On Thursday, April 7, the Kelsey Museum hosted an awards ceremony for the four winners of this year’s Kelsey Prize for Excellence in Archaeological Research and Interpretation. The essays and projects submitted by these U-M undergrads demonstrated careful research and thoughtful interpretation of objects in the Kelsey Museum’s archaeological collections.

Araceli Rizzo presents her research.

The ceremony began at 2:00 PM, with about 20 guests in attendance. Education Programs Assistant Stephanie Wottreng Haley introduced Kelsey Museum Director Nicola Terrenato, who said a few words about the Kelsey Prize and how excited the Kelsey community was for these students. Stephanie then introduced each student, who came forward to say a few words of thanks and to give a brief PowerPoint presentation about their research. The students were then presented with their awards: a selection of Kelsey Museum publications and $250 in prize money.

Kelsey Museum Director Nicola Terrenato presents Anna Luurtsema with her prize.

The objects that inspired the students’ projects are now on display in a mini-exhibition in the Kelsey Museum. Images of the objects and the installation are available to view on our website, where you can also learn more about this year's winners and read their essays.