Working in science diffusion, I am currently examining the comprehension of science images by experts and non-experts, the creation, distribution, and evaluation of large-scale science exhibitions in non-traditional science outreach locations, and universal design solutions.
Students in the United States are least proficient in the subject of their own nation's history, according to the latest results from the National Assessment of Education Progress. In the classroom and out, educators must make it their mission to reclaim the power of the places people live. Let's shut the traditional textbooks and reconnect history education with its immediate surroundings. Let's use place-based learning, mentoring partnerships and creative programming to engage students in their city's cultural landscape. If we enlighten, connect and inspire our students with their own rich history, young citizens become true citizens.
contact Emily
To me the appeal of researching, interpreting, and presenting history is the realization that alone, an individual is as ephemeral as a leaf; but together we are rooted in a solid collective past that fixes permanence and meaning to individual existence. Even as we fall from the tree the detritus of our past adds to its renewal.
My research plans at Brown are yet nebulous; mostly I'd like to develop an awareness of the people and resources available to the public humanities scholar. And when I'm comfortable wading around with those people in those places I plan to dive in and aide the discovery of untold or under-told stories that deserve to come up from the depths.
contact Gerald
I'm interested in examining how to design public humanities programs that influence individuals to actively address social injustice, and I believe that can happen when we immerse ourselves in stories, observe, and experience the social context of communities other than our own. I am fascinated by ethnography and oral history as research methodologies, and I want to learn more about how to stage public dialogue about social issues in various forms via new media, after cultural/theater performances, as a part of long-term learning experiences.
In this age of pluralism, diversity is not enough. We must take an active inclusionary approach to our encounters with objects, ideas, spaces, and one another. While my specific academic direction at Brown is still undefined, one of my goals is to investigate how individual and group identities are formed and nurtured in public cultural spaces, and how we, through these spaces, can achieve true living multiculturalism.
contact Anna
Art and culture have always been an important part of my life. Growing up in Indonesia, Thailand and Egypt exposed me to art and history that some may only see in textbooks. These life experiences inspired my interest in art history and it is not surprising that they translated into a major in Art History at Wellesley College. My minor in Educational Studies reflects my enthusiasm to share my passion with others. Outside of the classroom, I have studied in Paris and Cortona, Italy; served on Wellesley's Davis Museum Student Advisory Committee; and interned at a number of museums in Washington DC, including the Kreeger Museum, the Corcoran Gallery of Art, the National Portrait Gallery, and the Smithsonian Center for Education and Museum Studies. For the past year I have been teaching at the Smithsonian Early Enrichment Center, a lab school housed inside the Smithsonian that uses these outstanding museums as the base of their curriculum. Through these experiences, I have learned that one of the greatest challenges that today's museum staff face is making a museum relevant to a diverse community and creating an environment that welcomes a broad range of visitors into their space as money is increasingly cut from their budgets. I plan to use my time in the Public Humanities program to investigate the theoretical and academic knowledge, and the practical skills to transform museums from repositories of artifacts and knowledge to active, engaging, integrated learning centers for all ages and levels of sophistication.
contact Alex
My research concerns the public history of slavery throughout the United States, the Caribbean, and all other areas connected to the Atlantic World. I recently spent a year in Montreal, where I received a Fulbright grant to complete a one-year Master's degree in History at McGill University. My thesis concerns the biography of a young man named Mathieu Léveillé, a Martinican slave who arrived in Quebec in 1733 to serve as the colony's executioner. This research helped me realize the importance of unearthing the history of slavery in regions that have not been traditionally considered to be slave societies. My ultimate goal is to help incorporate these histories into the community's historical narrative through museums and historical institutions.
