Allison Vitkus has extensive education and experience in paleontology, having received an M.S. in Museum and Field Studies from the University of Colorado, Boulder and having worked in numerous positions at museums, universities, and consulting firms. She has contributed to publications, exhibits, and educational outreach events. Her resume demonstrates strong skills in collections management, research, teaching, and communication of paleontology topics to various audiences.

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A L L I S O N V I T K U S , M . S .
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EDUCATION
University of Colorado, Boulder
M.S. in Museum and Field Studies
Concentrations in Paleontology and Collections Management
Thesis: “Unusual fossiliferous concretions from the Lower Jurassic Moenave Formation in St.
George, Utah, USA: implications for ancient fish mass mortalities,” with advisor Karen Chin
Carleton College, Northfield, Minnesota
B.A. in Geology
Thesis: “Microfossil fauna from the Blue Earth Siltstone of the Lower Ordovician Praurie du Chien
Group, Minnesota, USA”
Graduated 2015
Graduated 2010
WORK AND VOLUNTEER EXPERIENCE
Graduate Assistant/Research Assistant
University of Colorado Museum of Natural History - Trace Fossil Collection
Aided in paleontology database migration, supervised undergraduate workers
Curated fossils, painted replicas, assisted in general collections management duties
Gave tours of museum paleontology collections to groups, spoke with elementary school classes
Contributed to development of museum exhibit “Steps in Stone” - opened November 7, 2014
Teaching Assistant – Paleobiology
University of Colorado, Boulder - Department of Geological Sciences
Set up and ran lab sessions for undergraduate Paleobiology class
Graded student work, held office hours, wrote and edited lab activities and exams
Summer Camp Instructor – Fossil Hunters
University of Colorado, Boulder - Science Discovery
Developed and taught two week-long, all-day classes for 9-11 year-olds about paleontology
Vertebrate Paleontology Collections Intern
The Field Museum, Chicago, Illinois
Aided in relabeling and reorganization of fossil actinopterygian (ray-finned fish) collection
Worked with Fourth Dimension specimen database
Assisted with specimen loan paperwork and general collections management duties
Paleontology Resources Field Technician
SWCA Environmental Consultants, Inc., Broomfield, Colorado
Conducted paleontology surveys and monitored construction projects
Prepared reports on the results of surveys for clients and land managing agencies
Entered information from paleontology surveys into Access database
Collected and prepared vertebrate fossil specimens
Museum Volunteer in Preparation Laboratory
Dinosaur Depot Museum, Cañon City, Colorado
Prepared and sorted vertebrate fossils
Answered questions from museum visitors
Information Specialist/Paleontology Intern
Bureau of Land Management, Cañon City, Colorado
Researched Colorado paleontology history and created an educational website
Gave geology and paleontology lectures to local schools and volunteer groups
Conducted fossil inventory of BLM lands, created maps using ArcGIS
Invertebrate Paleontology Intern (Adopt-A-Student Program)
Cleveland Museum of Natural History
Conducted research on trace fossils and presented findings to Kirtlandia Society
Catalogued specimens, arranged field excursions
Assisted with introductory geology course at Case Western Reserve University
2012 – 2015
Fall 2014
Summer 2014
Summer 2013
2011 – 2012
2010 – 2012
2010 – 2011
Summer 2008

2. Allison Vitkus – Page 2 of 2
OTHER EXPERIENCE
 Paleontology consultant on Jackpot, book 10 in the Aldo Zelnick series by Karla Oceanak and Kendra Spanjer. Published 2014.
 Paleontology consultant for dinosaur exhibit at WOW! Children’s Museum in Lafayette, Colorado – opened July, 2014.
 Panelist on Denver Comic Con panel, “What Scientists Have Learned Since Jurassic Park” – May 24, 2015
 Panelist in “The Science of Jurassic Park” event, part of the “Super Science Mashup” series in Colorado Springs – June 23, 2015
 Drew comic strip called “Knight Life” in the student newspaper The Carletonian from 2006-2010.
SELECTED GRADUATE COURSEWORK
 Museum Practicum in Geology
 Collections Management
 Museum Administration
 Paleoecology Field Methods
 Paleoenvironmental Evidence
 Vertebrate Paleontology
GRANTS AWARDED
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Burt Award
Student Research Grant - April, 2013
University of Colorado Museum of Natural History
Collie Fund Grant
Student Travel Grant - May, 2013
University of Colorado Museum of Natural History
PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS
 Geological Society of America
 Society of Vertebrate Paleontology
 Society for the Preservation of Natural History Collections
PUBLICATIONS
Vitkus, A.R., Chin, K., Lockley, M.G. (2014) “Fossil Footprints Through Geologic Time,” University of Colorado,
Boulder in partnership with University of California Museum of Paleontology.
<http://ucmp.berkeley.edu/science/trackways/index.php>
McComas, K.A., Walker, L. J., Vitkus, A.R., Culver, T.S. (2013, June) Collections management in a fire prone region: are emergency
plans enough? Poster presented at the annual meeting of the Society for the Preservation of Natural History Collections,
Rapid City, SD.
Vitkus, A.R., Smeins, M.J., Grenard, D.A. (2011) “Cope-Lucas Quarries,” on “Garden Park Fossil Area” website. United
States Bureau of Land Management. <http://www.handsontheland.org/garden-park/cope-lucas-quarries.html>
Vitkus, A.R., Chick, J.M., Grimes, B.A., Patel, K.M., Hannibal, J.T., Dunn, D.W. (2009, April) An arthropod-zoophycoid
assemblage in the Upper Devonian (Famennian) Chagrin Shale Member of the Ohio Shale. Presented at the annual meeting of the
North-Central Section of the Geological Society of America, Rockford, IL.
OTHER SKILLS
 Familiar with Access, Collective Access, and Re:discovery relational databases
 Familiar with Adobe graphic art programs including Photoshop, Flash, and Illustrator
 Experience with Trimble portable GPS devices, ArcGIS, and Trimble Sketchup
 Traditional and digital illustration
 Intermediate language skills in Spanish and Mandarin Chinese
 Familiar with social media websites, including Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest
 Coding experience in HTML, CSS, and ActionScript