Dr. Mary Thompson selected as one of winners of Esto Perpetua Award
POCATELLO, Idaho (KIFI) – For nearly 30 years, Dr. Mary Thompson worked as a collections manager for the Idaho Museum of Natural History in Pocatello.
For her hard work, she has received the Esto Perpetua award from the Idaho State Historical Society.
"I am thrilled," Thompson said. "I was totally surprised when I received the phone call that I was being awarded."
The Idaho State Historical Society recognizes individuals and organizations that dedicate themselves to preserving and promoting the history in Idaho.
Dr. Thompson’s area of focus has been vertebrate paleontology.
"Primarily, my interests have been on fossil mammals, in particular fossil camels, early muskrats in North America, and lately it's been DNA work on a lot of our specimens," Thompson said.
By doing her research and going on multiple digs, she has put in a lot of effort to go back in time.
"Hours and hours and hours, years and years and years," Thomspon said. "You figure 28 years, 40 plus hours a week. It adds up to a lot."
Although she is retired as an employee at the museum, she still continues to do her own research, and says the work she and her collegues have done has not gone unnoticed.
"We have scientists from all areas all over the world that are coming to the museum, because of the material and collections here," Thompson said. "So this truly is one of those gems of the state."
Dr. Thompson is now being honored as of those gems.
"That's sort of the capstone that I'm doing something good, I guess," Thompson said. "It's that thrill and that honor that my work is important. It validates the importance of my work."