contact Jane-Coleman
Having been interested in history from an early age, I hope to establish a narrower focus and dedication for that interest at Brown. I want to study how the public's knowledge, awareness, and understanding of history – acquired through sources ranging from tourism and museums to films and literature – affect present-day society. I graduated in 2008 from Colgate University with a major in History and minor in German. I spent a semester abroad in Freiburg, where I discovered not only a fascination for the German historical narrative, but also a passion for German language and culture. Previous to my semester in Freiburg, I had interned at several historical museums (The Anthracite Heritage Museum in Scranton, PA; National Museum of American History in Washington, DC; and the Bennington Museum in Bennington, VT), aspiring to pursue a career making history interesting and accessible to the public. While this has remained my goal, my love of Germany brought me across the Atlantic for two years as an English Teaching Assistant, first at an elementary school in Berlin and second at a high school in a small town near Frankfurt. My time spent in Germany only intensified my interest in public understanding of history, being that Germans have such a difficult history to come to terms with, let alone to incorporate into their cultural identity. In the Public Humanities program I hope to expand my knowledge of the social impacts of history (focused on but not limited to Germany) and to pursue a career in educational tourism or a related field aimed at expanding public historical consciousness.
contact Jacquelyn
I am a public humanities masters student, class of 2012. I am interested in finding ways to connect people with history as well as using history and stories in new ways to inform and engage people in work for social justice. I graduated from Guilford College in Greensboro, NC, with a B.A. in history and minors in peace and conflict studies and community studies. While at Guilford, I also earned a certificate in interdisciplinary leadership for social change which, along with my other coursework, helped me to see the larger picture of how history can inform the present. Throughout my undergraduate career, I have sought out opportunities to find the human side of the story whether in my history courses, my volunteer positions with immigrant and refugee communities, or in my many internships. I have studied abroad in England, Ireland, and Northern Ireland and have worked in museums and archives, as well as a small internationally focused non-profit. Most recently, I spent a year working with the Friends Committee on National Legislation in their communications department. This was an opportunity for me to get an "insiders-view" of how the U.S. government forms legislation and the impact that everyday people from rural Maine to San Francisco can have on this process when given the tools to communicate their stories. Through all of my work, I have been interested in how individual stories become a part of the larger fabric of history. Basing my studies at Brown on past experiences, I am interested in finding ways to integrate new media forms into the work of sharing stories and further engaging people with their own histories.
contact Rachael
My interest in the potential to merge public history and social work practice is influenced by my own background working with uprooted populations, particularly the homeless. As an undergraduate I assisted with the development of an art history curriculum for inner city middle school students centered on the theme of female empowerment. I also worked to set up creative arts programming at a local homeless shelter. Prior to coming to Brown, I worked with the Simon Community in Ireland, an organization that seeks to end homelessness on a national level. In my graduate studies at Brown I continue to engage the question of how to build stronger connections between various uprooted and academic communities through the practice of community history, public art, and storytelling. I am especially interested in the diverse stories that people tell about both contested places and places in transition. My current research looks at changes in the ways that soldiers in the Irish Defense Forces remember barracks life before and after the economic boom of the Celtic Tiger in the 1990s.
contact Amy
Upon the completion of my undergraduate in Public and Community Service Studies, I served as the Assistant Director of Community Service Learning at Phillips Academy Andover. While there I worked with the Addison Gallery of American Art and the Robert S Peabody Museum of Archeology facilitating immersive experiential education programs including Pecos Pathways, an expeditionary-learning program in New Mexico linking Jemez Pueblo elders, Pecos National Historical Park, the Mashantucket Pequot Museum, and Robert S. Peabody Museum. This work sparked my fascination with the ethical questions associated with the historical preservation of marginalized communities' art and artifacts. The concept of preservation and cultural interpretation by community outsiders intrigues me and fosters my interest in understanding how communities value appreciate and preserve their own history, art and artifacts.
