Tera C. Pruitt
R sum
Address: Trinity College, Cambridge, CB2 1TQ, United Kingdom
Nationality: United States
Telephone: (UK) +44(0)795******* E-
mail: ********@*****.***
Profile
New graduate with considerable volunteer, fieldwork and internship
experience. Specialist in cultural resource policy, public archaeology, and
management of cultural heritage. High degree of integrity and self-
discipline. A quick learner and always interested in building new skills.
Experienced communicator and team player. Proven success in meeting
deadlines, leadership, and supervising others.
Education
University of Cambridge (Trinity College), Ph.D. (expected 2011).
Department of Archaeology. Thesis: "Authority and the Production of
Knowledge in Archaeology."
University of Cambridge (Trinity College), M.Phil. with Distinction,
awarded 2007.
Archaeological Heritage and Museums Studies. Thesis: "Addressing Invented
Heritage: The Case of the Bosnian Pyramids."
Rice University, Houston, TX. B.A. in Anthropology and English, magna cum
laude, awarded 2006, with special concentration in archaeological
illustration. C.D. Broad Scholar.
Barbers Hill High School, Mont Belvieu, Texas, Valedictorian. 2002.
Relevant Experience
Cambridge University Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, Volunteer
Assistant in Collections. (2004-Present)
. Supervised Master's-level students for exhibition and archive research
for the "artifact biographies" project in the Museum Redevelopment
Project. (02/2010-Present)
. Conducted historical archive transcription for the Alfred C. Haddon
diary photography project. (11/2010-12/2010)
. Supervisor for the correspondence archive digitization project with the
National Association of Decorative & Fine Arts Societies (NADFAS).
Photographed, digitized, and managed archive artifacts. (10/2009-
06/2010)
. Exhibition and archive work with Scott Polar Research Institute for the
online 1934 Wordie Arctic Expedition exhibit
(http://museum.archanth.cam.ac.uk/wordie/). (10/2006-03/2007)
. Archaeological permanent collections work - identification and packaging
of artifacts - and volunteer work for Big Draw community outreach
program, presenting knowledge to the public. (10/2006-12/2006)
. Assistant for the American ethnographic artifacts and textile
digitization project, which put museum textiles on the web. (10/2004-
05/2005)
Fitzwilliam Museum, University of Cambridge, Volunteer. (2008 and 2011)
Surveyor for the Fitzwilliam Museum Marketing Department (02/2011).
Surveyor for the Greek/Roman Gallery Refurbishment Project with the
Collections Department (02/2008).
Teaching and Course Organization (University of Cambridge, 2008-2011)
Lecturer for the M.Phil. Archaeological Heritage and Museums course in
02/2008 and 02/2011 on public policy and cultural heritage management.
Supervisor in the Department of Archaeology (small group undergraduate
teaching) for core undergraduate Archaeology courses in 10/2008-06/2010.
First Aider/Trustee/Guest Lecturer for Archaeology undergraduate course
fieldtrip to Brittany, France, in 03/2010. Guest Lecturer for the Cambridge
Summer Discovery Programme: "Forensic Archaeology" course for summer high
school students in 07/2010.
Academic Web Design and Webmaster Experience (2003-2011)
Eleven web design and web mastering projects from 2003-Present. Recent
work: Cambridge Heritage Research Group
(http://www.arch.cam.ac.uk/heritage/), Access Cambridge Archaeology
(http://www.arch.cam.ac.uk/aca/), Sport in Modern Europe (http://www.sport-
in-europe.group.cam.ac.uk).
Archaeological Review from Cambridge, General Editor. (04/2009-06/2010)
Committee chair and producer of the ARC, the 30-year-old postgraduate
journal. Oversaw the editing, design, production and marketing of the
journal to international subscribers. During my time as theme editor, the
journal generated the largest individual sales of any ARC volume to date
and inspired an increase in series subscriptions.
Houston Museum of Natural Science, Texas, Collections and Conservation
Intern (Rice University). (06/2004-09/2004)
Introduced to the management of databases and the presentation of knowledge
for public consumption. Learned conservation, inventory, research, and
permanent storage of American ethnographic and Pre-Columbian collections.
Archaeological Illustration: (Rice University, 2004): Produced computerized
and hand-drawn artifact illustration, level and strata charts, phase
drawings, graphs; supervised under Roderick McIntosh, Rice University, for
Jenne-Jeno archaeological site, Middle Niger. Some work published in R.
McIntosh, 2005, Ancient Middle Niger, Cambridge University Press.
International Fieldwork
atalh y k, Republic of Turkey (Stanford University project) (06/2009-
07/2009)
Ethnomethodological research and brief excavation experience, East Mound,
for PhD research on organizational authority, methodology and cultural
policy on an internationally recognized, multi-national collaborative
archaeological project.
Visoko and Sarajevo, Bosnia-Herzegovina (03/2007 and 06-08/2008)
Ethnographic research of 'The Bosnian Pyramids' alternative archaeology
site in Visoko for unprecedented research on popular archaeology. Produced
original research on cultural management policy in post-war Bosnia. Worked
with various levels of the public: general public, amateur archaeologists,
professional archaeologists.
"Storm Site," Wallisville, Texas (02/2003, 02/2004, and 2/2006)
Trench Supervisor: Student excavation with Sam Houston National Forest
Service and Rice University. Collaborative team effort to excavate a
Native American prehistoric site and contest the current understanding of
Texas soil stratigraphy.
