2013-Spring-DU-Magazine

“All of the papers, classes, internships and projects were worth it
because in the end, these things all helped me in finding employment
in the field and they continue to help me in my day-to-day tasks with
my job,” says Hoover. “At some point or another, I have utilized many
of the skills and knowledge I gained from Duquesne in the ‘real world’
of public history.”
She also knows her work helps preserve an important part of
Pittsburgh’s history.
“We (Duquesne students) understood that it would become our
role to help preserve the history and identity of many communities
as we branched out following graduation,” she says. “By working
together, we can work toward the ultimate goal—helping to
preserve the history and identity of a community.”
Amanda Gillen
Curator of Education & Collections for
Clayton, Frick Art & Historical Center
Emilia Boehm
Assistant Curator of Collections & Exhibitions,
Frick Art & Historical Center
&
When Amanda Gillen, GA’02, and Emilia Boehm, GA’05, go to
work, they enter the 19th-century world of one of the wealthiest
families to ever live in Pittsburgh. Their job is to interpret that world
for 21st-century visitors to the Frick Art & Historical Center, located in
Pittsburgh’s Point Breeze neighborhood.
“I love working with the collections here and learning about this
house and finding new things to share with the public,” says Gillen,
curator of education and collections for Clayton at the Frick Art &
Historical Center.
The Frick sits on a 5 ½-acre campus that includes historical house
Clayton, an art museum and a car and carriage museum. Gillen is
responsible for the collection at Clayton, develops tour content and
supervises the Clayton docent staff; Boehm works with the temporary
exhibitions staged in the Frick Art Museum and supervises the daily
Kim Fortney
Deputy Director, National History Day
When Kim Fortney’s
love of history and
education come
together, more than
600,000 middle
school and high
school students
benefit.
LIVING hISToRY
Fortney, GA’95, is
deputy director of
National History
Day, a year-long academic program that
challenges students to make history come
alive through hands-on experiences and
presentations.
“This challenges kids to get into specific
detail and context so they are able to really
explain the function of that person or event
in history,” says Fortney, who, along with
her colleagues, develops a theme each year
that students must follow.
The National History Day theme for 2013
is Turning Points in History. Students in
grades 6 through 12 will examine the topic
through creating an exhibit, a performance,
a documentary or film, a paper or a
website. Students can enter as a group or
an individual and their projects are judged
by professional educators and historians on
historical accuracy and quality of research.
Fortney says she still draws from
coursework and experiences she had as
part of the Public History Program.
“Many of our affiliates are based in a
humanities council or a state history
organization,” says Fortney, whose
organization is based in College Park, Md.
“I can speak to them because I know the
language (of museum-related groups). It’s
helpful to have that context.”
She chose Duquesne’s program because,
in addition to the practicality of instruction
in museum work, it has a strong history
component, which has served her well in
her current position. Her enthusiasm for
sharing history with students is palpable.
“Everything we do is about them,” says
Fortney. “They’re learning so much
and they’re so excited about it—it’s a
transformative program and seeing that
happen is inspirational.”
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