Stanley Shumaker, a retired civil engineer and an amateur archaeologist, initiated the Geoarchaeology Lab Fund with a qualified charitable distribution (QCD) at the end of 2024. The fund will support Dr. Teresa Wriston’s Geoarchaeology Lab. Her research centers on how past cultures coped or adapted to changing environmental conditions. The DRI Geoarchaeology Lab uses a broad interdisciplinary approach to build environmental contexts that show how indigenous precontact people used the landscape and its resources.
Mr. Shumaker became familiar with DRI through his participation in Am-Arcs of Nevada, an amateur archaeology club that Dr. Wriston helps organize. This group manages a scholarship fund and meets monthly on the Reno DRI campus to enjoy research presentations from graduate students, professionals, and professors.
When the opportunity came to fund practicable innovations to archaeological research techniques, Mr. Shumaker was moved to support Dr. Wriston’s work.
If you are interested in learning more about supporting DRI through a QCD, please contact Kristin Burgarello, Director of Development, at kristin.burgarello@dri.edu or 775-673-7386.