Since returning to my hometown of Providence three years ago I have become an integral part of the arts community and find myself being drawn to the act of cultivating community dialogue around socioeconomic class by grappling with the difficult questions raised in the ethical preservation of the works of marginalized communities. Through my research I hope to understand the ways in which communities utilize their own historical and artistic perspectives in their community building practices and justice-minded movements. Currently I serve on the Public Projects Design Team for the Industrial Arts Organizations Steel Yard, am the Gallery Coordinator for the Residence Gallery at AS220, and am a Performer with the Radical Community Marching Band Extraordinary Rendition.
contact Adj
I'm interested in a lot of things, particularly in media literacy, sacred space, youth engagement, community identity and national mythology, and all the times in history when people did things that were really, really hard. At the end of the day, I believe in promoting the kinds of institutions, access, and opportunities that help people cultivate an appreciation for the many things there are to be interested in. I'm also very serious about anything involving sunbonnets.
contact Emily
I graduated from Middlebury College in 2008 with a B.A. in history. I appreciated the interdisciplinary capacities of my liberal arts education and valued that I could write my thesis on the Danish Jews during World War II while also delving into my second focus, studio art. After graduation I pursued my interests in art history and higher education by working at the Middlebury College Museum of Art as the graduate intern where I conducted research for the director of the museum, curated three student art galleries, and served as a liaison for the student art community. At Middlebury I became passionate about creating an awareness of the artistic community on campus. The concept of college art museums and public art on campuses also intrigued me, and I reached out to the Middlebury College community to create a dialogue about the importance and purpose of art on a campus. After my year at the Middlebury College Museum of Art, I worked at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston as the graduate research intern for the contemporary art department. I researched the department's collection and wrote didactic text about the works to be published on the MFA's Web site. Before coming to Brown, I volunteered at Facing History and Ourselves in the development department. Facing History's "Choosing to Participate" drew me to the organization. It is an interactive exhibit that travels around the country to encourage conversation about the importance of learning from history and participating in our communities. The exhibit's interplay of display and education attracted me; I began to revise the way I looked at museums and cultural centers, and thought of how these institutions could educate through images. I am also interested in the transformative essence of art, and the issues with which museums and cultural institutions are faced today, one of which being "keeping up with the times." The possibilities and challenges confronting museums and cultural centers fascinate me, and I want to be a part of this development. What drew me to the public humanities program? Ultimately, the valuable combination of academic study with hands-on professional experience excited me. The program nurtures four components that I looked for in my graduate education: interdepartmental studies with a variety of stimulating classes, a professional practice curriculum, a practicum course that fosters the development of a focus, and creative outlets not only in Brown, but in the city of Providence as well. Currently I am pursuing these interests by taking a joint-class with RISD on public art, a cultural policy planning class, and Introduction to Public Humanities. I am also the gallery coordinator for the John Nicholas Brown Center. The public humanities program allows me to delve into all of my interests. There are no limits. But, when I find something to focus on I have many resources and people to help refine whatever initiative or project interests me. I am passionate about pursuing a career in the public humanities field. I do not have a set defined job in mind, but I feel that there in lies the purpose of this program, exposing students to the possibilities for work in the non-profit cultural sector. I would be happy working for a college museum that is focused not only on educating the student body, but also serving as a cultural resource center for the community. I am also looking at employment opportunities at a public art association or a community organization committed to the promotion of the arts.
contact Elyse
I'm interested in the cultural moment / cultural experiences. At this point, I consider myself a cultural producer. I currently work as a public programs and concerts manager at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. At the JNBC, where I am a part-time student, I talk a lot about that moment where the audience, the public, and the community meets culture. I am interested in this audience – I am interested in who they are, how they use culture in their lives, and what I can teach them about its usefulness / transferability to their everyday.
I come from four seasons of experience with the National Park Service, working at two different national historical parks, and so the main premise of my focus centers around visitors; yet my question starts at the point even before a person becomes a visitor: how can history be presented as something relevant to any possible visitor, of any demographic background? I would like to learn how NPS sites can be more accessible, across demographic lines, either by logistical means, or through efforts in content presentation and interpretation. More specifically, I also want to learn how to foster relations between NPS sites and their surrounding communities - whether that be through creating exhibition spaces, developing interpretive/educational programs, or by encouraging community involvement through means of outreach to local residents.
contact Resi
I'm interested in changing the public perception of art and art museums, and thoughtfully engaging new audiences with art through innovative curating and museum directorship. I believe art is enriching on many levels. It should be not only accessible to all, but truly welcoming to all.
