Our alumni work in many different fields. Alexandra Younger graduated from UNT in December 2019. She studied with Steven Wovlerton and Reid Ferring. Her graduate research was on Lithic production regarding a Late Archaic through Mesilla Phase archaeological site complex in southeastern New Mexico. Alex believes her experience in geography at UNT helped set her apart from peers who were educated at other institutions. She explained that, "Cultural Resources Management archaeologists generally attend anthropology programs. It's not always necessary if your thesis topic falls within the field. Geographic principles and specifically, the overarching environmental focus of UNT Geography provided me a framework for my research that carries over to my current projects." This difference has allowed her to incorporate human-environmental perspectives in her analyses and reports. It has also supplied her with a better understanding of natural settings of archaeological sites and site formation processeswhen conducting field work. Attending UNT has also helped fuel her passion for archaeology. It has also influenced her desire to protect cultural resources. Being in our grad program it gave her the skills to conduct high quality work.
Recently Alex had the honor of participating in a committee with the Denton Historical Commission to organize Denton's first public Archaeology Fair for Texas Archaeology Month. This was held in October 2022. It was a huge success, so much so that they plan to continue the tradition. One of Alex's passions is getting ordinary citizens and the public involved in archaeology.
Alex currently works for Integrated Environmental Solutions, LLC in Denton, Texas. She is a Project Archaeologist and Junior P.I. Some of her job duties entail performing consultation services regarding cultural resources for clients and make recommendations according to state and federal standards regarding the eligibility of protection of those resources. She also analyzes artifacts and produce cultural syntheses related to that work. In her role at Integrated Environmental Solutions, LLC she gets to spend a lot of time in the field. Currently she is working regularly in national forests in Arkansas and nearby states.
A piece of advice that Alex has for our students is, "you will get out of a program what you put in." She expresses that our program is different due to the curriculum and professors who encourage productivity and achievement. She has seen many UNT Geography alumni succeed in their professional roles and in doctoral programs. During her time at UNT in the Department of Geography & the Environment, Alex said she truly felt supported and cared for as a Geography graduate student. She has expressed how grateful she is that she ended up at UNT.