Student Snapshot

STUDENT SNAPSHOT Matt Harrup

Hometown: Brussels, Belgium Major: Coastal resources management doctoral student Career goals: To become an archaeologist

East Carolina University student Matt Harrup wasn’t looking for a tavern. However, when he found one, he dug right in.

In 2018, Harrup was part of a team of ECU archaeology students under Professor Charles Ewen exploring Brunswick Town, an 18th-century town in southeastern North Carolina. Team members used ground penetrating radar in what was believed to be an empty lot, according to a map from 1769, when they discovered the remnants of a tavern no one knew existed.

“Something resembling a large structure showed up on the GPR, and it was much deeper than other structures there,” Harrup said. “We put in a few exploratory units and quickly realized we had something significant.

“It’s what archaeologists hope for. Almost as exciting as the discovery is that it’s completely intact and the amount of data that has been recovered. It’s a true picture of colonial life.”

He credits the entire team for their work on the project, including fellow students Kimberly Byrnes, Brandon Eckert, Adam Pohlman and Mackenzie Mulkey. “Archaeology is a team sport,” he said.

Harrup said the COVID-19 pandemic has interrupted work at the site, but about half of it has been excavated, resulting in the recovery of about 24,000 artifacts.

Already with a master’s in anthropology from ECU, Harrup is seeking his doctoral degree in coastal resources management and plans to become an archeologist. He expects to graduate this summer.

“I don’t think there is a better educational value than ECU,” he said.

Read more about the Brunswick Town tavern in the fall 2019 issue of East at east.ecu.edu.

– Ken Buday

5 minutes with

ADAM WOLFF ’13

By Ken Buday Occupation: Assistant project manager for Archer Western Construction

Degree: Bachelor of science, construction management Hometown: Winston-Salem

What are your job responsibilities? I manage all of the day-to-day activities on the I-77 rehab project . I work closely with superintendents to schedule our daily activities on site and supervise the engineer staff in the office .

Describe what it’s like to work with the earth to build a major roadway. There’s nothing quite like working on a massive earthwork project . Every day that goes by you can look back and see what has been accomplished as the scenery changes . When working on a major highway or other large earthwork project, you are truly turning nothing into something in a short span of time .

Was there a class, professor or experience you had at ECU that helped lead you to where you are today? Every professor I studied underneath not only took the curriculum that they were teaching seriously, but they truly cared about their students in terms of assisting with networking and procuring employment after graduation . I truly believe that their personal approach to assisting every student has led to the university producing some of the most qualified new grads in the construction industry in terms of interpersonal communication and management skills .

Anything else to add? Your time spent at East Carolina is something to be cherished, but it is just the beginning . I’ve worked on some of the biggest construction projects in the world and lived up and down the East Coast pursuing my career aspirations . ECU gives you all the tools to succeed and become whoever you want to be no matter how big or small your dreams are . When you graduate, it’s impossible to know the destinations that life will take you along the way . Just make sure that at every stop in your journey you tell people that you’re a Pirate from East Carolina, because that means something .

We want to hear stories from alumni about how their experiences at ECU shaped them today and how they pass those lessons to others. Send us an email at easteditor@ecu.edu.