By Allyson Ropp
ACUA Board Member (and former GSA)
Being a student is hard, especially in underwater archaeology. You’ve completed your undergraduate degree, learned to scuba dive, and maybe even worked for a few years. You made it through the application process and were accepted to your dream school. You arrive on campus, excited for the next adventure…and immediately bombarded with questions, expectations, and new workloads. There is so much, and you want to absorb it all!
I don’t know about you, but this was my experience when I entered the Program in Maritime Studies at East Carolina University: so many new people, new topics, and new experiences. Being at East Carolina University allowed me to connect with professionals outside the Program through coursework and graduate student programming. However, it still made networking difficult, as I had become part of the ECU Maritime gang.
As I navigated school, I wanted to do more for underwater archaeology and develop more connections. These connections were professionally motivated, but also driven by a desire to learn more and give back. As such, when I returned for my doctorate, I joined the Advisory Council on Underwater Archaeology as a Graduate Student Associate Member.
What is this position, you may be asking yourself. Or better yet, what is the Advisory Council on Underwater Archaeology?
The Advisory Council on Underwater Archaeology is an international, professional board that addresses issues related to underwater archaeology, conservation, and the management of submerged cultural resources through education and outreach. Critical to this mission are the Graduate Student Associate Members. The Graduate Student Associate Members are current students in maritime and underwater archaeology from around the world who join the ACUA to advance the professionalism and international growth of ethical underwater archaeology.
As a Graduate Student Associate Member, I could support the growth of underwater archaeology. Through social media outreach (follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn), the student newsletter, and annual forums at the SHA’s Conference on Historical and Underwater Archaeology, I helped connect students with professionals and one another. I provided a platform for them to share their research. Furthermore, I had the opportunity to gain new skills and develop new connections with professional underwater archaeologists around the world. It was truly an incredible experience.
The same reasons I sought to join the ACUA as a Graduate Student Associate Member also drove our current members to join. Emily Farmer (East Carolina University), Christina Giudici (University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee), and Heather Stewart (University of West Florida) all share a desire to meet new people, both students and professionals, to support student networking and other professional development opportunities, and to continue learning about the field globally.
Now, I know the next question you have is, Why are you telling me all of this?
If you are a student reading this and feel similar to my experience described above, and you want to do more for the field, make new connections, and continue learning about underwater archaeology, then we want you to join us! Become a Graduate Student Associate Member of the ACUA!
As a Graduate Student Associate Member, you will have the opportunity to work in tandem with professional underwater archaeologists from around the world on different projects, including learning the back-end publications process, developing a student-focused newsletter that highlights student research, planning and participating in the ACUA’s mentorship program, and organizing and facilitating a session at the annual SHA Conference on Historical and Underwater Archaeology. These are just the beginning of what you can do! Currently, our Graduate Student Associate Members are developing a student-focused professional development series to foster growth in areas pertinent to a future in the field.
If you are looking for more engagement in underwater archaeology, have a desire to support student growth and outreach, and want to connect with students and professionals from around the world, consider joining the ACUA as a Graduate Student Associate Member! The position is open to all graduate students – from the newbies starting in August 2026 to those already enrolled and on their way to becoming an underwater archaeologist. All you need is 2 years of graduate program enrollment (Jan 2027 – Dec 2028) and an enthusiastic, go-getter, fun attitude! The call will be open this fall. We hope to see you there!
Categorised in: Deep Thoughts