The Interns Have Landed

On Monday, June 27th, we (the six invertebrate paleontology interns) began working on the Mapes Collection. We're the first set of interns to work on the collection under the IMLS grant, so we're definitely figuring things out as we go - which makes it all the more interesting!

On Wednesday, we started off with a taxonomy lecture given by Dr. Melanie Hopkins. We discussed some of the finer points of the subject, as well as taxonomy as it applies to museum collections . Later in the day, we took a tour of ichthyology with Radford Arrindell, one of the senior scientific assistants. He showed us a prep room and took us around storage so we could experience other collections besides invert paleo. It was an interesting day, and a nice change of scenery from the Mapes Collection room.

Nick models a clear and stained specimen in the ichthyology prep room.

Ashley and Spencer are very excited about fish.

A specimen after it has been cleaned by dermestid beetles.

Radford shows us ichthyology collections.

Anyway, an introduction is due for the interns. We are:

Nick Hugo is a Minnesotan who just graduated with bachelor's degrees in geology and biology from North Dakota State University. He likes cephalopods. A lot. Probably too much.

Spencer Irvine is a 2016 graduate of Williams College with a geoscience bachelor's degree. He is from New Jersey and has the best index fingers of the group.

Sara Ketelsen graduated with a B.A. in biology from Gettysburg College in 2014. She is from the mysterious "Central Jersey," which no one is sure actually exists.

Kate Purcell received her master's in wildlife conservation from University College Dublin this year.

Ashley Ratigan graduated from Oberlin College in May with degrees in geology and archaeology. She is the entire population of Rhode Island.

Kat Turk is from Virginia and graduated last month with a B.S. in geology from the College of William and Mary. She might or might not have written this blog.