Cambridge University Field School, Cambridge Fens (04/2005)
Participant in the Cambridge student archaeological excavation. Excavated
an Iron Age site in the United Kingdom.
"Storm Site," Wallisville, Texas (02/2004)
Trench Supervisor: Student excavation with Sam Houston National Forest
Service and Rice University. Learned leadership, management, and teaching
skills as a trench supervisor. Furthered competence in finds processing,
data processing, environmental sampling, and site report editing.
Palekaistro, Crete (05/2004-06/2004)
Field School with College Year at Athens program. Archaeological field
school at Minoan (prehistoric Greek) site. Gained experience in field
walking, conservation, plan and section drawing, and finds processing.
Achill Island, Ireland (06/2003-07/2003)
Achill Archaeological Field School. Excavation of a medieval village and
Neolithic tomb. Gained experience in surveying, photography, plan and
section drawing, surveying, finds processing, and excavation techniques.
"Storm Site West," Wallisville, Texas (02/2003)
Student archaeological excavation with Sam Houston National Forest Service
and Rice University. Learned basic excavation techniques, section drawing,
photography, post-excavation management.
Recent Publications and Papers
T. Pruitt. (forthcoming 2011). "Performance, Participation and Pyramids:
Addressing Meaning and Method Behind Alternative Archaeology in Visoko,
Bosnia", in A. Simandiraki and E. Stefanou (eds), 'From Archaeology to
Archaeologies: the 'Other' Past'. Oxford: Archaeopress.
"Some Are More Equal Than Others"?: Archaeological Access and the Politics
of Multivocal Interpretations" (09/2010)
(co-authored with Monique Boddington). European Association of
Archaeologists Conference 2010 - The Hague.
"A Journey through Performance and Practice: Exploring Methodology in
Qualitative Research" (04/2010)
Cambridge Heritage Research Group.
"Knowledge Production & Local Communities: Socio-politics and Alternative
Accounts of the Past" (04/2010)
Society for American Archaeology 2010 - St. Louis.
T. Pruitt & D. Yates (eds). April 2009. 'Invention and Reinvention:
Perceptions and Archaeological Practice'. "Archaeological Review from
Cambridge" 24.1.
Leadership and Management
Organizer: "Heritage and the Olympics" Conference. (04/2010)
Co-organizer of the 11th Cambridge Heritage Research Group Seminar.
Produced the call for papers; organized speakers, abstracts and conference
schedule with fellow organizers; designed the conference website.
General Editor: Archaeological Review from Cambridge. (04/2009-06/2010)
Committee chair and general editor for the ARC, a 30-year old postgraduate
journal of archaeological research.
Web Manager: "Sport in Modern Europe" Workshops. (2009-2010)
Non-attending manager of the Sport in Modern Europe website, and managed
papers from workshops. The Sport in Modern Europe Project is an AHRC-funded
and multi-university collaborative organization.
Web Manager: Heritage Research Group. (2/2009-04/2010)
In charge of the website and managed the society digital archives.
Secretary (and Society Founder): Archaeology Graduate Society, Cambridge.
(05/2008-05/2009)
Co-founder of the AGS, a social, support and networking society for
Cambridge postgraduates.
Web Officer: Cambridge Archaeological Field Club. (06/2008-05/2009)
Contributing committee member, IT manager and web manager of the AFC
undergraduate field club.
IT Manager: Archaeological Review from Cambridge. (10/2007-04/2009)
Committee member in charge of the website; managed the computing file space
and society digital archives.
Computer Manager: Rice University Marching Owl Band. (08/2004-05/2006)
Redeveloped the website, managed the IT file space.
Transferrable Skills Training
Introduction to Programming: University of Cambridge Computing Service IT
Training. (Forthcoming, April 2011)
GRADschool: University of Cambridge leadership and collaborative training
program. (Forthcoming, April 2011)
Wilderness Medical Training, (WMT): 'Far From Help' Course, Cambridge.
'Second-Aid' medical training (2010)
Certified First Aider, St. Johns Ambulance, Cambridge & Milton Keynes:
'First Aid in the Workplace'. (2009)
Postgraduate Interdisciplinary Seminar, Cambg. Centre for Research in the
Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities. (2008)
Advanced Web Authoring, University of Cambridge Computing Service IT
Training. (2008)
Bosnian Language Course, SOROS Syllabus Foreign Language School, Sarajevo,
Bosnia-Herzegovina. (2008)
Supervising Undergraduates and Small Group Teaching, University of
Cambridge. (2007)
Advanced Presentation Skills, University of Cambridge, Transferrable Skills
Course. (2007)
Professional Memberships
European Association of Archaeologists (EAA)
History of Archaeology Research Network (HARN)
Museums Association (United Kingdom)
Society for American Archaeology (SAA)
Interests & Trivia
Extensive international traveler (28 countries and over 500 cities on five
continents). Studied Bosnian language in Sarajevo, Bosnia-Herzegovina
(2008). Certified First Aider with Wilderness Medical Training (2010) and
St. John's Ambulance (2009). Volunteer with Rice University Admissions
(2006-Present). Volunteer in the Amnesty International Bookshop, Cambridge
(2009). Published poetry featured by the National Society of Collegiate
Scholars (2003). Trumpet player and pianist. Marathon runner and
Cambridge championship rower (with Trinity College).