EMBRACE-EAR-Growth: From Places to Peoples: A survey of geological materials and human-environment interaction on the Edwards Plateau that prioritizes student learning.

NSF Award Search · 01002526DB NSF RESEARCH & RELATED ACTIVIT · $400,000 · view on nsf.gov ↗

Abstract

The QuESTS (Quaternary Environments and Societies at Texas State) lab group is an interdisciplinary group of geoscientists and geoarchaeologists at many different career levels, from student researchers to senior scholars. The goal of this lab group is to better understand the types of geologic resources and environments that early inhabitants of Texas used and occupied over time. Past peoples in Texas were technologically reliant on stone resources, so tracking and understanding Texas’ geologic materials provides us with a window to the past. The researchers of this project focus not only on how humans have adapted to changing natural environments over the last several thousand years, but also how to best train students in geoscience using real-world data in the field and laboratory. Through this project, the QuESTS team is surveying, mapping and analyzing the geologic resources of Texas to better understand their use by past people. The team is also identifying new areas for archaeological excavation as well as palaeoecological and geoarchaeological research on the Edwards Plateau, Texas. This project is important because archaeological and environmental data are vulnerable, and this region is threatened by erosional degradation, wildfire risk, and modern land-use pressures. The results of the project will include an archive of what the environment was like in the past, which can further help to conserve and wisely use resources in the future. This project will produce

Key facts

NSF award ID
2432895
Awardee
Texas State University - San Marcos (TX)
SAM.gov UEI
HS5HWWK1AAU5
PI
Samantha M Krause
Primary program
01002526DB NSF RESEARCH & RELATED ACTIVIT
All programs
EMBRACE-EMpwrBRdrAcdmcCpcty&Ed, SEDIMENTARY GEO & PALEOBIOLOGY
Estimated total
$400,000
Funds obligated
$400,000
Transaction type
Standard Grant
Period
09/01/2025 → 08/31/2029