HISP alum Stephanie Sperling (C.H.P. '09) has been appointed Director of Archaeological Research by Anne Arundel County’s Cultural Resources Division . Sperling has been an important and influential research archaeologist working with Anne Arundel County since 2008, during which time she has worked as a consultant for the County’s Cultural Resources Division, and has provided professional services to the Lost Towns Project, Inc. and the Anne Arundel County Trust for Preservation, Inc. as an independent consultant.
Sperling began working with the County first as a field director and more recently, as the Principal Investigator studying numerous sites that make up the County’s rich archaeological heritage. In addition to more conventional archaeological investigations, including survey and data recovery efforts, her recent research has included assessing how coastal flooding and sea level rise impact cultural resources.
In her contractual role with the Cultural Resources Division, Mrs. Sperling will be responsible for guiding and overseeing a full range of archaeological research and educational programs supported by the County. She will work closely with the County’s Archaeology Lab Director to manage laboratory operations, and will administer and help grow public outreach and educational programs, including both an active citizen volunteer program and academic internship programs with local colleges and schools. In her role as the County’s Archaeological Research Director, she will continue to cultivate and foster partnerships with local cultural and historical non-profits that offer research support and public outreach programs. She will also provide oversight and professional guidance on the management of County-owned archaeological resources at parks and public lands across Anne Arundel County.
Later this summer, Mrs. Sperling will lead a crew of professional and avocationalist archaeologists, continuing the exciting research she began last year as the Principal Investigator on the cluster of prehistoric sites recently discovered at the Jug Bay Wetland Sanctuary.
In addition to earning a certificate in historic preservation, she also earned a Master of Applied Anthropology from UMD. To learn more about the County’s archaeological program and its partners in rediscovering our local history check out http://www.aacounty.org/departments/planning-and-zoning/cultural-resources/ and www.losttownsproject.org.