sunshinethomas@outlook.com
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ABOUT

PERSONAL DETAILS

BIO

ABOUT ME

I am a Secretary of the Interior-qualified archaeologist with wide-ranging experience in North American cultural resource work spanning all time periods. I have over 19 years of project experience in the Southeast, South-Central Region, Northeast, and Great Basin, leading archaeological and multi-disciplinary projects for federal, municipal, and private agencies. I direct projects from planning through final review to ensure results meet federal, state, and local standards of practice and legislation on behalf of our clients.

As a Principal Investigator, I have directed large Federally funded cultural resource surveys of 7,000 acres in Arkansas and Missouri; managed the cultural resource studies for TXDOT funded transportation projects in Texas; and directed projects requiring consultation with the Oklahoma SHPO and USACE-Tulsa District Offices, with ARPA and Oklahoma Archaeological Permits required. I have also served as the cultural resource project manager for NEPA Prime Consultants completing projects for ODOT, authoring numerous project proposals and serving as the internal reviewer and editor of survey reporting and standards compliance.

My fieldwork experience includes numerous surveys of all cultural resource types, as well as archaeological testing and data mitigation projects. I am a trained scientific diver, experienced in underwater survey and testing excavations typically in darkwater conditions. My research specializations include First Americans and historical archaeology; I have a fondness for turn of the twentieth century glass.

ARCHAEOLOGICAL EMPHASES

INTERESTS

My research emphasis is on rural and agricultural households of the late nineteenth and twentieth centuries. In particular, I am in interested in using archaeological and nutritional agroecology approaches to researching these site.

While my focus is on postcontact archaeology, I have extensive experience with Paleoindian sites in the southern United States. I have conducted submerged landscape investigations in Florida and in Nevada, and I am familiar with the methods and research of PaleoIndian archaeology and submerged landscapes.

FACTS

FACTS ABOUT ME

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RESUME

EDUCATION
  • COLLEGE STATION, TX

    ANTHROPOLOGY - PHD

    TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY

    My dissertation reframed small farmers in the southeastern United States before the 1940s as smallholders. I used food storage materials from Georgia farms and an assemblage of adult skeletal statures across the southeast to infer a continuation of gardening practices from the mid-1800s through to the 1930s. Gardening and food storage practices likely helped mitigate impacts on generalized health from the social and labor disruptions of the early 1900s.
  • CARROLLTON, GA

    ANTHROPOLOGY - BA

    UNIVERSITY OF WEST GEORGIA

    While completing my BA at UWG I worked at the Antonio J. Waring, Jr. Archaeological Laboratory. I ran the public outreach program, conducting lab tours, coordinating the annual public archaeology day events, and developing original curriculum for Georgia K-12 teachers to incorporate archaeology into their core teaching requirements.
POSITIONS
  • 2021
    Present
    AUSTIN, TX

    Principal Investigator and Project Manager

    AmaTerra, an Environmental Research Group company

    Senior project staff member responsible for project development through completion. Sunshine is responsible for project objectives and research design, while ensuring the quality of project work is executed to meet client needs.
  • 2019
    2021
    TALLAHASSEE, FL

    PROJECT DIRECTOR

    PALEOWEST

    Authored technical reports, public engagement plan, and reviewed the development of site management plans. Carried out background research, fieldwork, and analysis. Assisted with the development of research designs. Served as Broward County, Florida Consulting Archaeologist.
  • 2018
    2019
    TALLAHASSEE, FL

    SENIOR ARCHAEOLOGIST

    PALEOWEST

    Authored technical reports, conducted fieldwork and data collection, conducted artifact inventory and analysis. Maintained quality control for data collected in the field. Coordinated with curation facilities.
  • 2017
    2019
    TALLAHASSEE, FL

    ADJUNCT INSTRUCTOR

    TALLAHASSEE COMMUNITY COLLEGE

    Designed and taught General Anthropology, an introductory four sub-field course for undergraduates.
  • 2016
    COLLEGE STATION, TX

    VISITING LECTURER

    TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY

    Instructor for Indians of North America.
  • 2016
    2017
    COLLEGE STATION, TX

    IT CONSULTANT

    TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY

    Provided IT support for professionals and students with senior staff. Re-creation of college internal and external Knowledge Base. Developed Student Assistant training program.
  • 2014
    2016
    COLLEGE STATION, TX

    SENIOR IT ASSOCIATE

    TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY

    Provided IT support for professionals and students with senior staff. Worked with campus IT security to introduce encryption software to the College and increased support of remote meeting technology in classrooms to support distance education classes.
GRANTS
  • 2017
    COLLEGE STATION

    CLASSROOM TEACHING ENHANCEMENT - HISPANIC STUDIES

    TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY, COLLEGE OF LIBERAL ARTS

    Grant contributor. PI: Maria Irene Moyna. $34,755
  • 2016
    COLLEGE STATION

    CLASSROOM TEACHING ENHANCEMENT - HISPANIC STUDIES

    TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY, COLLEGE OF LIBERAL ARTS

    Grant contributor. PI: Maria Irene Moyna. $33,862
  • 2016
    COLLEGE STATION

    TRAVEL GRANT

    TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY, DEPT. OF ANTHROPOLOGY

    Awarded to present the paper 'Cotton to the Doorstep: Gardening and Food Storage in the Early 20th Century Southeast' at the Society for Historical Archaeology. $700
  • 2016
    COLLEGE STATION

    TECHNOLOGY PROPOSAL FOR THE CENTER FOR SOCIAL INQUIRY

    TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY, COLLEGE OF LIBERAL ARTS

    Grant contributor. PI: Jane Sell.
  • 2014
    COLLEGE STATION

    PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT SUPPORT AWARD

    TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY, COLLEGE OF LIBERAL ARTS

    Awarded to complete SOLO Wilderness First Aid in support of archaeological fieldwork.
  • 2009
    COLLEGE STATION

    RESEARCH DEVELOPMENT GRANT

    TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY, DEPT. OF ANTHROPOLOGY

    Awarded in support of the research project 'Researcher Access to Anthropological Collections'. $200
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CONTACT

Reach Out

Something I can help with?

Email me! sunshinethomas@outlook.com