Occasionally, the Pembroke Center is able to host student proctors at the Pembroke Center Archives via partnerships with the Brown Graduate School or through special arrangements. Curatorial proctorships offer students with expertise in gender and sexuality studies the opportunity to cross-train into professional curatorial work.
Proctors work closely with Mary Murphy, the Nancy L. Buc '65 Pembroke Center Archivist, and Ann duCille, Professor of English, Emerita at Wesleyan University and Visiting Scholar in Gender Studies at the Pembroke Center. This apprenticeship model provides unique, hands-on experiences, enabling students to develop their curatorial skills and understanding of archival management. Often, students work with collections and scholars whose research informs their own academic work and scholarship.
Most recently, Melaine Ferdinand-King and N’Kosi Oates, both doctoral candidates in the Department of Africana Studies at Brown, served as summer 2021 graduate curatorial proctors with the Pembroke Center Archives. Focusing in particular on the Black Feminist Theory Project, N’Kosi and Melaine met weekly with Ann duCille and Mary Murphy; conducted research to identify potential donors of papers for the Black Feminist Theory Collections; prepared and presented curatorial “pitches;” corresponded with notable Black feminist scholars and solicited their participation in the project; and participated in and led curatorial meetings with interested potential donors. Each also traveled with archives staff to survey and pick up collections.
For the 2021-22 academic year, N'Kosi Oates will continue to work with the Pembroke Center Archives as a Graduate Curatorial Assistant.
Summer 2021 Pembroke Center Archives Graduate Curatorial Proctorships
The Pembroke Center was fortunate to host two outstanding scholars, Melaine Ferdinand-King and N’Kosi Oates, both doctoral candidates in the Department of Africana Studies at Brown, as graduate curatorial proctors with the Feminist Theory Archive.
