#PeopleofSTEAM: Meet Mel

Mel smiles, standing in front of an archaeologic display table where she is presenting. The table is filled with bones and artifacts.

Mel, Arkansas’ State Archaeologist, grew up to do what almost every student has dreamed of doing at some point: studying bones. Fascinated by human bones and the story they can tell us about human history, Mel has dedicated her life to helping her community preserve dig sites and learn more about the importance of archaeology and preserving dig sites.  

A scientist by practice and heart, Mel has found that sometimes the pursuit of truth and knowledge is far more important than recognition and accolades in STEAM. In celebration of National Archaeology Day, Mel partnered with FIRST® to answer community questions about archaeology. Be sure to check out part one of Ask an Archaeologist on our Instagram and TikTok. 

To learn more about Mel’s STEAM journey and the difference she is making, keep reading. 

 Be sure to join us on our archaeology-themed journey this 2025-2026 season in FIRST® AGE™ presented by Qualcomm. 

FIRST Staff: Can you share some information about being Arkansas’s State Archaeologist? 

Mel: I interact with the public and with professional archaeologists to answer questions, give advice, and connect people together to share information. I get calls about things that people have found or sites that they are concerned about.  

I also get to visit students of all ages and give talks to adult groups like historical societies and museum groups. In working with professional archaeologists, I often get called for advice on how a project should progress or who to get in touch with regarding questions about a specific class of artifact or a specific archaeological site. 

FIRST Staff: What is your favorite part of your current role as Arkansas' State Archaeologist? 

Mel: I get to keep up with what every archaeologist is doing in the state and get to learn about all the amazing projects that are happening. I also meet with a lot of archaeologists from around the world and get to see how other groups do archaeology. I get inspired to improve the way I do things based on the success stories of others. Every day is different but every day I get the opportunity to learn, and I have always been a big fan of learning. Mel smiles at a digsite, pointing to an artifact she found.

FIRST Staff: What is the hardest part of your job? 

Mel: Hearing about how sites are destroyed every day by looters, vandalism, private development, and storm damage. It is very sad to see how folks do not realize how learning about the past is so important in understanding what we call the “human condition.” 

Archaeological sites are limited resources, and every day we lose more and more history that can never be replaced. We like to use the analogy of a jigsaw puzzle. If you lose pieces of the puzzle, you do not get the whole picture, and puzzle pieces could contain very important information that can help us understand the whole picture. 

FIRST Staff: How do you use STEAM skills in your everyday work/life? 

Mel: As a scientist, I see the world differently than non-scientists. I think critically and that allows me to take my time learning the best truth. I am okay with multicausal answers that are not always clear, and I am okay with saying, “we are not sure of that answer yet.”  

In my archaeological specialty, human osteology, I get to consider how human remains can tell us a lot about a person’s life. It is amazing how much of our lives are recorded in our bones and understanding how people in the past lived is extremely interesting. 

FIRST Staff: Can you share your thoughts on the impact of your personal/professional work in STEAM? 

Mel: I make people aware that archaeology is a science, not a treasure hunt. I discourage folks from collecting artifacts, since history belongs to all of us. People learn from me that if information is not shared, we miss important parts of the story.  

I also stress the importance of descendant populations in guiding our research. Traditionally, archaeologists have not been part of the same culture as the cultures they are studying. We work hard to include all voices in the reconstruction of the past. Since I get to spend a lot of time with the public, I think I am making a difference. 

FIRST Staff: Who is a “Person of STEAM” who inspires you? 

Mel: All of the women that made great advances in science that were ignored in the history of science for so long inspire me. So many women were not given credit for their discoveries and continued to practice in their field. That says to me that no matter what people think, striving for an explanation of how the world works is gratifying enough. While it is nice to get credit, it is even nicer to figure stuff out for ourselves. Mel smiles and gestures to Lowes buckets full of sand. She is standing in a cave where others can be seen in the background excavating.

FIRST Staff: If you could give one piece of advice to your younger self, what would it be? 

Mel: Even if you may doubt yourself or are afraid of people rejecting your interpretation of the data, share your ideas anyway. Whether or not your ideas are ultimately correct, it is still important to be part of the conversation because things only get worked out by folks discussing all the possibilities.  

Even if the larger interpretation of the data is not exact, it could open up ideas on how to explain things that people had not thought of before. 

FIRST Staff: Do you have a message you want to share for students who are participating in FIRST today? 

Mel: By working as a team, you will have lots of different perspectives, so listen to each of your teammates and be considerate even if you think their idea does not align with how you think things should be. Science is all about listening to all the voices to come up with the best solution. But most of all, have fun! 

Are you a person of STEAM? Share your story with #PeopleofSTEAM on social media or send us your story at marketing@firstinspires.org.