09/25/18
HAYS, Kan. – Fort Hays State University’s Sternberg Museum of Natural History and Dr. Laura Wilson received a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services for $24,478 to support the geology collection housed at Sternberg.

Grant recipients were announced at the beginning of September. The project will begin on Dec. 1 with a nine-month completion timeline.

During this time, Wilson, curator of paleontology at the Sternberg Museum and an associate professor of geosciences, and Christina Byrd, paleontology and geology collections manager, will work with an undergraduate assistant to bring the museum’s geology collection up to current collection management standards. The geology collection is where specimens are stored when they are not on display.

“Recent improvements to the paleontology collection have emphasized the need to improve the conditions of the geology collection,” said Wilson.

To bring the collection up to new standards, the Sternberg Museum will digitally archive specimen data, upgrade the storage space, and securely store specimens for long-term preservation. The museum will also add 84 specimens to the collection from a recent donation.

“With specimens and specimen data more accessible, we can more successfully incorporate geology specimens into educational programming,” said Wilson.