Yearlong Internships at Southeast Archaeological Center Launch Careers for MA Students Gattuso and Nessl

Emily Gattuso and Keenan Nessl, 2018 graduates of the Museum and Cultural Heritage Studies program, spent their last year at Florida State University conducting lab work at the National Park Service’s Southeast Archeological Center (SEAC). SEAC is dedicated to the collection and preservation of archaeological finds from across the Southeastern United States. Through a collaboration with Florida State University’s Department of Sponsored Research, Emily and Keenan participated in a metal rehousing project with SEAC, creating stable environments for volatile archaeological metals. In addition to this valuable technical experience, the students participated in conservation workshops and enjoyed the mentorship of experienced collections personnel.

For Keenan, the internship provided both the contacts and the expertise that helped her land a job as a Museum Technician at SEAC in the Archeological Collections and Information Management Section a week after graduation:

There, I have been able to apply the skills I learned from both my internship and Dr. Killian’s 2017 summer field school to my work, cataloging, researching, and managing all manner of prehistoric and historic artifacts. The position has also allowed me to bring that work into the public sphere through a range of outreach activities, providing resources and educational opportunities to local communities on the rich archeological history of the Southeast.

For second-year Museum and Cultural Heritage Studies graduate students interested in archaeological fieldwork and collections management, the SEAC internship is just one example of the great pre-professional opportunities provided by the department’s collaborations with state and local agencies.

Above, L to R: Artifacts from beneath the floorboards of the St. Marks lighthouse, pocketwatch, fish skull, medicinal olive oil, rehoused storage drawers.