Dear reader,
I’m Fiona, a senior at UM majoring in Anthropology and minoring in Religion and Museum Studies. It’s June 2nd. I start working on the Bentley doctoral research project with my mentor Emily this week! This project seems like a great fit because I am hoping to someday work in an archive, museum, or library, doing research or curation; I love history, old things, and sorting information. I have never participated in formal research before, so I am excited to be taking such an independent role in this project. I am not used to a free-form structure where the objectives are somewhat unknown, broad, and flexible, but the free-form structure also leaves room for me to be creative and go in directions that interest me. I love history and art, and I hope to get a chance at utilizing my skills in building and presenting a unique, engaging investigation.
Part of the project is working on a physical or virtual exhibition for Rackham, which I am excited for. Although I have been working at the Hatcher library for a year, sorting maps and filing archival materials, I have never been on the content and design side of curation, only the pulling-items-and-setting-up side. I hope to have fun working with my mentor and other student employees putting together presentations.
Through this program, I also expect to get a clearer idea of what a career in humanities research looks like. I want to learn about more databases and information centers, how to efficiently use them, and which resources are better for which types of research. My experience at Hatcher will be helpful in practicing my skills in archival research–literature reviews, handling old objects, and navigating storage systems.
All in all, I’m super happy to be a part of this program and look forward to working with a team and learning about the complex history of doctoral research at U of M!