I have been preparing fossils for about 10 years, and most of my career was spent in Chicago at the Field Museum. I now manage the prep lab at Petrified Forest National Park, as well as my own lab doing freelance prep.
I was extremely fortunate to start out in prep as a volunteer, and turn that into a career. That is a common occurance in this field, with no formal training programs for what we do. Even more fortunate for me was the opportunity to learn this craft under the tutelage of Bob Masek and Cao Qiang at the University of Chicago, and later refine my skills further thanks to Bill Simpson and the amazing facilities and staff of the FMNH. That is a monumental benefit that many beginning preparators don't have, and the reason I started this website.
Disclaimer:
By the way, all opinions expressed by me are of course, my own, and in no way reflect the policy or opinion of the National Park Service.
|
