of the Anthropocene project), Mary Maisel (American University; Gateways Project), Rose Moir (McMaster University; Stélida Naxos Archaeological Project), Rachel Murray (University of Arkansas; Marzuolo Archaeological Project), Johanna Najera (University of California Santa Barbara; Settecamini Archaeological Project), Abbey Perez (Rice University; Rice Archaeological Field School’s Horrea Agrippiana Project), Courtney Roark (University of Virginia; Colonial and Native Worlds Field School), Samar Sydeda (Stony Brook University; Origins Summer Field School), Madeleine Trinco (College of DuPage; Czech American Field School), Tara Wells (Oberlin College; American Excavations at Morgantina: Contrada Agnese Project), Andrew Welser (The King’s College; Upper Sabina Tiberina Project), Crae Wilkins (Binghamton University; Hågerup Cemetery Excavation), Helen Wong (Brandeis University; Kastrouli Project)
2017
Blair Betik (Southern Methodist University; IFR Global: Mohegan Archaeology Project), Shyiesha Carson (University of West Florida; Luna Settlement Expedition), Jonas Chang (Truman State University; University of Wyoming Archaeology Field School), Amanda Chen (University of Maryland, College Park; Dig Umbria Coriglia/Orvieto Project), Donavon Cooper, Brandi Delp (Western Carolina University; Medieval Cemetery Funerary Excavation), Philippe Depairon (University of Montreal; Argilos Excavation), Roger Foster (University of Texas at Tyler; Blue Creek Archaeological Project), Nathan Katkin (Columbia University; Hadrian’s Villa Project), Flora Kirk (University of Maryland, Baltimore County; Roman Provincial Villa Excavation), Yusi (Katie) Liu (University of Wisconsin-Madison; Archaeological Field School at Nemea and Mycenae), Kevin McKain (Temple University; American Excavations at Morgantina: Contrada Agnese Project), Rodrigo Moscoso (University of California, Berkeley; Marzuolo Archaeological Project), Novella Nicchitta (University of Victoria), Nicole Oster (University of Georgia; Colonial and Native Worlds Field School), Eleni Pitses (Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Polis Region Prehistory Project), Alexis Ruark (Drew University; Vicus Martis Tudertium Project), Claire Seidler (New York University; Yeronisos Island Expedition), Aimee Weber (University of Arizona; Boncuklu Project)
2016
Jeanelle Augustin (Fordham Universtiy, Bandafassi Archaeological Survey; AIA New York Society Scholarship), Chloe Bergstrand (Carleton College, Mazi Archaeology Project), Emily Candell (University of Victoria, Eastern Boeotia Archaeological Project), Sana Chowdhry (University of Pittsburgh, NCSU Archaeological Field School), Sophie Cushman (Tulane University, Azoria Project), Rebecca Deitsch (University of Dalas, Gabii Project), Ned Fischer (Cornell University, Programme for Belize Archaeological Project), Leigh (Cole) Furrh (Emory University, Gournia Excavation Project), Alexandra Noël Grisanti (Amherst College, American Excavations at Morgantina
2015
Thomas Banghart (University of California, Berkeley, Fort Davis Archaeological Field School); Kelli Breeden (Bryn Mawr College, Chan Chich Maya Archaeological Field School); Michael Chapman (College of Charleston, Field School Pozzeveri); Talia Chicherio (University of Maryland, College Park, Gabii Project); Elena Ferrero (New York University, Yeronisos Expedition in Cyprus); Dillon Gisch (Stanford University, Poggio Civitate Archaeological Field School); Sarah Gorman (Old Dominion University, American Excavations at Morgantina); Tiffany Momon (Middle Tennessee State University, Cloverbottom Planation Project); Marvin Morris (University of California, Berkeley, Nemea Center for Classical Archaeology); Sean O’Rourke (University of Lethbridge, Yukon Field School); Joshua Schnell (Michigan State University, Maya Culture History Field School); Bryn Schockmel (Boston University, Caere Project); Emilie Uemura (Humboldt State University, Belize Archaeology Field School); Mieka Van Scoyoc (University of North Carolina, Asheville, UNCA Archaeological Field School)
2014
