About the SAA Awards
The Society for American Archaeology Awards recognize and honor knowledge and professional achievements at all career levels--from student and early career archaeologists to those who have made lasting contributions to the Society and the profession. The Call for Nominations opens in the fall of each year.
The 2025 Call for Award Nominations is open.
Deadlines and nomination information vary by award
The Deborah L. Nichols Meeting Access Grants is open for applications.
Prior to any award recommendation being finalized and publicly announced, anyone recommended for an award, scholarship, or grant will be required to certify the following:
(a) I am not and have not ever been the subject of a discrimination or harassment lawsuit or related administrative complaint that resulted in an adverse finding; and(b) I do not have and have not had a current or pending disciplinary action such as suspension or termination of registration, resulting from a Register of Professional Archaeologists’ grievance investigation.
Professional Awards
Dissertation Award
Nomination/Submission Deadline: 30 Sep 2024
Award Description
Members (other than student members) of SAA may nominate a recent graduate whose dissertation they consider to be original, well written, and outstanding.
Who Is Eligible to Submit Nominations or Apply for the Award
Nominations must be made by non-student SAA members (although the nominee need not be a SAA member) and must be in the form of a nomination letter that makes a case for the dissertation. Self-nominations will not be accepted.
Nomination/Submission Materials Required
Nomination letters should include a description of the special contributions of the dissertation and the nominee’s current address. Nominees must have defended their dissertations and received their Ph.D. degree within three years prior to award deadline. Nominees are informed at the time of nomination by the nominator and are asked to submit to the committee chair, Mark D. McCoy, one copy of the dissertation IN PDF FORMAT emailed to the committee chair or shared via DropBox. The dissertation must be received by September 30, 2024.
Other Special Requirements
Prior to any award recommendation being finalized and publicly announced, anyone recommended for an award, scholarship, or grant will be required to certify the following:
(a) I am not and have not ever been the subject of a discrimination or harassment lawsuit or related administrative complaint that resulted in an adverse finding; and(b) I do not have and have not had a current or pending disciplinary action such as suspension or termination of registration, resulting from a Register of Professional Archaeologists’ grievance investigation.
Nature of Award (e.g. monetary, medal, symposium)
A three-year membership in the SAA is given to the recipient. In addition, the awardee is recognized by the SAA through a plaque presented during the business meeting held at the Annual Meeting, a citation in The SAA Archaeological Record, and acknowledgment on the awards page of the SAA Website.
Current Committee Charge
The committee solicits nominations and selects recipients for the Dissertation Award. The committee annually selects a single dissertation (completed within the last three years in the field of archaeology) that exemplifies exceptional research to receive special recognition as the most outstanding, original contribution to the field at this level.
Committee Composition
Committee composition is one chair and at least four (preferably five) members.
Term Length
Term length is three years. Individuals ending their terms cycle off the committee at the close of the Business Meeting held during the annual SAA Meeting, and new appointees begin their terms at this time.
Award Cycle
Not applicable.
Committee Chair and End of Term
Mark McCoy [2026]
Committee Chair Contact Information
Committee Members and Ends of Terms
Selection or Evaluation Criteria
Submitted dissertations are evaluated and ranked by committee members on factors including originality of research and strengths and weaknesses of the dissertation.
Committee Deliberation Process (e.g. dates, venue)
The committee evaluates submitted dissertations through a series of electronic meetings. Honorable Mention(s) may be recognized for the second and third-ranked dissertations if the committee chooses to do so (as per Motion 132-74A, Board of Directors Meeting #132, October 2013).
