I supervised interns and taught them how to properly handle museum objects and specimens as well as how to digitize records. Both the insect collection and the bird collection were projects that have had large intern involvement. The insect collection project involved rehousing and digitizing the insect collection and has been successfully completed and reorganization of the bird collection ran smoothly.
I worked extensively with FileMaker Pro to digitize museum records to transition written records to online searchable records, which helps researchers and educators of all levels. I have georeferenced the insect and the crayfish collections. I have created a digitized map for both of these collections. I also used Microsoft office products a lot in the day to day work at the museum.
I learned how to write a successful grant. I was a primary author on a grant of $4,300 from the State Historical Society of Iowa to rehouse the glass slides and negatives collection. The project was very educational for me because I am able to see the whole process from the beginning, when the grant is written, to the end, when digitized images go online.
I worked on the insect rehousing and digitization project and later was offered a grant-funded position as project coordinator because of my work.
I worked on separating egg cards that were stuck to one another so that each card could be scanned and posted on DIY History site for public transcription.
I painted a Dutch windmill on a wall for an exhibit at the Old Capital Museum.
I have volunteered with the education department. I have assisted with the Night at the Museum, Birthdays, and Creepy Campus Crawl programs, which are the museum's major children programs. About once a year a homeschool group of about 15-20 visits and I taught them about a certain animal.
I made supports for cultural objects. I made different types of custom supports for different objects, including trays, snakes, padded boards, boxes, bent metal with padding, and Mylar enclosures. I made a support for a plasticized human heart and mounts for a few of the books that went on display in the Mobile Museum for the 2016 year. For the Germans in Iowa exhibit that opened in August 2016, I created a support for a book and Mylar sleeves for 3 of the documents that were put on display.
I redesigned the arthropod display on the ground floor of Macbride Hall. I worked with Bioengineering to create a model of the display and researched information that will be included in the exhibit. I hope my designs will come to life.
