• Founder Succession Planning - Transition of a founder can be a treacherous time in the lifespan of a non-profit. Understandably, after 20 years, Carolyn is ready to step away from administrative duties to focus full-time on  research and interpretive work. This position ensures that Shumla will continue to benefit from the guidance of our fearless leader. 
  
  
• Future Employees of Shumla - What we do at Shumla is specialized. Our method of rock art documentation and study has been honed over years and applies the most advanced technologies. In her role at Texas State, Carolyn will be able to train the future generation of rock art researchers in the Shumla method. 
  
  
• Access to Resources - The endowment of the professorship will provide a dividend that Carolyn (and her successors) will use to fund travel, graduate assistantships, materials and equipment for research in the Lower Pecos. The position will also open collaborative access to the resources afforded by a university, such as libraries and introductions to other researchers across disciplines and the world. All of this will advance Shumla's ability to achieve our mission without significant increases in our annual budget.

• Collaborative Research - Every research project is built on 1) data collection and 2) data analysis. The endowed professorship position sets the stage for a perfect collaborative partnership for the preservation and study of the rock art of the Lower Pecos. On one side, Shumla gathering data in the field through the Alexandria Project, documenting the priceless art before it's lost and housing this data safely, securely and accessibly. On the other, the Shumla Endowed Professor using the great troves of data for the interpretive work and to train the next generation of students and scholars. 

• An Even Stronger Texas State - Texas State has been building a reputation as a top-notch STEM education and research institution for years now. They are also on the cusp of creating a Doctoral Program in Archaeology. The professorship will contribute to both endeavors. In adding Carolyn to their fantastic team, they will be gaining a highly skilled, well-regarded and prolific scientific researcher, who is passionate, positive and a great communicator to boot. She's the whole package. Texas state students across disciplines will benefit from interaction with her. National and international scholars will benefit from communication and collaboration with her. Rock art research will be forever changed by her discoveries. And Texas State will be at the center of it all!

As you can see, it's hard to overstate the benefits of this position. The biggest winner will be the precious North American Archaic library of paintings. As of September 1, 2017, there will always be, in the department of Anthropology at Texas State University, a professor focused on the study of the precious ancient art of the Lower Pecos Canyonlands.

Thank you to Texas State University for having the foresight to create and fund a new position for the endowed professor. We couldn't ask for a better university or department for Carolyn and her successors to call home.