Research Area Expertise Sought: history, biological sciences, anthropology/archaeology or other related disciplines
This is a co-curricular research fellowship opportunity open to doctoral students in good standing at Michigan State University
Dates: FS 21, SS 22
Work Hours: TBD, Flexible
Work Environment: Virtual and In-Person
Credit Bearing: No
Fellowship Stipend: TBD, Depending on Scope of Work
About the Fellowship
The MSU Museum seeks doctoral students in the fields of history, biological sciences, anthropology/archaeology or other related disciplines to assist museum staff in the development of an exhibition exploring the theme of “observation” (see broader description below). Working with museum staff, students will be responsible for researching exhibition content, participating in exhibit development meetings, and writing label copy for this exhibition, planned to be installed in the main gallery of the MSU Museum in spring semester, 2022. Students will bring to the project their expertise in their particular discipline and will have the opportunity to explore the exhibition development process from concept development to experience development, design, and installation. They will gain an understanding of communicating scholarship through the exhibition medium to a designated audience.
The fellowship would begin fall semester 2021 and continue through spring 2022.
Observation
We learn through observation. We observe our fellow humans to learn how to do new things or to understand places, events, and behaviors. We observe flora and fauna so that we can understand the planet we inhabit, its effect on us, and our effect on it. We observe so that we can understand change, but also so that we can create change, ideally to better the world. And sometimes we observe so that we can preserve; we determine what it is that we value most in our world and make sure others are able to observe it into the future.
This exhibition will explore the ways we observe our world using objects from the MSU Museum natural science, cultural, and archaeological collections to tell stories. For example, the MSU Museum natural science collection includes bird specimens collected as part of the observation of the impact of chemicals like DDT on the environment. These observations were used to advocate for better solutions for animals and humans. An MSU undergraduate student has been working on researching a quilt in the cultural collections, using her observations of an African American community in Detroit to inform our understanding of history of place and people and the many ways they choose to tell their own stories through material culture. The possibilities for our collections to help visitors think about the fundamental role of observation to life experience are nearly endless.
How to Apply
These fellowships will take place during the fall 2021 and spring 2022 semesters.
Interested applicants should submit the following materials to MSU Museum Director Devon Akmon (akmondev [at] msu.edu) and Director of Exhibitions Teresa Goforth (gofortht [at] msu.edu)
11:59PM on Monday August 30, 2021. Late submissions will not be reviewed. Applications should consist of the following components:
- One page statement describing applicant’s interest in project, area of expertise/study, and potential contribution
- CV/resume, including reference contact information
- A short (no longer than one page) writing sample
As an example of this kind of work, see a video feature about former SEEK Fellows here:
