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Headshot of Tate Director, Melissa ConnelyMelissa Connely 
Tate Geological Museum Director
Geology Instructor
(307) 268-2017
(800) 442-2963 ext. 2017

Melissa Connely serves at the Tate Geological Museum Director. She is also an instructor in the Geology Department and the Kleinhammer Earth Science Chair. She is originally from Yakima Washington and has lived in Colorado, Michigan and Arkansas. She has been in Wyoming for almost 30 years and hopes to spend the rest of her life there.

Melissa started her education at Casper College receiving her associates in Elementary Education. She received her Bachelor's of Science degree in Geology from the University of Wyoming her Master's degree in Geology from Utah State University. As a geologist, her interests are in stratigraphy and sedimentation, paleontology and paleoecology. Her Master's Thesis is titled "The Stratigraphy and Paleoecology of the Morrison Formation at Como Bluff, Wyoming."

She is very interested in paleontology and has worked for 11 years at various dinosaur quarries and in a prep lab. She has worked with many Jurassic animals including Apatosaurus, Allosaurus, Drinker, and other vertebrates.

In the summer, she works as a consultant for the petroleum industry. She does paleontological surveys for BLM lands and also works with other academic institutions.

Research is very important to her and she is often involved in many research projects. She encourages her students to participate and be a part of these projects.

Headshot of Education Specialist, Russell Hawley

Russell Hawley
Education Specialist
(307) 268-2447
(800) 442-2963 ext. 2447

Russell graduated from the University of Colorado in 1991 with a degree in fine art. His artwork has appeared in the America's Smithsonian anniversary traveling exhibition, numerous games, t-shirts and coffee mugs, and several issues of Prehistoric Times magazine. Aside from being the Tate Geological Museum's Educational Specialist, Russels also gives tours, writes articles for the museum newsletter, and produces illustrations for the museum displays.

Headshot of Field Operations Specialist, J.P. Cavigelli

J.P. Cavigelli 
Field Operations Specialist
(307) 268-2447
(800) 442-2963 ext. 2447 

J.P. is one of the men behind the scenes and in the field.  He is the Field Operations Specialist as well as the Prep Lab Manager for the museum.

JP came to Casper two years ago from Laramie. IThere he worked off and on in paleontology for 14 years, doing field work as well as a two year post as the collections manager for the University of Wyoming Department of Geology and Geophysics. He has had the good fortune of having been invited to join international paleontological expeditions to Mongolia, Niger (twice) and North Dakota.

Theri Reel

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Tate Geological Museum curator, Kent Sundell in TanzaniaDr. Kent Sundell
Tate Geological Museum Curator - Mammals
University of California at Santa Barbara
Geology Instructor
(307) 268-2498
(800) 442-2963 ext. 2498 

Kent is the curator for the Tate Geological Museum. 

Geology allows him to be outdoors and apply a broad knowledge of science (chemistry, physics, biology, math) towards a better understanding of our Earth. From the historical and esoteric (paleontology, plate tectonics, paleomagnetism, climate change) to the practical application of finding a high paying job (oil, gas, and mineral exploration, geophysics, geochemistry, geohydrology, environmental geology), geology makes life fun and mentally stimulating.

Al Allen portraitAlbert "Al" E. Allen
Tate Geological Museum Curator - Stratigraphy & Historical Geology 
University of Oklahoma
Phillips University
Geology Instructor / Emeritus
(307) 268-3008
(800) 442-2963 ext. 3008


Last Updated 4/1/08