Michelle Knoll Named 2025 Third Quarter Lawrence S. Semo Scientific Achievement Award Winner

Congratulations to Michelle Knoll, Project Manager out of our Phoenix office, on being named the Lawrence S. Semo Scientific Achievement award winner for the third quarter of 2025.

Since joining SWCA in 2020, Michelle Knoll has become a driving force in SWCA’s cultural resources management. She has excelled by blending her diverse background in archaeology and museum sciences with her passion for creative problem-solving and collaboration. Her expertise and initiative have elevated SWCA’s capabilities in ethnography, interpretive planning, and multi-disciplinary project delivery. Clients consistently recognize Michelle for her professionalism, adaptability, and transparent communication.

Scientific Excellence and Leadership

Michelle’s fascination with archaeology began as a child, inspired by a visit to the Egyptian exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. That early spark led to academic pursuits at the University of Utah and a diverse career over the last 22 years spanning museum curation/exhibit development, paleogenetics, cultural resources management, and Tribal outreach.

At SWCA, Michelle quickly distinguished herself by managing complex projects and national grants, and by expanding her Tribal outreach to include groundbreaking ethnographic work, most notably, the Cross Mountain Ethnography for PacifiCorp’s Gateway South Project. She was also brought on to assist the New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs with their NAGPRA compliance.

While Chair of SWCA’s Native Communities Practices Group (2020-2023), Michelle helped develop the company’s Best Practices for Working with Native Communities, shaping how SWCA approaches resource management and permitting projects. Her leadership and technical expertise set new standards for collaboration and respect in working with Tribal partners.

Innovation, Teamwork, and Impact

As a leader in interpretive planning at SWCA, Michelle works across offices to develop new business lines and educational products that connect resources and audiences in meaningful ways. For instance, partnering with Tribal Historic Preservation Officers and SWCA marketing specialist Leon Schatz to produce an ethnographic video for the Ute Tribe as part of the Gateway South Project— the final product praised by Ute Tribal members.

Her work is characterized by creative, marketable solutions that bridge disciplines. A StoryMap of the Nuche Tribe in collaboration with American West Center, Pacificorp, and SWCA’s Lead Geospatial Scientist Kim Lyons exemplifies how integrating interpretation with geospatial data can result in a dynamic and educational product. The StoryMap is now serving as model for other projects.

Growth, Learning, and Giving Back

Michelle embodies SWCA’s Core Values in everything she does, through collaborating across offices and disciplines (OneSWCA), seeking out new solutions and opportunities NeverSettle, and actively pursuing professional development through lectures, webinars, and presentations AlwaysLearning. She actively participates in community events with her office, and volunteers as a Utah Site Steward outside of work, monitoring and recording site conditions GivesBack.

Michelle’s commitment to learning, sharing knowledge, and expanding SWCA’s offerings make her a role model within the company. Her advice to colleagues: “Stay creative. If there is something you are passionate about, find a way to turn that into a success for you and SWCA.”

The quarterly Lawrence S. Semo Scientific Achievement Award rewards individuals for demonstrating passion, creativity, and scientific excellence in a manner that advances SWCA’s purpose, mission, vision, and values. The award is in honor of Larry Semo, who began working as a biologist for SWCA in Austin in 1993 and transferred to Denver in 1999. A respected and widely published ornithologist and all-around naturalist, Larry had an insatiable desire to learn and a great love for the outdoors until his untimely passing in 2011.