Digging Into Knowledge
Alumnus Mark Mobius invests in student archaeological research
When Mark Mobius gets curious about something, he digs in—traveling to a new place and learning all that he can. That could mean the consumer clothing industry in Turkey, the electronics business in Taiwan, the medical business in China, the construction materials business in India, or, most recently, archaeology in the Americas.
Mobius (CFA’58, COM’59), a financial industry pioneer and founding partner of Mobius Capital Partners, recently gave $1 million to establish the Mark Mobius Student Research and Travel Endowment Fund at the College of Arts & Sciences. The permanently endowed fund will support research and fieldwork conducted by undergraduate and graduate archaeology students.
“Archaeology in the Americas has not gotten as much support as it deserves. So much is undiscovered and misunderstood,” says Mobius, former executive chair of the Templeton Emerging Markets Group, where he spent more than 30 years investing around the world. “You have to understand history in order to understand human behavior, how to avoid the mistakes we made in the past. The work BU archaeologists are doing is adding to our historical body of knowledge.”
Mobius’ generous gift invests in emerging archaeologists, enabling students to travel to digs and conduct lab or fieldwork and giving them important hands-on learning experiences.
“Travel and field studies are expensive, and we think it is essential that every student who wants to engage in archaeological fieldwork be able to do so, not just those who are able to afford it,” says David Carballo, a professor of archaeology, anthropology, and Latin American studies and assistant provost for general education. “Mark’s generous gift helps us to address a critical need in a way that allows for more equitable student engagement with the human past.”
“This gift will be transformational in its ability to assist the next generation of archaeological professionals,” says John M. Marston, an associate professor of archaeology and anthropology and director of the BU Archaeology Program.
Mobius didn’t study archaeology. He came to BU on scholarship as a theater major, then studied the psychology of communication at the College of Communication. He went on to earn a PhD in economics from MIT. As an investor, Mobius continues to study. “I read a lot of history, because when I’m investing, history plays a very important role. You have to know the background of the people, the background of the country.”
From his investment work in the Middle East and Asia, he knew about the scholarship of BU archaeologists in Egypt, but was curious about work in other geographic areas. When he learned from BU President Robert A. Brown about Carballo’s archaeological excavations in Mexico, he decided to support emerging research in the department.
“I thought it would be a great opportunity to give back,” he says. “You should follow in the footsteps of other people who have given and give in the way that it makes sense, for the University and the students.”
In July, Mobius did what he always does when he’s curious: he took a trip, this time to Carballo’s excavation in Mexico. He toured an underground passageway, where students found remains of a major ritual deposit and visited the field lab, where they are analyzing pottery, bones, and rocks recovered from the excavations.
“It was terrific,” says Mobius. “The students thanked me for my help and I thanked them for their work. I think what they’re doing is incredibly important. The work that they’re doing is adding to our body of knowledge. I’m excited to be part of it.”