My name is Will Goetzman, and I am a rising senior completing my last summer of programs at the University of Pittsburgh. I am enrolled in an anthropology course in Wyoming and have the opportunity to explore my interests for the course’s final deliverable independently. This course is an excellent opportunity for me to produce a piece of writing in a small-class setting that will allow me to develop my skills more fully before graduation.

This is a photo of a butterfly found on the preserve

I hope to gain an appreciation for the American West and the many academic lenses through which I can explore my interests here. I previously spent a summer working in New Mexico and have become deeply connected to the beauty of the Rocky Mountain region. This class will give me the opportunity to research the landscape and the impacts of human habitation through a project of my choosing.

This is ‘Squid Tail Reservoir’ named for the large quanitiy of squid fossils found there

Given that I have no prior experience in anthropology, I am excited to learn the basic skills of intense observation and note-taking. These skills are broadly applicable as I prepare for law school and will give me a unique training for attention to detail. I have already begun working with the Vertebrate Collection’s curator here at the University of Wyoming, which is providing me with a very exciting opportunity to work with a different academic institution on my research.

This is my foot next to a cow print on the ranch

 The program offers plenty of opportunity for professional growth in addition to personal experiences in Wyoming. So far, I have been able to visit the expansive Allen L. Cook Spring Creek Preserve, owned by the Honors College, where we saw dinosaur fossils on the surface as well as archeological sites along the transcontinental railroad. To touch physical remnants of frontier history was a moving and thought-provoking experience that will inspire parts of my research project to come.