Nearly 90 years after Amelia Earhart disappeared while attempting to fly around the world, the mystery of what happened to the pioneering aviator continues to draw researchers to some of the most remote places on Earth. For William Wilson, a University of West Florida maritime archaeologist and faculty research associate, the opportunity to investigate one […]
UWF President Emerita and Professor Emerita of anthropology and archaeology Dr. Judith Bense’s new book, “Early Spanish Florida: Unearthing the History of America’s Oldest Colony,” has been selected for the “Great Reads from Great Places” list for the Library of Congress’s 2026 National Book Festival. “In one word, it feels great,” Bense said of her […]
Faculty researchers and archaeology students at the University of West Florida have uncovered artifacts linked to multiple pre-Columbian Native American cultures during a recent archaeological survey on UWF’s Pensacola campus. The survey, conducted by the UWF Archaeology Institute, relocated a previously documented archaeological site first discovered on campus in 1989. Through systematic shovel test excavations, […]
A multi-organizational research team led by the UWF Archaeology Institute’s assistant director, Nicole Grinnan, has been awarded the 2026 Mark E. Mack Community Engagement award from the Society for Historical Archaeology. This prestigious international award recognizes the Archaeology Institute’s research in Apalachicola, Florida, for exhibiting “outstanding best practices in community collaboration, engagement and outreach in […]
The University of West Florida’s College of Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities is proud to announce this year’s Gulf Coast Culture Series theme: Pensacola Noir. The Gulf Coast Culture Series is an evolution of the longstanding Experience UWF Downtown Lecture Series. Launched in 2024, GCC expands beyond lectures to celebrate the rich cultural tapestry of […]
Phoenix Farnham, a graduate student in the University of West Florida’s Department of Anthropology, was selected for a paid internship with the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, a highly competitive program focused on forensic anthropology. Farnham was one of only six students nationwide chosen for this prestigious opportunity out of a pool of 135 applicants. The […]
Two University of West Florida archaeologists have transformed their passion for public outreach and historical storytelling into a new children’s book inspired by real archaeological discoveries made off the Florida coast. “Luna the Cat,” follows a feline protagonist on board a Spanish ship in the 1500s and is based on a real-life cat whose remains […]
The University of West Florida College of Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities announces “After Hours with the Artist: Sunken Series,” a compelling cross-disciplinary collaboration between the Florida Public Archaeology Network and The Art Gallery at UWF that blends art, archaeology and public engagement in a novel way. This after-hours event highlights the work of artist […]
Dr. John Bratten, a University of West Florida professor of anthropology, has received national attention for a recently published article, titled “Exploring the Arrival of Domestic Cats in the Americas,” that suggests the earliest cats may have been treated as pets. The article, published in “American Antiquity,” a peer-reviewed quarterly journal published on behalf of […]
A historic 1800s anchor which had been housed in the dark has been brought into the light, following the efforts of a campuswide leadership program. Faculty and staff of UWF’s 2024-25 LEAD, which stands for leadership, enhancement, activities and development, class worked with the Archaeology Institute to prepare the anchor for outdoor exhibition and create […]
The University of West Florida Archaeology Institute is leading the search for Fort Kirkland in Okaloosa County, Florida, thanks to a $250,000 grant from the Department of State. UWF students, faculty, archaeologists, local families and veterans with Task Force Dagger Special Operations Foundation are working together to study and memorialize the fort. Following Florida’s transition […]
Four University of West Florida researchers earned a place on Stanford/Elsevier’s Top 2% Scientist Rankings lists in 2024 and 2023. The prestigious list identifies the world’s leading researchers, representing approximately 2% of all scientists worldwide. Dr. Jim Spain, research professor in the Center for Environmental Diagnostics and Bioremediation, Dr. Frank Gilliam, professor in the Department […]
