Stefan Woehlke

Stefan Woehlke is a Post-doctoral Associate in the Historic Preservation Program. His work focuses on community heritage empowerment by centering descendant communities in heritage projects. He is trained as a historical archaeologist that focuses on Cultural Landscape analysis using Geographic Information Systems (GIS). He also works as a digital preservationist focusing on the 3-D documentation of historic structures, memorials, archaeological excavations, and landscapes.

Stefan has worked as an archaeologist and Cultural Resources GIS specialist in the Private, Public, and Non-Profit Sectors. These experiences inform his teaching and mentoring responsibilities, helping students understand the diverse ways in which historic preservation and archaeology can be integrated into careers in many disciplines and sectors of the economy.
Stefan teaches 3-D Digital Documentation, Archaeology and Preservation Field School, and Preservation Studio. In the past, he has taught courses in Anthropology that include Introduction to Archaeology, Laboratory Methods in Archaeology, and Advanced Field Methods in Archaeology.

Stefan’s current work focuses on developing community-centered heritage projects with the African American communities that surround the University of Maryland and College Park. These communities have historical associations dating back to the enslaved workers that built the campus starting in 1856. These same communities continued to work at the University as staff through the era of segregated higher education in Maryland, up to the present day. These community projects have included archaeological excavation, digital documentation of historic sites using laser scanning and photogrammetry, and the development of online interpretive materials using the digital data collected in local communities.

Stefan also manages the Historic Preservation Archaeology Lab. The current lab project integrates decades of archaeological research conducted at the site of Kippax Plantation in Hopewell, Virginia. He guides students through the analysis of ceramic and glass vessels, smoking pipes, and trade beads from the 17th through the 20th centuries. Volunteers interested in learning more about archaeological artifact analysis are always welcome. Just send him an email expressing your interest.