Please join us in congratulating the UD Department of Art Conservation faculty and alumni who recently received professional awards from the American Institute for Conservation.

The Annual Meeting of the American Institute for Conservation (AIC) took place April 28–May 2, 2026, at the Palais des congrès de Montréal in Montréal, Canada. This joint annual meeting and conference of AIC and the Canadian Association for Conservation of Cultural Property (CAC-ACCR) included a special awards session on April 29 to honor the influential work of professionals from both organizations.

Please join us in congratulating the UD Department of Art Conservation faculty and alumni who received recognition at this special event:

Julia Lawson ('99) and Susan Costello ('04) each received an Award for Excellence in Practice for the development and execution of hands-on skills in cultural heritage preservation. Debra Hess Norris ('77 '80M; Henry Francis DuPont Chair of Fine Arts; ARTC Chair and Professor) was awarded an Honorary Membership for outstanding contributions to the conservation profession. Catherine Matsen (affiliated associate professor) received the Sheldon and Caroline Keck Award  for excellence in the education and training of conservation professionals. Robin Hanson ('97) received the Rutherford John Gettens Award for outstanding service to the organization, and a Textiles Award for outstanding contributions to the field of textiles conservation. Matt Cushman ('07, affiliated assistant professor) received a Paintings Award for extraordinary contribution and achievement in paintings conservation. Joyce Hill Stoner (Edward F. and Elizabeth Goodman Rosenberg Professor of Material Culture; Director, Preservation Studies Doctoral Program) received the Foundation Service Award for outstanding service to the Foundation for Advancement in Conservation (shared with Rebecca Rushfield for 50 Years of the Foundation for Advancement in Conservation/FAIC Oral History Project).

Congratulations to our outstanding students and faculty! You can learn more about these and other professional recognition awards for art conservation on the AIC website.