Emily Bair (Kalamazoo College, Bioarchaeology Field School at St. Valery-sur-Somme); Kiaya Charlton-Grant (Humboldt State University, Belize Archaeology Field School); Emily Durham (University of Pittsburgh, Tanana Basin Subarctic Archaeological Field School); Elena Gittleman (Southern Methodist Univeristy, Huqoq, Israel); Emily Hails (University of British Columbia-Vancouver, Central Coast British Columbia Field School); Sarah Janesko (Towson University, Archaeology in Annapolis); Shitong Kang (Colgate University, China Yangguanzhai Archaeology Field School); Michelle Martinez (University of Cincinnati, Kea Archaeological Research Survey); Caitlin Miller (Columbia University, Astypalaia Bioarchaeology Program); Tiffany Montgomery (University of Arkansas, Azoria Project); Isabel Morris (Hope College, Saint Anselm College Archaeological Excavation Project); Kay Nelson (Washington State University, Baruun Mukdagiin Am Archaeological Project); Jonathan Rocha (University of Texas El Paso, UTEP Archaeology Field School); Gabriel Sanchez (University of Oregon, Connley Cave Excavation); Crystal Stevens (Oregon State University, Cooper’s Ferry Archaeological Field School); Arielle Suskin (Tulane University, Upper Sabina Tiberina Poject); Henry Upton (Kenyon College, Gabii Project)
2013
Anna Elise Barnes (Eckerd College, Promtin Tai Project), Jenna Franklin (University of Montana, Gotland Archaeological Field School), Stephen Guerriero (Via Appia Antica Excavation), Ashlee Hart (University of Idaho, Balkhan Heritage Project), Peter Johnson (Brown University, Tell Satu Qala Excavations), Tyler Johnson (University of Arkansas, Gabii Project), Kyle Lee-Crossett (Stanford University, Catalhoyuk Research Project), Elizabeth Neill (Dartmouth College, Aigeira Project), Quentin Pharr (New York University, Yeronisos Island Expedition), Victoria Yuskaitis (Lycoming College, Tel Gezer Excavation and Publication Project), Zannan Zhang (University of Pittsburgh, Astypalaia Bioanthropology Field School)
2012
Ethan Aines (Las Positas College; Gotland Archaeological Field School), Morgan Albertson (Brown Univ; Grand Teton National Park Cultural Resource), Patricia Caddy (Vancouver Island University; Slavia Field School), Stephanie Chan (Stanford University; Amache Research Project), Robin Dubin (Scripps College; Kaman-Kalehöyük, Turkey Project), Hailey Duecker (Texas State University San Marcos; Slavia Field School), Raymond Hunter (Iona College; Proyecto de Investigación Arqueológico Regional), Benjamin Jones (Brown University; Liman Tepe Underwater Excavations), Susan Larsen (Western Washington University; Fort Rock Cave Fieldschool), Lauren Ledin (University of Wisconsin-Madison; Archaeological Field Training in China), James Oliver (Fort Lewis College; Achill Archaeological Field School), Jessica Rodkey (Purdue University West Lafayette; Zooarchaeology and Field Ecology Program Eagle Lake, CA), Mahmoud Samori (Columbia University, Stabiae Field School), Ann Vassar (Central Washington University; Mount Rainer Archaeology Field School); Rachel Wall (Proidence College; Chan Chich Archaeology Project)
2011
Ianna Angelo (University of California, Santa Cruz
2010
Amanda Flannery (Ripon College; Kincaid Mounds excavation, Illinois), Jessica Galea (University of Illinois; Amarna Project, Egypt), Katie Murtough (California State Polytechnic University; Slavia Field School, Poland), Colleen O’Shea (University of Michigan; Khovd Project, Mongolia), Sarah Newman (Brown University; Landscape Succession Project, Guatemala), Jess Senjem (University of Wisconsin; Troy Project, Turkey), Robin Watson (Florida State University; Cetamura excavations, Italy)
2009
Eric Mentges (Ohio State University; Isthmia, Greece), Kaitlin Moleen (Rutgers University; Gabii Project, Rome), Max Price (University of Chicago; Misti Archaeological Project, Peru), Margaret Stack (University of South Florida, Tampa; Project Roatan, Honduras), Alexander Zarley (University of Wisconsin, Madison; Petra, Jordan)
2008
Jacqueline DiBiasie (Washington and Lee University; San Felice in Puglia, Italy), Jacob Morton (University of Colorado at Boulder; Villa of Maxentius in Rome), Renee Pascouau (Central Michigan University; Copacabana, Bolivia), Emily Stevens (Bryn Mawr College; Cycladic Islands, Greece), Sarah Trabert (Kansas State University; Stranger Creek Valley, Kansas)
2007
Sean Burrus (UNC Chapel Hill; Yotvata, Israel), Emily Button (Williams College; Mitrou, Greece), Susan Kooiman (University of Wisconsin-Madison; San Ignacio, Belize), Hillary Pietricola (Bowdoin College; Torano di Borgorose, Italy), and Allen Rutherford (Northern Illinois University; Huaricanga, Peru)