2024 Víctor Salazar Chávez (The George Washington University)
2023 Wing Tung Jada Ko (Harvard University)
2022 Danielle Lynn Dadiego (University of California, Santa Cruz)
2021 Ian Kretzler (University of Washington)
2020 Sarah Oas (Arizona State University); Saul Hedquist (University of Arizona)
2019 Hao Zhao (Stanford University)
2018 Katherine L. Chiou (University of California, Berkeley)
2017 Bernadette Cap (University of Wisconsin-Madison)
2016 Guy David Hepp (University of Colorado at Boulder)
2015 Alan Farahani (University of California, Berkeley)
2014 Matthew A. Peeples (Arizona State University)
2013 Amanda Logan (University of Michigan)
2012 Christopher Morehart (Northwestern University)
2011 Scott G. Ortman (Arizona State University)
2010 Sarah Clayton (Arizona State University)
2009 Timothy Messner (Temple University)
2008 Kevin Fisher (Univeristy of Toronto)
2007 Matthew Liebmann (University of Pennsylvania)
2006 Elisabeth Hildebrand (Washington University in St. Louis)
2005 Severin Fowles (University of Michigan)
2004 Ian G. Robertson (Arizona State University)
2003 Wesley Bernardini (Arizona State University)
2002 Silvia R. Kembel (Stanford University)
2001 Andrew I.L. Duff (Arizona State University)
2000 Alex Barker (University of Michigan)
1999 Karen G. Harry (University of Arizona)
1998 Mark D. Varien (Arizona State University)
1997 Alvaro Higueras-Hare (University of Pittsburgh)
1996 Daniel R. Finamore (Boston University)
1995 David R. Abbott (Arizona State University)
1994 Mary Van Buren (University of Arizona)
1993 Cathy Lebo (Indiana University)
1992 Lynette C. Norr (University of Illinois)
1991 David Anderson (University of Michigan)
1990 David J. Bernstein (State University of New York at Stony Brook)
1988 Judith A. Habicht Mauche (Harvard University)
Travel Awards
Dissertation Award
Nomination/Submission Deadline: 30 Sep 2024
Award Description
Members (other than student members) of SAA may nominate a recent graduate whose dissertation they consider to be original, well written, and outstanding.
Who Is Eligible to Submit Nominations or Apply for the Award
Nominations must be made by non-student SAA members (although the nominee need not be a SAA member) and must be in the form of a nomination letter that makes a case for the dissertation. Self-nominations will not be accepted.
Nomination/Submission Materials Required
Nomination letters should include a description of the special contributions of the dissertation and the nominee’s current address. Nominees must have defended their dissertations and received their Ph.D. degree within three years prior to award deadline. Nominees are informed at the time of nomination by the nominator and are asked to submit to the committee chair, Mark D. McCoy, one copy of the dissertation IN PDF FORMAT emailed to the committee chair or shared via DropBox. The dissertation must be received by September 30, 2024.
Other Special Requirements
Prior to any award recommendation being finalized and publicly announced, anyone recommended for an award, scholarship, or grant will be required to certify the following:
(a) I am not and have not ever been the subject of a discrimination or harassment lawsuit or related administrative complaint that resulted in an adverse finding; and(b) I do not have and have not had a current or pending disciplinary action such as suspension or termination of registration, resulting from a Register of Professional Archaeologists’ grievance investigation.
Nature of Award (e.g. monetary, medal, symposium)
A three-year membership in the SAA is given to the recipient. In addition, the awardee is recognized by the SAA through a plaque presented during the business meeting held at the Annual Meeting, a citation in The SAA Archaeological Record, and acknowledgment on the awards page of the SAA Website.
Current Committee Charge
The committee solicits nominations and selects recipients for the Dissertation Award. The committee annually selects a single dissertation (completed within the last three years in the field of archaeology) that exemplifies exceptional research to receive special recognition as the most outstanding, original contribution to the field at this level.
Committee Composition
Committee composition is one chair and at least four (preferably five) members.
Term Length
Term length is three years. Individuals ending their terms cycle off the committee at the close of the Business Meeting held during the annual SAA Meeting, and new appointees begin their terms at this time.
Award Cycle
Not applicable.
Committee Chair and End of Term
Mark McCoy [2026]
Committee Chair Contact Information
Committee Members and Ends of Terms
Selection or Evaluation Criteria
Submitted dissertations are evaluated and ranked by committee members on factors including originality of research and strengths and weaknesses of the dissertation.
