Director's Message

	Fall/Winter 99

	Director's Message by Richard M. Leventhal On October 20, members of the Institute and friends gathered in the Fowler Amphitheater to celebrate a major new development in the history of archaeology at UCLA. Not only marking a name change from the UCLA Institute of Archaeology to the Cotsen Institute of Archaeology at UCLA, these festivities celebrated the great generosity of Lloyd E. Cotsen as well as the growth and development of the Institute as it moves into the ranks of the major archaeological research centers in the country. I also want to recognize Lloyd E. Cotsen’s vision that the Institute can continue to grow and to develop new and even more exciting research and educational programs. At the same time, it is important to take note of the hard work, the time, and the energy that many have put into the Institute over the past 25 years. There are two aspects to the gift. One will support ongoing and crucial components such as field research, graduate students, annual visiting scholar, advanced seminars, the lecture series, and labs. The second is an endowment of the directorship of the Institute with unrestricted funds. This type of support is most unusual in that it enables the development of new programs that address the future needs and directions of archaeology. Some of the new programs we have recently started serve as examples of what we can do in the future. These programs include the Digital Archaeology Lab, the Archaeology Outreach for Educators program, and a partnership with the Getty Trust in the development of a new Master’s program in conservation. A gift of this type demonstrates Lloyd E. Cotsen’s trust in the Institute, in the people of the Institute, and in the future of archaeology here at UCLA. We are proud to take on a new name--the Cotsen Institute of Archaeology at UCLA. I hope we can be able to bring innovation and honor to the name as we learn more about the human past and educate a new generation of archaeologists for the future. Richard M. Leventhal is Director of the Cotsen Institute of Archaeology at UCLA and a Professor in the Department of Anthropology.