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Job Title: Research Curator
Type of Company: I work for a natural history museum.
Education: BA, Anthropology, Washington State University •• MA, Anthropology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville •• Ph.D, Anthropology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville
Previous Experience: I worked for 12 years at the Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia as a curatorial associate in charge of computerization of mollusk collections.
Job Tasks: I identify mollusks and get them ready to be catalogued, I take field trips to collect particular specimens used in my research, work with other colleagues to use these specimens in research publications and grant proposals. I work with a collection manager and two technicians to add new specimens to the collection and make sure the data is entered correctly. I give local, regional and professional presentations at universities and professional meetings. Much of my time is spent reading journals and books in my area and visiting other museum collections to look at and record information on new specimens relevant to my research project.
I am responsible for bringing in grants and contracts to cover some of the costs of my research and travel and to support technicians working in the collection. The only person I directly manage is the collection manager who takes care of the loan of specimens, cataloguing and computer generation of labels. I take care of the visitors who come from the public, local universities, state and federal agencies. I have developed and presented workshops on the identification of animals in my area that range from a half day to five days. these workshops are for consultants, graduate students and other biologists in local, state and federal government.
Best and Worst Parts of the Job: The best part of my job is that I like to work with these animals and there is always something new to learn. The worst part is some of it can be very boring, and the data management requires very close attention to detail and precision. The other problem is there is never enough time in the day to get all of the fun things done.
Job Tips: Take as much biology and ecology as you can. You will need a very good grasp of geography too. You should also visit as many local and national museums as possible and, if at all possible, museums outside the US. If you are setting out to be a professional, attend the national professional meetings in your area and as many of the international meetings as possible.
Additional Thoughts: Never pass up an opportunity. Just because your heart is set on a particular direction, a new opportunity may come along that is more to your liking. Always be open to new ideas and ways to attack a problem
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