From earning a masters in anthropology to working at major archeological sites, Jeanine Kreinbrink has done it all.

Now, Kreinbrink, a Northern Kentucky University alumni and part-time anthropology faculty member, is the recipient of a Distinguished Service Award. The award is presented to NKU alumni who have made significant contributions to the university or to the community.

“I was pretty excited (about receiving the Distinguished Service Award) especially when I found out I will be the first anthropology major to receive this particular award,” Kreinbrink said.

When she was an underclassman, Kreinbrink started out as a history major and then switched to art after realizing history was not what she wanted to study. While majoring in art, she enrolled in one anthropology class and was so inspired she knew she had to major in anthropology. She finished her bachelor’s degree at NKU and went on to receive a master’s degree from the University of Cincinnati.

Along with teaching part time at NKU, she has a full-time job at Natural and Ethical Environmental Solutions as a consultant for the archeology department. Kreinbrink also does volunteer archeology work in the community.

She was recently responsible for overseeing the excavation of the Battery Hooper site. Battery Hooper was important in the defense of the city of Cincinnati from the Confederate soldiers dur-