We are excited to share the news that Jessica Fremland, Ph.D. candidate from UCLA, has joined us for the summer as our first Museum Studies Fellow! We are very grateful to the FUNDs for Museum Studies and to the Elizabeth Firestone Graham Foundation for making it possible for us to develop and launch this fellowship initiative.
Jessica’s impressive background includes a Bachelor’s degree in American Indian Studies, Global Studies, and Sociology from the University of Minnesota, a Master’s of Science in Sociology from the London School of Economics and Political Sciences, graduate coursework in Ethnic Studies at the University of California Riverside, and a PhD under completion in Gender Studies from the University of California Los Angeles.
Given her interdisciplinary background and archival research, Jessica’s main operational site will be the University Archives & Special Collections at Hilton M. Briggs Library. However, she will interact with team members from all our five partner institutions in Brookings.
These pictures were taking during her first day at the Archives: Jessica is discussing with our Associate Librarian Michele Christian a project involving the preparation of reading guides for books of poetry by eminent South Dakota poet Elizabeth Cook-Lynn. Jessica’s professional formation is in interdisciplinary historical and cultural methods, and as such she has developed a robust skillset for analysis of documentation. However, we found out that she has also a poetic side to her. The Cook-Lynn papers at South Dakota State will provide Jessica with a unique professional development opportunity to learn archival methods, analyze the papers’ content, and find solace by reading quality poetry.
We take great pride on South Dakota State University’s strengths within the Museum Studies field, which have been recognized by our sponsors, and we look forward to following Jessica’s adventure in Brookings!