Hi everyone! My name is Emily Czelusniak, and I am the new Public Archaeology Graduate Assistant for the Applied Archaeology program at IUP. One aspect of my job here is to update this blog about all things archaeology and I’m excited to share our experiences with you. 

I have wanted to be an archaeologist since I was a little kid, and I’m happy to be finally pursuing it as a career. I love archaeology because I love learning about people, and our past affects so much of the present day. I am particularly passionate about decolonization studies in US archaeology. In general, I like learning about all time periods, but I am most fascinated with ancient cultures in the US and abroad. 

I received my Bachelor of Arts degree in Anthropology with a minor in Religious Studies from Skidmore College in May 2025. I have interned at the New Jersey State Museum and the William Trent House Museum, where I worked on artifact analysis and cataloging. I have field experience from a course at my college, and this past summer I attended the Monticello-UVA field school in Charlottesville, Virginia. Working at Monticello was amazing; I learned so much about how to do archaeology (in very hard, red clay!) in the field and in the lab.  

Each week posts will be uploaded by myself, Dr. Lara Homsey-Messer, or a member of the Applied Archaeology program. Everyone is doing great work here and I’m looking forward to sharing it with you. Also, please follow our Instagram @iup_archaeology, X @IUPAnthropology, and the IUP Anthropology Facebook page for updates about the program, behind the scenes of research projects, and more!  

Department of Anthropology, Geospatial and Earth Sciences – IUP