The Society

Billie Follensbee, professor of art history and design, had her proposals selected for the 79th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology (SAA) in Austin, Texas. SAA is an international organization dedicated to the research, interpretation and protection of the archaeological heritage of the Americas. SAA has more than 7,000 members and it is the largest organization of professional archaeologists of the Americas in the world. The conference is the largest international conference in the world, with between 250 and 300 peer-reviewed symposia, workshops and general sessions.

At the Conference

For Follensbee, having her proposals selected means that she serves as the session organizer and will be the chair for the symposium, Fish and Fishing in the Pre-Columbian Americas. Within this session, Follensbee is co-authoring a presentation with an undergraduate student, Rae Ann Rockwell. Follensbee will also give a presentation “How Essentializing Essentially Leads to the Wrong Conclusions: The Varied Roles of Female Olmec and Olmec-Related Figures.”

“It is particularly rewarding to be giving a co-authored presentation with one of my undergraduate students at the meeting, and to be able to bring my students into the professional dissemination of research. It is my hope that our audience takes away not only new understanding of the art and artifacts that we have studied, but also recognition that undergraduates are capable of making real contributions to professional research,” said Follensbee.