From Museum Tours to European Excavations, Rutgers Alum Pursues Geoarchaeology in Germany

During his time at Rutgers University-New Brunswick, anthropology and history major Joe Mezza interned as an assistant and tour guide at the Rutgers Geology Museum.

Now, thanks to a grant from the Fulbright U.S. Student Program, the 23-year-old graduate from the School of Arts and Sciences, is in Tübingen, Germany, where he is pursuing a master’s degree in archaeological science at the University of Tübingen.

The Wayne, N.J., resident discusses his Fulbright project, the interdisciplinary nature of archeology and hiking along a German mountain range.

What drew you to your field of study?

I’ve found archaeology fascinating for as long as I can remember, but I didn’t decide to pursue it academically until my second year at Rutgers after I started working in an archaeological lab through the Aresty Research Center’s Research Assistant Program.

That lab internship led me to major in anthropology, excavate at archaeological sites in Portugal and Spain, work as an archaeologist in the U.S. for a year after graduation from Rutgers, and, eventually, to study in Germany.

Describe your Fulbright study-abroad project.

I’m in Tübingen to pursue a two-year master’s degree in archaeological science. I specialize in geoarchaeology, the application of Earth science methods to the study of the archaeological record.

For my master’s thesis, I hope to study the preservation of ancient DNA in cave sediments.

What have you gained from your experience abroad?

Until this past October, I’d never been outside of New Jersey for longer than one month at a time, so this experience has been an incredible opportunity to live somewhere new.

Tübingen is a beautiful old university town, and I’ve been fortunate enough to make friends here from around the world. In addition, I’m learning German, and my skill as a researcher is improving dramatically.

How do you plan to apply what you’ve learned moving forward?

Whether I decide to return to the U.S. after my degree or stay in Europe a while longer, I know everything I’ve learned so far here will serve me well personally and professionally.

What are your plans after studying abroad?

After my master’s, I plan to start a Ph.D. program and pursue a career in academia.

What brought you to Rutgers?

I grew up in New Jersey, and I realized in high school that I wanted to go to a big college where I’d have lots of majors to choose from.

What do you do in your spare time?

I like hiking in the Swabian Alb, the mountain range surrounding Tübingen, taking care of my house plants and practicing German.

I’ve also started visiting German high schools as part of a volunteer program that allows students to ask Americans directly about their experiences with politics, culture and daily life in the U.S.