If you are Native American and curious about Ice-age vertebrate fossils (e.g., saber-toothed cats, mammoths) or Cretaceous-age fossils (e.g., dinosaurs) and enjoy being in the “great outdoors”, this scientific expedition is for you.  You can also earn three hours of college credit.

For three days at the Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences (OSU-CHS) campus, students will work side-by-side with faculty and students (graduate and medical) to study anatomy and its’ relevance to the disciplines of paleontology and medicine.  In addition, students will prepare for the field portion of this exploration by studying topographic and geologic surface maps, learning about fossil preparation and identification, and preparing for wilderness survival.

In Utah, students will spend 10 days with OSU-CHS faculty and students to gain hands-on experiences in prospecting and collecting fossils and visit significant fossil localities.  Staff and administrators of the U.S. Forest Service, Manti-La Sal National Forest, will introduce students to their protocols for the management of natural resources (Range and Wildlife Management) and the preservation and protection of historic sites (dinosaur track ways and pictographs and/or petroglyphs).

The primary objectives of this experience are to promote and increase the number of Native Americans in science and medicine.  This opportunity will expose participants to careers in graduate and/or medical programs at OSU-CHS as well as the U.S. Forest Service.