Cameron Jean Walker

Dept. of Anthropology, California State University, Fullerton, 7 Recodo, Irvine, CA 92620 , 714-730-0831, camwalker@aol.com

Description of past and current involvement in public outreach and education

I have taught classes in anthropology and archaeology for over seven years. My Ph.D. dissertation, “Heritage or Heresy:  Public Interpretation of Archaeology and Culture in the Maya Riviera” (UCR 2003), explored how archaeological sites are interpreted to the public and the effectiveness of the current educational strategies.I serve my second term as AIA Vice-President for Societies, which includes the Education Committee, and have spearheaded numerous programs, including teachers’ workshops, archaeology fairs, and paper sessions on relevant topics. I serve as Executive Director for the Kershaw Museum in Aliso Viejo, CA., and will curate the upcoming exhibit, The Queen of Sheba’s Children. I have published several articles on archaeological tourism, including “Archaeological Tourism, Looking for Answers Along Mexico’s Maya Riviera”, NAPA Bulletin (in press). I have organized paper sessions on relevant topics, most recently “Tourism and Archaeology:  Protecting the Past for the Future” at the Annual Meeting of the AIA, San Francisco (January 2004).  I have also submitted several abstracts on the subject for upcoming meetings at the AAA and AIA. I helped design and implement the Bowers Kidseum permanent archaeology program, Dig, Discover and Detect. I have organized several archaeology fairs for families and for school children.  I speak to school classes upon request.

Interest in PEC Membership

I have served as Network Coordinator for the SAAPEC for the last few years but have found it difficult to coordinate in a state such as California.  I would very much like to be more involved in public education projects and to interact with others interested in the field in order to learn more and be a part of the dynamic creative process.  I believe that it is our responsibility, as archaeologists, to educate the public about our field; otherwise, we leave it to Indiana Jones and pseudoscientists to describe what we do and why.I can offer the experience gained during my extensive dissertation research as well as from the valuable and diverse contacts I have made over the last several years. I am very motivated to help advance the field of public education and I work well in a team environment.  I am organized and project oriented.

Area of interest: Teaching the public about archaeology, whether it is when they visit archaeological sites or when archaeologists interact with the public.  I am also interested in educating local peoples about their region’s archaeology as well as their interactions with the visiting public.

Target audience(s): the interested public