Collections Progress Report: September 2018

In 2016, the Sternberg Museum’s Paleontology Department was awarded two National Science Foundation (NSF) grants to support collection improvement projects. For the past two years the collection staff has been working hard on grant initiatives, so we wanted to update you on our Year 2 progress!

This year we added 89 new specimens to the collection, bringing the collection’s total to 21,634 fossil records.

Imaging specimens is a priority of both grants, and over the course of Year 2 the collection staff has captured 7675 photographs of fossils.  This includes the entire invertebrate fossil collection, as well as a couple hundred vertebrate fossils. Images can be viewed on the new (grant-funded) online database that was just launched this summer.  More photos are being added regularly.
Additionally, two vertebrate fossils have been 3D scanned with more planned for the next year.

Data-sharing is a big NSF initiative, and we are part of multiple collaborations to make the Sternberg Museum’s fossil data accessible to everyone. Data and images are not only shared on our new database, but images from the Western Interior Seaways fossil collection are also available on the Cretaceous Atlas of Ancient Life. During a summer workshop, we hosted Kansas middle and high school teachers to develop teaching activities using museum data and fossil pictures. This will take the Sternberg museum’s fossil collection into science classrooms around the state (and beyond).
Through these grants, five graduate and 12 undergraduate Fort Hays State University students have been funded to work in the paleontology collection. In the course of their work, they have been exposed to new scientific research, new software and technologies, and a different view of natural history. They have also gained valuable experiences with teamwork, independent work, data management, and organization.

With one more year left on each grant, we are looking forward to more imaging (2D and 3D), data sharing, collaborations, and professional development opportunities. Please follow the FHSU paleo program on Twitter @FHSU_Paleo for collection updates!

Student Spotlight

Fort Hays State University undergraduate students play a big role in ongoing paleontology collection projects at the Museum. Because of the two National Science Foundation grants awarded to the paleontology department, there are four undergraduate students funded to help with digitizing and archiving fossil specimens and specimen data. As the school year comes to a close, we would like to take the opportunity to acknowledge these students and thank them for their dedication.

Jehoiada “J.D.” Schmidt is a 4^th year Biology/Wildlife Biology major who is also pursuing a Justice Studies minor. Although he is more interested in a career working with live animals, he says “working in the paleontology collection has exposed me to an area of biology that I had not really considered very much (dealing with dead things), and has shown me how amazing and diverse the species of this world truly are!”

Kelsey Mills is currently a junior Geosciences major interested in a career in paleontology. Museum work is a big part of the world paleontology, and Kelsey’s experiences have led her to “an understanding of how museum collections are run, and how to fully operate a museums data base. It has also allowed me to put what I have learned in the classroom to good use.” After FHSU, Kelsey hopes to study hadrosaur dinosaurs paleobiology in graduate school.

Hannah Horinek is a sophomore Geosciences student who plans to pursue a graduate degree studying paleontology. For Hannah, “working in the collections is like a dream come true! I love getting to come in every day and help advance the Sternberg toward our goal of digitizing the Cretaceous specimens; it really fills me with a sense of purpose.” Even though she spends her days working with Cretaceous fish, she is interested in researching Devonian fish when she gets to graduate school.

Amelia Growe is a senior Biology major interested in entomology (insects). Though her academic interests are outside of paleontology, she has embraced museum work. “The Sternberg has given me valuable work experience and helped me develop professionally. Contributing to the iDigBio digitization effort is something I take pride in.” After graduating, she will pursue her Master’s degree in Biology at FHSU.  Her research will focus on mosquitos.

Life as a Geoscientist

Congratulations to Paleontology Collections Manager Christina Byrd for her award-winning photo! Representing the Paleontology Department, Christina entered photos from her work at the Museum in the American Geosciences Institute’s “Life as a Geoscientist” photo contest. The photo titled “Bringing fossils into the digital age” won first place in the “Data Visualization” category. It shows two Fort Hays Department of Geosciences students photographing a fossil clam shell encrusted with oysters. Graduate student Amber Michels (left) and undergraduate student Hannah Horinek (right) both work on a National Science Foundation grant awarded to the Sternberg Museum to digitize Cretaceous fossils; images and data collected over the course of this project will be available online. Cheers to Christina, Amber, Hannah, and the five other students working on data digitization and visualization in the paleontology collection!