James Chaves, a second-year graduate student in the Public Archaeology master’s program at The University of New Mexico (UNM), has received a fellowship from the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute. Chaves is originally from Panama. He said the fellowship will support research related to ancient fishing and preservation strategies in his home country.
The Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute operates 12 facilities in Panama, most near the Panama Canal. These laboratories focus on tropical science and host researchers from various countries. During the fellowship, Chaves will work with other researchers in the field.
Chaves said his UNM advisers, Keith Prufer and Ashley Sharpe, and his training at the UNM Center for Stable Isotopes, helped prepare him for this project…