Rebecca L. Harris, Founder & Executive Director

Rebecca Harris is a Registered Professional Archaeologist since 2001.  Rebecca began her archaeology career as a participant in a Public Archaeology "summer camp" program while in junior high in the 1980s.  Rebecca attended high school in Seminole County,  has a BA from the University of Florida in Anthropology & Classical Archaeology, her MA from Florida Atlantic University in Anthropology.  PhD studies in Archaeology at University of Oklahoma and ABD/PhD at University of Arkansas in Environmental Dynamics.  For much of her career her research and work focused on the prehistory of Florida and the Southeast.  Rebecca has excavated and/or studied sites throughout the Florida Peninsula from the earliest prehistoric to the modern era and was incredibly lucky to spend two years excavating at Cahokia, the largest prehistoric site in North America. Rebecca taught college for 10 years, has worked as a museum educator and director, a Federal Archaeologist for the USFS, conducted fieldwork throughout the Southeastern US, Southern Plains and Pacific Northwest for various private contract firms.  Rebecca was also hired as a Forensic Archaeologist for her expert opinion.

In addition to her archaeology experience, Rebecca has worked for a number of non-profit organizations including as a Youth Development faculty member for the University of Florida Cooperative Extension.  Most recently Rebecca worked for the University of Michigan's Institute of Social Research, Survey Research Center as a field interviewer.

Rebecca spent her summers as a child in NSB and could not believe her amazing luck to meet a fellow Gator fan at a UF tailgate in 2008 who was not just familiar with NSB, but was a native!  Rebecca has been married to Michael Grabowski (NSBHS 1987) for 12 years and is truly living her dream with the creation of SARI as a non-profit organization that is focused on expanding archaeological work, education and public involvement to her favorite place in Florida.

Kate M. Wright, Vice President of Research & Historical Interpretation

Kate Wright has been an archaeologist for 24 years. She graduated from the University of South Alabama with a Bachelors degree in Anthropology and attended graduate school at the University of Southern Mississippi. She has worked on archaeological sites throughout the southeastern and southwestern US as well as the Great Northern Plains. Her career positions have included federal and state agencies as well as private contract companies. Her main interest is in the study of the usage, material, and manufacture of stone tools. Her passion lies in bringing the subject of archaeology to life via public education. She has written archaeology curricula for primary and secondary teachers, given classroom presentations, assisted Boy Scouts of America with their archaeology merit badges, and taught classes on archaeological excavation, survey, and lithic analysis to interested adults. ​