The South Dakota School of Mines and Technology is pleased to welcome Sally Shelton as the new collections manager of the Museum of Geology. Shelton comes to the School of Mines from the Smithsonian. Shelton received a bachelor's degree in wildlife and fisheries science with an option in museum studies from Texas A&M University, a master's degree in museum science with a thesis in vertebrate paleontology from Texas Tech University and a post-graduate diploma in geological conservation from the Sedgwick Museum's Geological Conservation Laboratory at the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom.
She worked with the Vertebrate Paleontology Laboratory at the University of Texas and the San Diego Natural History Museum before joining the Smithsonian Institute as collections officer at the National Museum of Natural History in 1988.
"The Museum of Geology has more than 300,000 specimens in the collections, including over 100 type-specimens. It needed a full-time professional to manage this large and diverse collection," Dr. Duane Hrncir, dean of the College of Science and Letters, said. "Sally has extensive experience in natural science collections management at a number of important museums. The School of Mines and Rapid City is fortunate to have attracted a scientist of her caliber to the region."
As collections manager at the School of Mines, Shelton will focus on the physical care of the collection, and the creation of policy and procedures for collection's care. She will also focus on getting the collection well-stored, documented, and, most importantly, available.
"I knew the collection here was world-class - even after the Smithsonian," Shelton said. "This is not just a regional resource, it is a truly world-class collection, and is totally irreplaceable."
Currently the Museum of Geology houses approximately 300,000 fossil specimens, one of the largest collections in the United States and some of the best scientifically documented in the world. The collections support education and research for the university's faculty and students and researchers from around the world. The university offers the only master's degree in paleontology and enrollment continues to grow.
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