Bryce C. Brown Research Fellowship

The Bryce C. Brown Fellowship provides opportunities for original research and supports excellence in teaching and learning by encouraging the use of the Mayborn Museum’s natural and cultural history collections in Baylor graduate and undergraduate curricula.

Each year, the Mayborn Museum awards one fellowship to Baylor faculty members or graduate students who seek to integrate research, learning, and professional development through meaningful engagement with the Museum’s collections.

Fellowship Focus

Fellowships may support a range of projects that align with the Museum’s mission and the University’s teaching and research goals, including:

• Incorporating Mayborn collections into course design or student projects.
• Conducting scholarship rooted in the Museum’s holdings that contributes to new knowledge in the natural or cultural sciences.
• Creating programs that share research outcomes with broader audiences.
• Advancing teaching or research skills through cross- disciplinary collaboration and experiential learning.

Fellowship Structure and Support

Fellows receive a $3,500 stipend for a 4-6 week summer fellowship at the Mayborn Museum. Fellows have access to:

• The Museum’s collections and associated data.
• Staff expertise in collections and public interpretation.

Expectations and Outcomes

Fellows are encouraged to develop projects that result in one or more of the following:

• Integration of collections into undergraduate or graduate teaching.
• Public presentations or workshops of research.
• Manuscripts or publications in professional journals.
• Tangible contributions to the Museum’s collection records, interpretation, or accessibility.

Application Process

Applicants should submit the following materials to Sabrina_Thomas@baylor.edu by March 20, 2026:

• A two-page proposal outlining the project, goals, and anticipated outcomes
• A current CV
• Two letters of recommendation

Past Fellows

2025

• Dava Butler, a PhD candidate in the Department of Geosciences, worked on a project to better characterize the mammoth populations from Waco Mammoth National Monument by reconstructing limbs, identifying teeth, and matching specimens to photos of the excavation.
• Evan Cerna, a Masters student in the Department of Geosciences, is documenting theropod dinosaur tracks found at the JCIC Site in Hamilton County, Texas.

2024

• Dava Butler, a PhD candidate in the Department of Geosciences, is undertaking a project to survey the Waco Mammoth National Monument collection for infant mammoth material. Her work involves reconstructing the fragments to determine the number of very young individuals present in the collection. Since infant Columbian mammoth fossils are rare and have only recently been discovered at the site, this research will offer valuable insights into these young mammoths and the herd found at WMNM.
• Ashley Gonzalez,  a Masters student in the Department of Geosciences, is focusing on the geochemical characterization of sediment samples collected near mammoth remains from the Waco Mammoth National Monument collection. Her in-depth analysis aims to shed light on the local environmental factors that contributed to the demise of several species at WMNM. This research will enhance our understanding of the conditions that affected these ancient creatures.

2023

• Maree Yard, a Master’s graduate student in the Department of Geosciences at Baylor University, is dedicated to repairing, cleaning, and consolidating mammoth long bones excavated from the Waco Mammoth National Monument. Her goal is to compile data to construct age and mortality profiles of the mammoths.
• Dava Butler, a PhD candidate in the Department of Geosciences, is undertaking a project to survey the Waco Mammoth National Monument collection for infant mammoth material. Her work involves reconstructing the fragments to determine the number of very young individuals present in the collection. Since infant Columbian mammoth fossils are rare and have only recently been discovered at the site, this research will offer valuable insights into these young mammoths and the herd found at WMNM.

2022

• Sarah Tharp, PhD Student, Department of English: project designing lesson plans than connect objects from the museum's collection of scientific artifacts with literary texts.

2021

• Sarah Kienle, PhD, Assistant Professor, Department of Biology: research project examining convergence in mammalian skull morphology across ecological, life history, and evolutionary gradients.
• David Criscione, PhD Student, Department of History: research project on the cultural context of the museum’s ethnological and natural history collections brought to Texas by Baptist missionaries.

2019

• Kaz Hayashi, PhD Student, Department of Religion: research project and presentation on the museum’s archaeological collection from the ancient Near East.
• Farzaneh Mansouri, PhD Student, Environmental Science Department: project on the reconstruction of carbon and nitrogen stable isotope cycle in baleen plate as an indicator of seasonal movement and feeding.

2018

• Chase Smith, PhD Student, Department of Biology: research and organization of the Freshwater mussel collection
• Nicholas Werse, PhD, Temporary Full-Time Lecturer, Department of Religion: research and book project on Central Texas history and culture, with emphasis on rural Texas

2017

• Guilherme Almeida, Lecturer in Musical Theater and Collaborative Pianist, Department of Theatre Arts: research project on Brazilian collection.
• Bracy V. Hill II, PhD, Senior Lecturer, Department of History: book project “Scattering the Morning Dew: An Exploration of Hunting in the Lone Star State”
• Daniel Peppe, PhD, Associate Professor & Graduate Program Director, Department of Geosciences: resource project on TEKS-based curriculum materials for Earth and Space Sciences along with a teacher training workshop