March 14, 2025

To celebrate our 2025 Grant recipients, we contacted our winners to learn about their projects and and share their unique experiences in the world of archaeology. We’re thrilled to announce Kevin Ennis, the winner of the prestigious Julie Herzig Desnick Grant for 2025!

Julie Herzig Desnick Grant Winner: Kevin Ennis (Indiana University Bloomington)

Dr. Kevin Ennis is the Co-Director of the Khora of Archaic Morgantina Project (KAMP), located in Aidone, Sicily. KAMP aims to gain new insights into the lives of indigenous Sicilian communities by studying an 8th-5th century BCE village situated along the Gornalunga River, just outside the ancient city of Morgantina. This summer, with funds from the Julie Herzig Desnick Endowment for Archaeological Field Surveys, Dr. Ennis and his colleagues will use remote sensing, both ground-penetrating radar and magnetometry, to determine the boundaries of this new site and identify areas of interest for future excavation. This grant-funded project offers a unique opportunity to take the first step towards creating a robust data set about a non-elite settlement at a moment of profound transition defined by colonization, connectivity, and local resistance. 

How did you get your start in archaeology? 

My first foray into archaeology was as a volunteer on The Plakias Stone Age Project. That summer, our team excavated the Mesolithic site of Damnoni, located on the coast in southwest Crete. I went on the project as a lark with no background in archaeology but left knowing that I had found my calling.

Where in the world has archaeology brought you (fieldwork, research, conference travel, etc.)? 

I’ve participated in several different excavation projects in both Greece and Italy. Most recently, I’ve had the privilege of living and working in the small town of Aidone in east-central Sicily every summer for the last decade as a member of the American Excavations at Morgantina. I’ve also had the pleasure of working at the Penn Museum in Philadelphia. Graduate study in archaeology took me to the Bay Area and afforded me the opportunity to live in Rome for a year. Finally, I’ve been to conferences across the US and Europe, most memorably to a meeting in Split (Croatia) in the Spring of 2022.

What is one of the most memorable things that has happened to you in the field? 

I currently work as the Finds Supervisor for the Agora Valley Project at Morgantina. We’ve unearthed many interesting artifacts over the course of the excavation but one stands out as most memorable. Two summers ago, we found a small limestone statue of a young male figure holding a bird. This was an especially surprising and exciting discovery because sculptural finds are relatively rare at Morgantina. In my capacity as Finds Supervisor, I worked with our conservators to clean the statue and had the privelge of being the first member of the team to study it. This sculpture will make an exceptional addition to the local museum in Aidone and it therefore holds a special place in my heart.

How has the AIA contributed to your success/professional goals? 

I’ve been a member of the AIA since my time in graduate school and regularly attended the annual meeting, which has been an indensible venue to present my own research and to make connections with other archaeologists working on material from very different regions and periods.

Learn more about what Grant and Fellowship opportunities are available through the AIA.