Grad students learn about outreach to the public
Matt Kinservik, professor of English
9:01 a.m., June 3, 2008--The 14 UD graduate students from seven departments and programs enrolled in the Material Culture Studies Public Institute “From Avatars to Radio Sound Bites” are enthusiastic and wrapped up in their areas of study and their research--whether it's Janneken Smucker and her project on Amish quilts and their oral history or Marina Dobronovskaya and her study of preservation issues in the reconstruction of Soviet cities after World War II.

The workshop is a two-week program to give scholars and curators of the future an opportunity to learn about the resources and technology available to them and also to teach them hands-on methods of transmitting their enthusiasm about their projects by reaching out and engaging the public.

Material culture studies is far reaching and encompasses the history and philosophy of objects made or modified by humans from toys to paintings to clothing to the ruins of the past.

For example, Laura Walikainen is involved in researching a shoemaker shop that existed on the grounds of Mt. Vernon, while Andrew Bozanic is examining the business history, playing styles, production and distribution of American acoustic guitars. Using an empty trunk as a take-off point, Daniel Claro studies packing for a trip during the 19th century--as a way of looking at the dramatic changes in transportation brought about by steamboats and trains.

The kick-off for the workshop, which is part of the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) $500,00 challenge grant awarded to UD this spring, took place June 2. Tom Apple, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, which provided bridge funding for the workshop, welcomed the group, saying the workshop provided an opportunity for graduate students, who frequently work alone, to get to know each other and work as a team.

He was followed by Associate Dean Ann Ardis, who discussed the impact of the grant for humanities research, and Debra Hess Norris, associate dean and Henry Francis du Pont Chair in Fine Arts, who with others in the college was instrumental in getting the NEH grant. “This is an exciting moment,” Norris said, telling the students that the workshop would help them become aware of how to reach audiences, showcase their work and engage the public.

Matt Kinservik, professor of English, and Joyce Hill Stoner, professor of art conservation, who together organized the workshop, spoke briefly. Kinservik said there were three goals for the workshop--stimulating professional collaboration, seeing beyond academia to the public and advancing the humanities via public engagement.

Joyce Hill Stoner, professor of art conservation
Stoner gave the students a rundown on the activities for the week and spoke about Facebook and Second Life and the enormous influence of online technology and what it can do for them. Julian Yates, associate professor of English, was the keynote speaker for the morning workshop, and the afternoon workshop on methodology was coodinated by Bernard Herman, the Edward F. and Elizabeth Goodman Rosenberg Professor of Art History and chairperson of the department.

The graduate students introduced themselves and spoke briefly about their research topics. After the workshop they will resume their research and then, based on what they have learned during the workshop, make presentations to different outside groups in the fall.

The graduate students will spend Tuesday, June 3, at Morris Library, learning about online resources for material culture, and Wednesday, June 4, at Winterthur Museum. On Thursday, June 5, there will be lectures on public speaking, such as “How Not to Give a Lecture” and “50 Ways to Tell a Story.” Friday, June 6, will be the students' turn to perform, as East Hall becomes a studio where the group will practice sound bites and television spots.

The following week the group will visit Hagley Museum on Monday, June 9, and will learn about teaching and technologies on Tuesday, June 10. Wednesday, June 11, is reserved for a day at Delaware Art Museum, and the conference will wrap up on Thursday, June 12, with students planning presentations to different groups in the fall.

Participating students are Lorena Baines, art history; Anna Blinn Cole, urban affairs and public policy; Andrew Bozanic, history; Joshua Calhoun, English; Daniel Claro, history of American civilization; Marina Dobronovskaya, Preservation Studies Doctoral Program; Kristina Huff, English; Amber Kerr-Allison, art conservation; J. Lyndsey Rago, history; Kathleen R. Slaugh-Sanford, English; Janneken Smucker, history of American civilization; Colleen Terry, art history; Laura Walikainen, history of American civilization; and Bess Williamson, history of American civilization.

Article by Sue Moncure
Photos by Kathy F. Atkinson