Story: Emily Nelson
Photography: Kirk Murray
Published: May 7, 2025
Maya Monk never could have predicted when she went looking for a research opportunity at the University of Iowa that she would end up working with 13,600-year-old mastodon bones.
“It’s been such an incredible experience to get to work on this,” says Monk, who will graduate this spring with a BS in biology. “I’ve learned so much and had the chance to meet and work with so many amazing people.”
Monk has spent hours helping to carefully clean and preserve the skull and other bones of a mastodon excavated from Wayne County, Iowa, in summer 2024. Along with using small, soft paintbrushes and distilled water to slowly remove the dirt and clay that covers the bones, Monk is also consolidating the bones, applying an archival adhesive that seeps into the porous material to harden it and prevent further deterioration. She also has built foam and plaster supports for individual bones and helped monitor the condition of the bones as they dry.
Monk says she started reaching out to faculty about potential research opportunities at the beginning of her junior year. Her advisor mentioned that Tiffany Adrain, collections manager for the UI Paleontology Repository and adjunct instructor in the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, was looking for help in the UI Paleontology Repository.
She started working on a digitization project of specimens in the Robert Wolf Collection, and shortly after received an Office of Undergraduate Research Fellowship to work on the mastodon project.
“I had always been interested in archaeology and paleontology, especially when I was younger, so I thought I’d give it a try,” Monk says. “And then the mastodon project came up. I didn’t even know they could be found in Iowa. I thought it was so cool that I could work on such a rare project and maybe help discover things we didn’t know about them.”
Maya Monk
Hometown: Polk City, Iowa
Degree: BS in biology
What’s next: “I’d like to go to graduate school eventually, but first I’m hoping to work in conservation for a year or two to get some experience and narrow down exactly what I want to do. I think my ultimate goal would be to work in marine biology or marine conservation.”
Monk eventually wants to go to graduate school — likely in the areas of marine biology or marine conservation — but after graduation plans to work in conservation for a year or two to get experience and narrow down exactly what she wants to do.
While her work with the mastodon may not directly correlate with her future career, Monk says it’s been a valuable experience.
“It’s been fun to learn all the processes and techniques that a project like this requires,” Monk says.
Why did you choose to come to Iowa?
Iowa has always been in the family. My sisters go here. My parents went here. My grandparents, my aunts and uncles all went here. After hearing about all their experiences, I really wanted to come here and explore it for myself.
What are some of your earliest memories on campus?
My earliest memories are before I was a student, helping my older sister move in, visiting her, and going to football games. After that, I was really excited to start my first week. I remember learning the bus system, walking around campus, and meeting new people in my classes and at work. I had never really done anything like that before.
What surprised you the most about the University of Iowa?
I think what surprised me the most was how much the community and the university interact with one another. You'll find community members walking around campus and students around town. You feel like you're a part of Iowa City as well as the University of Iowa. I like going to all the local events, such as the outdoor concerts and arts festivals. I like all the benefits that come with community, like the public library. It's really cool that it's all in one space.
What was your most memorable experience or your best memory?
The most memorable experience I had was choosing to study abroad after my freshman year. I went to Spain with a group of students from Iowa, and it was so incredible. It was a whole new world, and I was proud of myself for doing something new and something that made me a little nervous to do.
What provided you with the greatest sense of belonging while at the University of Iowa?
My classes, especially the upper-level bio classes. Everyone has common experiences and there's a great sense of community within those bio classes.
The second place would be working for Housing and Dining at the Power Cafe. We’re all students and everyone shares common experiences. You can always talk to someone about something. It’s just been a really cool place to work for the past four years.
Maya Monk has spent hours helping to carefully clean and preserve the skull and other bones of a mastodon excavated from Wayne County, Iowa. “It’s been such an incredible experience to get to work on this,” says Monk, who will graduate this spring with a BS in biology. “I’ve learned so much and had the chance to meet and work with so many amazing people.”
Who was your most important mentor here, and what role did they play in your experience?
I found two mentors that really have helped me through my studies in the last two years. One of them is Tiffany Adrain. I started volunteering with her, and if I had never reached out and worked with the Paleontology Repository, I never would have been able to have this opportunity to work on the mastodon. She’s helped me every step along the way and taught me everything in this field of study.
My other mentor is Heather Sander. I really enjoyed working with her and with her research lab. I've gotten a lot of experience working with camera trapping and field work. I’ve always thought about going into ecology or conservation of some sort, and her research is urban ecology. She’s really given me a glimpse into what my career might look like.
Is there anyone you’d like to thank?
Thank you to my sisters for being my best friends and supporters at Iowa. Thanks to my dad for helping me every step along the way. And thanks to all of my relatives who came to Iowa before me and were able to share their experiences of going here.