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UT Tyler Alumna Awarded Scholarship to Study Mayan Culture in Belize

Excavation site in Belize. Photo courtesy of Dr. Thomas Guderjan, UT Tyler assistant professor of anthropology

Elle Harvell of Whitehouse, a May 2009 graduate of The University of Texas at Tyler, has received a $1,000 scholarship to study Mayan culture in Belize, Dr. Alisa White, College of Arts and Sciences dean, announced.

One of 14 international awardees, Harvell was recognized by the U.S. based Maya Research Program, which is a non-profit corporation that sponsors archaeological and ethnographic work in Middle America and provides student scholarships each summer.  

She and other student-scholars will travel June 29 – July 26 to Belize where they will assist excavation teams and collect data to further study the Mayan Indian history, culture and way of life.

Harvell graduated with a bachelor of science in history and plans to attend graduate school to continue her education. She hopes to obtain a doctorate degree and teach in academia. 

She has been a member of the UT Tyler Gamma Phi Beta Sorority since its founding in 2005 and also was inducted into the university’s Alpha Chi National Honor Society and the Phi Alpha Theta History National Honor Society.             

For more information about the Maya Research Program, visit http://www.mayaresearchprogram.org.

One of the 15 campuses of the UT System, UT Tyler offers excellence in teaching, research, artistic performance and community service. Nearly 90 undergraduate and graduate degrees are available at UT Tyler, which has an enrollment of more than 6,000 high-ability students at its campuses in Tyler, Longview and Palestine.