Committee Deliberation Process (e.g. dates, venue)
The committee evaluates submitted dissertations through a series of electronic meetings. Honorable Mention(s) may be recognized for the second and third-ranked dissertations if the committee chooses to do so (as per Motion 132-74A, Board of Directors Meeting #132, October 2013).
2024 Víctor Salazar Chávez (The George Washington University)
2023 Wing Tung Jada Ko (Harvard University)
2022 Danielle Lynn Dadiego (University of California, Santa Cruz)
2021 Ian Kretzler (University of Washington)
2020 Sarah Oas (Arizona State University); Saul Hedquist (University of Arizona)
2019 Hao Zhao (Stanford University)
2018 Katherine L. Chiou (University of California, Berkeley)
2017 Bernadette Cap (University of Wisconsin-Madison)
2016 Guy David Hepp (University of Colorado at Boulder)
2015 Alan Farahani (University of California, Berkeley)
2014 Matthew A. Peeples (Arizona State University)
2013 Amanda Logan (University of Michigan)
2012 Christopher Morehart (Northwestern University)
2011 Scott G. Ortman (Arizona State University)
2010 Sarah Clayton (Arizona State University)
2009 Timothy Messner (Temple University)
2008 Kevin Fisher (Univeristy of Toronto)
2007 Matthew Liebmann (University of Pennsylvania)
2006 Elisabeth Hildebrand (Washington University in St. Louis)
2005 Severin Fowles (University of Michigan)
2004 Ian G. Robertson (Arizona State University)
2003 Wesley Bernardini (Arizona State University)
2002 Silvia R. Kembel (Stanford University)
2001 Andrew I.L. Duff (Arizona State University)
2000 Alex Barker (University of Michigan)
1999 Karen G. Harry (University of Arizona)
1998 Mark D. Varien (Arizona State University)
1997 Alvaro Higueras-Hare (University of Pittsburgh)
1996 Daniel R. Finamore (Boston University)
1995 David R. Abbott (Arizona State University)
1994 Mary Van Buren (University of Arizona)
1993 Cathy Lebo (Indiana University)
1992 Lynette C. Norr (University of Illinois)
1991 David Anderson (University of Michigan)
1990 David J. Bernstein (State University of New York at Stony Brook)
1988 Judith A. Habicht Mauche (Harvard University)
Student Awards
Dissertation Award
Nomination/Submission Deadline: 30 Sep 2024
Award Description
Members (other than student members) of SAA may nominate a recent graduate whose dissertation they consider to be original, well written, and outstanding.
Who Is Eligible to Submit Nominations or Apply for the Award
Nominations must be made by non-student SAA members (although the nominee need not be a SAA member) and must be in the form of a nomination letter that makes a case for the dissertation. Self-nominations will not be accepted.
Nomination/Submission Materials Required
Nomination letters should include a description of the special contributions of the dissertation and the nominee’s current address. Nominees must have defended their dissertations and received their Ph.D. degree within three years prior to award deadline. Nominees are informed at the time of nomination by the nominator and are asked to submit to the committee chair, Mark D. McCoy, one copy of the dissertation IN PDF FORMAT emailed to the committee chair or shared via DropBox. The dissertation must be received by September 30, 2024.
Other Special Requirements
Prior to any award recommendation being finalized and publicly announced, anyone recommended for an award, scholarship, or grant will be required to certify the following:
(a) I am not and have not ever been the subject of a discrimination or harassment lawsuit or related administrative complaint that resulted in an adverse finding; and(b) I do not have and have not had a current or pending disciplinary action such as suspension or termination of registration, resulting from a Register of Professional Archaeologists’ grievance investigation.
Nature of Award (e.g. monetary, medal, symposium)
A three-year membership in the SAA is given to the recipient. In addition, the awardee is recognized by the SAA through a plaque presented during the business meeting held at the Annual Meeting, a citation in The SAA Archaeological Record, and acknowledgment on the awards page of the SAA Website.
