Rachel Salcido, a Museum Studies BDP Student, worked with the Art and Art History Collection by expanding their digital accessibility to the public through managing their database.
"One of the most rewarding aspects of this Connecting Experience was being able to confirm my passion for archives and the digital accessibility of history.”
What was the name of the lab and/or title of the research project?
The Art and Art History Collection.
How did you find this research assistantship?
I spoke with Dr. Astrid Runggaldier of the Department of Art and Art History about internship opportunities with the Art and Art History Collection (AAHC). During our conversations, she informed me about a specific need within their department: a database management assistant through the UT Austin Undergraduate Research Apprenticeship Program (URAP), which I felt perfectly aligned with my interests and goals for a Connecting Experience (CE).
What kind of work did you do as a research assistant and what did you learn through this experience?
My CE was part of UT’s Undergraduate Research Apprenticeship Program, where I worked in the Art and Art History Collection (AAHC) under Dr. Runggaldier. I helped the AAHC expand their digital accessibility to the public through exhibit history archives with the databases DASe and PastPerfect, then using the metadata to create public-facing exhibitions in Omeka where I learned to manage archival data conscientiously.
What was the most rewarding aspect of your Connecting Experience?
One of the most rewarding aspects of this Connecting Experience was being able to confirm my passion for archives and the digital accessibility of history. I learned so much about the behind-the-scenes of museums studies that have not previously known or considered. This project had a large overlap with other disciplines such as archaeology and data management, which underscored the interdisciplinary nature of Museum Studies research.
In what ways has this Connecting Experience shaped your plans for the future?
Though I already had an interest in archives as I entered this experience, I now know that I would love to continue art history research through the context of digital humanities.
I eventually hope to work in a museum or library setting and bring the ethical considerations from my digital humanities course into my archival work for these institutions as a way to contribute to the decolonization of archives. This has guided and informed my decision to pursue a Master’s degree relating to recovering lost history through the context of information studies to continue working with archives. I look forward to applying the knowledge and skills I have gained in pursuit of my Museum Studies certificate thus far into my future research.
Please discuss the relationship that you had with your faculty mentor(s), and how they helped you during this Connecting Experience.
My faculty mentor, Dr. Astrid Runggaldier, was extremely supportive and communicative throughout the internship. She also provided numerous supplemental resources that were crucial in helping me contextualize the project and gain a deeper understanding of its interdisciplinary nature. Her guidance enhanced my knowledge on the collection and allowed me to contribute more effectively to the project.