The First Four Weeks as a Museum Registrar

So far, my experience at the Everhart Museum of Natural History and Art has been one that I will appreciate in my many years to come. As an Art Major, I understand that sometimes in order to achieve a goal of becoming someone who teaches art at college level, or in his or her own studio, he or she must first work to gain as much knowledge about the art world as is possible. Working in a museum has so far expanded my knowledge about local art, and what goes on behind the scenes; that is, what happens behind those white gallery walls in order to create an exhibition that would catch the interest of the public, no matter their age. What I have been doing holds the title of Registrar- I am entering their art collection into a database called Past Perfect. Up until now, the Museum’s collection has been recorded on notecards and other obscure forms in over 30 drawers of file folders. The collection numbers over 6000, and in the 4 weeks I have been there, I have made it through nearly 400 files. One might think that number is not very impressive, but it is so much more than retyping cards into a database. Some items have very little to draw upon, so I do research, and find out as much as I can about the particular item. Or, in some cases, there are email correspondences, hand written letters, and type-written thank yous for pieces donated. This experience, so far, has given much more insight as to what happens in a museum when its doors are closed to the public, and I am very excited to discover what waits for me in the coming file folders

Jordan Oakey
Liberal Studies with concentrations in Studio Art, Art History, and Education Theory

Perfectionism and Passion

I will spend my Royal Psychology Experience as a summer research assistant (RA) at McLean Hospital’s OCDI Jr. in Middleborough, Massachusetts. A Harvard Medical School Affiliate, McLean Hospital established OCDI Jr. in 2015 as a residential and partial hospitalization program for children and adolescents with severe obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). As an RA, I will spend my summer coauthoring a book chapter on mindfulness in schools, designing a study on the relationship between perfectionism and OCD severity, observing clinical interventions, and attending presentations on other research projects underway at McLean.

I hope that my tenure at OCDI Jr. will help to clarify my post-graduation plans. Though I plan on pursuing a Ph.D. in clinical psychology, I lack research experience and am therefore unsure whether my passion for research compares to my passion for clinical work. Clinical psychology Ph.D. programs require graduates to complete independent research projects, and I would therefore like to learn whether I enjoy research before committing to such a program. If research proves less exciting than clinical work for me, then I will likely apply to practice-oriented Psy.D. programs next semester.

Whether my tenure at OCDI Jr. strengthens my resolve to pursue a Ph.D. in clinical psychology or points me in a new direction, I am truly excited to begin my Royal Psychology Experience. I am confident that each of my on and off site experiences this summer will further contribute to both my personal and professional development.

Bobby McGowan
Philosophy & Psychology