Current Committee Charge
The committee solicits nominations and selects recipients for the Dissertation Award. The committee annually selects a single dissertation (completed within the last three years in the field of archaeology) that exemplifies exceptional research to receive special recognition as the most outstanding, original contribution to the field at this level.
Committee Composition
Committee composition is one chair and at least four (preferably five) members.
Term Length
Term length is three years. Individuals ending their terms cycle off the committee at the close of the Business Meeting held during the annual SAA Meeting, and new appointees begin their terms at this time.
Award Cycle
Not applicable.
Committee Chair and End of Term
Mark McCoy [2026]
Committee Chair Contact Information
Committee Members and Ends of Terms
Selection or Evaluation Criteria
Submitted dissertations are evaluated and ranked by committee members on factors including originality of research and strengths and weaknesses of the dissertation.
Committee Deliberation Process (e.g. dates, venue)
The committee evaluates submitted dissertations through a series of electronic meetings. Honorable Mention(s) may be recognized for the second and third-ranked dissertations if the committee chooses to do so (as per Motion 132-74A, Board of Directors Meeting #132, October 2013).
2024 Víctor Salazar Chávez (The George Washington University)
2023 Wing Tung Jada Ko (Harvard University)
2022 Danielle Lynn Dadiego (University of California, Santa Cruz)
2021 Ian Kretzler (University of Washington)
2020 Sarah Oas (Arizona State University); Saul Hedquist (University of Arizona)
2019 Hao Zhao (Stanford University)
2018 Katherine L. Chiou (University of California, Berkeley)
2017 Bernadette Cap (University of Wisconsin-Madison)
2016 Guy David Hepp (University of Colorado at Boulder)
2015 Alan Farahani (University of California, Berkeley)
2014 Matthew A. Peeples (Arizona State University)
2013 Amanda Logan (University of Michigan)
2012 Christopher Morehart (Northwestern University)
2011 Scott G. Ortman (Arizona State University)
2010 Sarah Clayton (Arizona State University)
2009 Timothy Messner (Temple University)
2008 Kevin Fisher (Univeristy of Toronto)
2007 Matthew Liebmann (University of Pennsylvania)
2006 Elisabeth Hildebrand (Washington University in St. Louis)
2005 Severin Fowles (University of Michigan)
2004 Ian G. Robertson (Arizona State University)
2003 Wesley Bernardini (Arizona State University)
2002 Silvia R. Kembel (Stanford University)
2001 Andrew I.L. Duff (Arizona State University)
2000 Alex Barker (University of Michigan)
1999 Karen G. Harry (University of Arizona)
1998 Mark D. Varien (Arizona State University)
1997 Alvaro Higueras-Hare (University of Pittsburgh)
1996 Daniel R. Finamore (Boston University)
1995 David R. Abbott (Arizona State University)
1994 Mary Van Buren (University of Arizona)
1993 Cathy Lebo (Indiana University)
1992 Lynette C. Norr (University of Illinois)
1991 David Anderson (University of Michigan)
1990 David J. Bernstein (State University of New York at Stony Brook)
1988 Judith A. Habicht Mauche (Harvard University)
Student Fellowship Awards
Dissertation Award
Nomination/Submission Deadline: 30 Sep 2024
Award Description
Members (other than student members) of SAA may nominate a recent graduate whose dissertation they consider to be original, well written, and outstanding.
Who Is Eligible to Submit Nominations or Apply for the Award
Nominations must be made by non-student SAA members (although the nominee need not be a SAA member) and must be in the form of a nomination letter that makes a case for the dissertation. Self-nominations will not be accepted.
Nomination/Submission Materials Required
Nomination letters should include a description of the special contributions of the dissertation and the nominee’s current address. Nominees must have defended their dissertations and received their Ph.D. degree within three years prior to award deadline. Nominees are informed at the time of nomination by the nominator and are asked to submit to the committee chair, Mark D. McCoy, one copy of the dissertation IN PDF FORMAT emailed to the committee chair or shared via DropBox. The dissertation must be received by September 30, 2024.
