Newsletter

MUSE News Volume 1—Spring 2009

Current News

Watkins Museum Exhibit Designed by KU MUSE Students

 During the spring and summer of 2009, three KU Museum Studies students on the History track, Brittany Keegan, Rachel Harris, and Terry Wickstrum, created a special exhibit for the Watkins Community Museum of History in Lawrence.  The three students combined the knowledge gained in two classes, “History of American Slavery” with Professor Jennifer Weber and “Introduction to Exhibits” with Bruce Scherting, to create their exhibit, entitled “Hidden Slaves, Hidden History: The Underground Railroad in Douglas County, Kansas.” 

 While it is relatively well-known that Kansas played an important role in the series of events leading up to the Civil War, finding information about the Underground Railroad is difficult because of the secretive and unorganized nature of the phenomenon.  The exhibit explains how historical research is carried out and how historians draw conclusions from their sources when they study this challenging topic.

 The exhibit allowed the students to put to use all the skills they've been developing in their History and Museum Studies courses. They gained invaluable experience in researching, designing, and fabricating a museum exhibit about an important historical issue. In addition, the project was a great service-learning experience: the students both learned about and contributed to their community by researching and creating this exhibit.

 This insightful exhibit is open to the public, and admission is free.  You can see “Hidden Slaves, Hidden History” at the Watkins Community Museum of History on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays from 10 am to 4 pm and on Thursdays from 10 am to 8 pm.  The Museum is located at 1047 Massachusetts Street in downtown Lawrence.

Brittany Keegan, Rachel Harris, and Terry Wickstrum created the exhibit, "Hidden Slaves, Hidden History: The Underground Railroad in Douglas County, Kansas," which is on display at the Watkins Community Museum of History.

New MUSE Class for Spring 2010

 KU’s Museum Studies Program is delighted to offer a new course in Spring 2010, “The History of the American House” (MUSE 780: Special Topics).  The course will be taught by Professor Dennis Domer, emeritus Distinguished Professor of Historical Preservation and currently Director of Graduate Studies in KU’s American Studies Program.  For a description of this terrific course, please click here.

New Student Orientation

 For the second year in a row, new recruits to the Museum Studies Program gathered at the Spencer Research Library on Wednesday, August 19 for an orientation and tour, followed by a presentation from the keynote speaker.  Fourteen first-year Museum Studies students mingled in the lobby, enjoying refreshments, before attending a talk given by Prof. Marjorie Swann, director of the Museum Studies Program, on graduate school expectations and how to succeed.  Rachel Harris, president of the Museum Students Organization (MSO), also welcomed the new students and invited them to attend MSO’s meetings.  She explained that MSO creates a sense of camaraderie among first- and second-year students and provides opportunities for networking and professional development through visits to area museums and conference attendance.  Afterwards, the students got a chance to take a behind-the-scenes tour of the Spencer Research Library.  The gracious staff of the library gave the fledgling MUSE students a glimpse into the inner workings of the Special Collections and University Archives and explained the resources that are available to them.

 The keynote speaker at the orientation was Erin Wolfram, Assistant Director of Internships for the University Career Center.  She gave the students an invaluable presentation on professional etiquette and how to behave during interviews and internships, which are tips that every pre-professional student will need.  Following the orientation, the new students had the opportunity to meet returning students and the program’s faculty and staff at a reception at Prof. Swann’s house.  This reception was also attended by Prof. Greg Simpson, Interim Dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (CLAS); Prof. Ann Cudd, Associate Dean for the Humanities in CLAS; and Prof. William Tsutsui, Associate Dean for International Studies in CLAS.  The orientation was an excellent way for the new graduate students to become acquainted with each other and the program before classes begin!

KU MUSE Grad at the Library of Congress

 Bertram Lyons, who graduated from the Museum Studies Program this past spring with honors, has recently accepted a position at the American Folklife Center of the Library of Congress.  The American Folklife Center seeks to document and preserve material on the lives of everyday Americans from throughout the history of the country.  Beginning August 31, Bert will be working as a Folklife Specialist/Digital Asset Manager at the Center, where he also interned during the summer of 2007.  The KU Museum Studies Program is excited and proud to have Bert represent us at the Library of Congress!

Prof. Deborah Smith Wins W. T. Kemper Fellowship

 On Thursday, August 20 (the first day of fall classes), Professor Deborah Smith was surprised in her classroom by Chancellor Bernadette Gray-Little, who came to award her with a W. T. Kemper Fellowship for Teaching Excellence.  Prof. Smith, associate professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, is the faculty advisor for the Natural History track of the Museum Studies Program.  She has been at KU since 1991 and is widely regarded for her dedication to her students and her innovative research in organismal and evolutionary biology.

 For the past thirteen years, Kemper fellowships have been awarded to teachers or advisors who demonstrate an exceptional commitment to the teaching and guidance of students at the University of Kansas.  This marks the third time that a Kemper Fellowship has been awarded to a faculty member connected to Museum Studies.  Last year, Prof. John Hoopes, who was faculty advisor for the Anthropology track, was awarded the fellowship, and Prof. Marjorie Swann, director of the Museum Studies Program, was a recipient in 2002.