College Interns Get Hands-on Training in Arts, Culture Settings
Twelve College undergraduates are studying firsthand the
dynamics of Penn’s arts and cultural organizations
as part of a new summer research institute for students in
the humanities and social sciences. This internship program,
which the College launched in collaboration with the Center
for Undergraduate Research and Fellowships, advances College
Dean Rebecca Bushnell’s mission of increasing the availability
of undergraduate research opportunities. These full-time
internships are designed to provide students with hands-on
experience in a cultural, historical, or archival environment.
Anton Matytsin, C’07, and Erica Miao, C’05, who
have spent the summer interning at the Rare
Books and Manuscripts Library,
are among the first group of participants. Anton has helped
to categorize a collection of letters dating back to the
French Revolution, a period that he is especially interested
in. He describes his experience “an amazing opportunity
to do work that directly intersects with my interests.” An
English and linguistics double-major, Erica says her internship
has enabled her to “learn about how libraries operate
on the other side of the circulation desk.” She has
enjoyed organizing literary collections by Ezra Pound and
James Joyce, among others.
Participating institutions include the Arthur
Ross Gallery,
Institute of Contemporary
Art,
Kelly Writers
House,
Morris
Arboretum,
Museum of Archaeology
and Anthropology,
Penn Press,
and University
Archives.
This ongoing program has been made possible by the support
of alumni and friends like Jay S. Fishman, W’74, WG’74,
library overseer David B. Weigle, W’69, and University
trustee Paul C. Williams, W’67.
