About the Center

 

The goal of the CHPA is to further public knowledge of history and archaeology based on our areas of academic strength, including historic preservation, Native American history, environmental history, social and cultural history, museum studies, and archaeology.

 

Center for Public History and Archaeology Goals and Objectives:

• Advance CSU’s research, teaching and extension mission
• Foster research partnerships with NGOs such as the Nature Conservancy and the Platte River Whooping Crane Maintenance Trust, state and local governments and agencies such as the Colorado Historical Society and the Colorado Department of Natural Resources, and federal agencies such as the National Park Service
• Provide historical and archaeological perspective and methods directly to public servants, policy-makers, and educators that will assist them with issues such as shifting resource management priorities on public lands, meaningful interpretation of our agricultural past in a changing social and economic environment, and water policy development that benefits from the lessons of the past
• Contribute directly to the UniverCity Connections process by working with local partners such as the Fort Collins Museum on research projects that fit within the established focus areas of historic preservation, CSU/City joint programs, and river protection
• Create partnerships among faculty, students, and citizens that strengthen institutional, intellectual, economic, and civic foundations
• Provide opportunity for innovative interdisciplinary research projects within the College of Liberal Arts, with other colleges, and with other academic institutions in our region
• Facilitate and promote application-oriented research and publication for History and Anthropology faculty members
• Bring research funds into the College of Liberal Arts to create an opportunity for graduate and undergraduate students to gain critical training in research that will directly benefits public and private clients beyond the university and contribute to the production of formal publications

As a member of the Colorado State University community, the CHPA is positioned to maximize resources such as:

• The Water Resources Archive
• The Colorado Water Resources Research Institute
• The Colorado Agricultural Archive
• The Germans from Russia Collection
• LOPA - Laboratory of Public Archaeology