Alumni Highlights, Fall 2026

Jacqueline Cao (MA ’25) embarked on a year-long internship in the Registrar’s office at the Getty Center in Los Angeles this fall. She will work at the Getty Center and the Getty Villa in the areas of acquisitions, collections management, exhibition planning and installation, fine art shipping, insurance, and rights and reproductions.

In August 2026 Michelle Demeter (PhD ‘22) was awarded tenure and promoted to Associate Curator at New York University Libraries. She has served as NYU Libraries’ Head of Undergraduate and Instructional Services since January 2018. In this role, she leads the development and facilitation of instructional services that support the research and creative endeavors of NYU’s students and faculty. A nationally recognized leader in academic librarianship, Dr. Demeter also serves as the Editor of College & Research Libraries, the premier research journal for the Association of College & Research Libraries. 

 

Jessica Salaun (MA ’25) has taken on the role of Associate Registrar of Acquisitions and Outgoing Loans at The John & Mable Ringling Museum of Art. Jessica has been the Program Coordinator for the Collections Department since completing her Master of Arts degree in Museum & Cultural Heritage Studies. She moves to her new position on Friday, September 25. Senior Registrar Amanda Robinson writes, “Jessica has been a strong addition to our department and brings with her a spirit of collaboration, attention to detail, initiative, and exceptional work. I know she will do a wonderful job filling the role and responsibilities as our newest Associate Registrar.” 

 

 

Carlos Ortiz Burgos (MA ’23) started a new position this year as the Senior Curatorial Assistant of the Museo de Arte de Ponce, Puerto Rico. Carlos is also a doctoral student at The Graduate Center, City University of New York.

 

Willow Hackett (BA ’25) worked this year at The Morgan Library & Museum as a Reference Collection Intern. In this role, she created a finding aid for a collection of offprints compiled by Edith Porada, former honorary curator of Ancient Western Asian Seals and Tablets. The project involved cataloging hundreds of items: journal articles, conference proceedings, personal letters, and image plates. Willow wrote a blog post about her experience, which you can read here. She is currently a second-year MA student at the Institute of Fine Arts, NYU.

 

 

Lacy Gillette (PhD ’22) started a new position this fall as Visiting Instructor of Art History in the Art, Art History, and Design Department at the University of North Florida. In addition to survey and art appreciation classes, she is also teaching her specialty in the art of the Global Renaissance. In the spring, Dr. Gillette will present “Bats, Birds, and Leonardo’s Beckoning to Flight” at the 73^rd annual meeting of the Renaissance Society of America in Philadelphia, PA. In the summer of 2027 she will take up residence as a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Herzog August Bibliothek in Wolfenbüttel, Germany.

 

 

Maia Pimperl (MA ’25) is an adjunct instructor of an art history survey course covering prehistory to the Middle Ages at Collin College in Dallas, TX. 

 

Amy Bowman-McElhone (PhD ’20) contributed the chapter “Think Institutionally, Act Curatorially: Carlow University Art Gallery and Transformative Pedagogy” to the upcoming volume Innovating Higher Education at a Small University: Navigating Shifting Paradigms with Humanity and Heart (Rutgers University Press, 2027) and edited by Matthew E. Gordley and Keely Baronak. She also published an article in May based on a chapter from her dissertation: “Mike Kelley’s Speculative Architectures: Rethinking Public Art, Pedagogy, and Memory in Social Engagement,” in Arts 15, no. 5. Dr. Bowman-McElhone is Director of the University Art Gallery and Associate Professor at Carlow University in Pittsburgh, PA. 

 

Sierria Groom (MA ’25) joined the Minnesota Historical Society this year as an Accessioning and Processing Archivist in the Manuscripts Collection Department. Her work spans a broad range of materials, from the papers of prominent figures in Minnesota history and records of nationally significant corporations, such as Ecolab and U.S. Bank, to collections documenting the work of local and community organizations, including the Minnesota Quilters Guild and Minnesota Gardeners. Her work includes, accessioning, arranging and describing materials, preservation, and preparing resources for researchers and the public. 

 

Kyleelise Holmes Thomas (MA ’26) has been appointed to the Sarasota County Historical Commission by the Board of County Commissioners. She writes, “Serving our local community in this capacity is a profound responsibility, and I look forward to contributing to the preservation and stewardship of our shared history. Gratitude to FSU and the exemplary faculty and staff who prepared me for this role—excited for this next chapter of civic service!”