Allison is currently pursuing research on the intersection of soft power and the visual arts. She received a MFA with honors from Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) and a BA with honors and distinction from Kenyon College. A visiting critic/artist at RISD, Project Open Door, Penn State and Brown; she has taught courses at RISD in the printmaking department and workshops for the Center for Contemporary Printmaking. Previous museum work experience includes The Costume Institute at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
contact Allison
I'm interested in the intersection of history and archaeology, and the ways that these disciplines can be used to engage the American public. In particular, my research has focused on the African-American experience: I've excavated sites of enslaved individuals in Virginia and black homesteaders in Colorado. I believe that including the public in the process of doing archaeology and doing history will not only make them feel more involved, but also greatly benefit the disciplines as well. I hope that my work will help people think critically about issues of race and class that affect the way our society is structured.
contact Jess
Admittedly, I am a generalist exploring the ways that history and anthropology convey stories of the African American experience. I am interested in curatorial work that produces thoughtful interactions and engaging encounters with complex histories.
contact Jasmine
"Tell me a story" has always been my refrain. In my itinerant upbringing across Asia, Europe, and North America, stories flowered at every encounter with the new. This same sense of curiosity eventually led me to work with cultural organizations in a diversity of other places. Whether it was doing relief work with hurricane survivors in the Louisiana bayou, learning how to cook homemade tortillas from seasonal workers in rural Maine, or reminiscing with elderly craftspeople in Hong Kong, I found everyone has a story to tell.
If culture is the sum of the stories we tell to make sense of our world, then it is the work of the public humanist to explore how and why we tell them. We work to make these stories matter, to present them in new ways, to find homes for them in the gallery, the tour, or the airwaves, and to create new ones for communities larger than our own. What animates my own public humanities work is the urge to preserve, but also to breathe new life into stories through creative practice. As an aspiring writer and researcher with a background in art history and women's studies, in addition to practical training in education, I've worked on diverse projects from exhibits, performance pieces, community storytelling, and small documentaries.
I chose this program for its interdisciplinary nature; drawing from the discourses of history, anthropology, urban studies, and art (to name a few), the public humanities provides a unique toolkit to succeed in the growing cultural industries. At Brown, I've benefited from a rich mixture of professional training, academic rigor, and a creative and nurturing environment; pairing research and reflection with on-the-ground practice.
contact Anya
I'm interested in the intersections of public history, memory, and human rights. In particular, I'd like to focus on how museums and memorials commemorate atrocities and other tragedies from both the recent and distant past and their role in shaping public narratives about these events.
contact Nathaniel
Among the things that fascinate me are the cultural work and history of museums, how artifacts participate in the construction of identity, and the digital side of public humanities. I hope to pull these concerns together in my dissertation, an examination of the wartime work of U.S. museums.
I'm interested in curatorial work for social justice. For every fascinating object or collection in a museum, I hope we can find stories to connect them in relevant ways to our struggles to make the world a better place.
I'm drawn to how people craft a sense of history from the objects, media, and environment around them. Whether as artifacts in a museum, historic buildings and landscapes, or traditional foodways, my goal is to help preserve these historical touchstones and make them relevant to their communities. Currently I'm writing a dissertation that looks at how various groups reimagined New England's maritime history in the 20th century for tourism and commerce.
My interests revolve around the study of race, social movements, and visual culture in the transnational Americas. My dissertation explores political and cultural solidarity between African American activists and the Cuban Revolution in the 1960s and 1970s. Public humanities has enabled me to consider the power of memory and representation in shaping history, and facilitated my interest in connecting historical scholarship to diverse audiences.