Eve Avdoulos, Photo by E. Avdoulos, used with permission
Eve Avdoulos was eight years old when she decided that she wanted to become a paleontologist. At the time, it was unclear whether it was her love for pre-historic large reptiles or her curiosity of exploring and learning about things so foreign to our current world that intrigued her. A trip to Italy at age fifteen solidified that it was in fact the latter with which she was captivated. After seeing the plethora of ruins that decorate Rome, Florence and Pompeii, her interests transitioned from paleontology to archaeology. Her ambition of becoming an archaeologist never disappeared, and, in August 2008, Eve began her studies at Michigan State University declaring a major in Anthropology.
During her time at MSU, Eve was actively involved within the Department of Anthropology. As a freshman, she volunteered for Dr. Alison Rautman in the archaeology lab and worked with Dr. William Lovis and his graduate assistant photographing a selection of the Departments’ collection for a NAGPRA project. Between her sophomore and junior years, she was fortunate enough to attend Dr. Jon Frey’s study abroad program to Greece where she not only had the opportunity to learn about the art and archaeology of Ancient Greece first hand, but also participated in her first fieldwork experience at the Pan-Hellenic sanctuary of Isthmia.
In her junior year, she became involved with the MSU Archives & Historical Collections as a social media intern where her interest in public outreach began. In her final summer at MSU, Eve had the opportunity to participate in Dr. Lynne Goldstein’s Campus Archaeology Field School. This led to an internship with the Campus Archaeology Program under the supervision of Dr. Goldstein and Katy Meyers and subsequent CAP fieldwork during the Summer of 2012. Her time interning with the Campus Archaeology Program and the MSU Archives & Historical Collections set the foundation for her interest in public archaeology and the ways in which archaeology and history manifest in the present.
In September 2012, Eve moved to the United Kingdom to pursue a Masters in Archaeological Heritage and Museums at the University of Cambridge. Her dissertation, which she completed with a high pass, focused on the management of archaeological sites imbued with sacred values and centered upon the famous site of Hagia Sophia in Turkey.
During her Masters program, she was an active member of the Cambridge Heritage Research Group and recipient of a travel grant from Fitzwilliam College. She presented her research at Fitzwilliam College’s Graduate Conference. Her studies introduced her to a wide variety of concepts within the fields of archaeological heritage and museums, and increasingly became interested in the link between heritage and identity in urban settings.
In October 2014, Eve will return to the University of Cambridge to begin her PhD at the Centre for Urban Conflicts Research within the Department of Architecture. She seeks to understand the potential of culture-led regeneration in urban settings focusing on Detroit, Michigan and select European cities.
[Included in the Spring 2014 Dept. of Anthropology Newsletter, see complete newsletter here]