Other Special Requirements
Prior to any award recommendation being finalized and publicly announced, anyone recommended for an award, scholarship, or grant will be required to certify the following:
(a) I am not and have not ever been the subject of a discrimination or harassment lawsuit or related administrative complaint that resulted in an adverse finding; and(b) I do not have and have not had a current or pending disciplinary action such as suspension or termination of registration, resulting from a Register of Professional Archaeologists’ grievance investigation.
Nature of Award (e.g. monetary, medal, symposium)
A three-year membership in the SAA is given to the recipient. In addition, the awardee is recognized by the SAA through a plaque presented during the business meeting held at the Annual Meeting, a citation in The SAA Archaeological Record, and acknowledgment on the awards page of the SAA Website.
Current Committee Charge
The committee solicits nominations and selects recipients for the Dissertation Award. The committee annually selects a single dissertation (completed within the last three years in the field of archaeology) that exemplifies exceptional research to receive special recognition as the most outstanding, original contribution to the field at this level.
Committee Composition
Committee composition is one chair and at least four (preferably five) members.
Term Length
Term length is three years. Individuals ending their terms cycle off the committee at the close of the Business Meeting held during the annual SAA Meeting, and new appointees begin their terms at this time.
Award Cycle
Not applicable.
Committee Chair and End of Term
Mark McCoy [2026]
Committee Chair Contact Information
Committee Members and Ends of Terms
Selection or Evaluation Criteria
Submitted dissertations are evaluated and ranked by committee members on factors including originality of research and strengths and weaknesses of the dissertation.
Committee Deliberation Process (e.g. dates, venue)
The committee evaluates submitted dissertations through a series of electronic meetings. Honorable Mention(s) may be recognized for the second and third-ranked dissertations if the committee chooses to do so (as per Motion 132-74A, Board of Directors Meeting #132, October 2013).
2024 Víctor Salazar Chávez (The George Washington University)
2023 Wing Tung Jada Ko (Harvard University)
2022 Danielle Lynn Dadiego (University of California, Santa Cruz)
2021 Ian Kretzler (University of Washington)
2020 Sarah Oas (Arizona State University); Saul Hedquist (University of Arizona)
2019 Hao Zhao (Stanford University)
2018 Katherine L. Chiou (University of California, Berkeley)
2017 Bernadette Cap (University of Wisconsin-Madison)
2016 Guy David Hepp (University of Colorado at Boulder)
2015 Alan Farahani (University of California, Berkeley)
2014 Matthew A. Peeples (Arizona State University)
2013 Amanda Logan (University of Michigan)
2012 Christopher Morehart (Northwestern University)
2011 Scott G. Ortman (Arizona State University)
2010 Sarah Clayton (Arizona State University)
2009 Timothy Messner (Temple University)
2008 Kevin Fisher (Univeristy of Toronto)
2007 Matthew Liebmann (University of Pennsylvania)
2006 Elisabeth Hildebrand (Washington University in St. Louis)
2005 Severin Fowles (University of Michigan)
2004 Ian G. Robertson (Arizona State University)
2003 Wesley Bernardini (Arizona State University)
2002 Silvia R. Kembel (Stanford University)
2001 Andrew I.L. Duff (Arizona State University)
2000 Alex Barker (University of Michigan)
1999 Karen G. Harry (University of Arizona)
1998 Mark D. Varien (Arizona State University)
1997 Alvaro Higueras-Hare (University of Pittsburgh)
1996 Daniel R. Finamore (Boston University)
1995 David R. Abbott (Arizona State University)
1994 Mary Van Buren (University of Arizona)
1993 Cathy Lebo (Indiana University)
1992 Lynette C. Norr (University of Illinois)
1991 David Anderson (University of Michigan)
1990 David J. Bernstein (State University of New York at Stony Brook)
1988 Judith A. Habicht Mauche (Harvard University)
Scholarships: for undergraduate and graduate student scholarships, see the Cheryl L. Wase Memorial Scholarship, Matthew Tobin Cappetta Archaeological Scholarship, Student Excellence in Archaeology Scholarships, and Native American Scholarships.