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Exploring AI’s Archival Impact
As AI changes archivists’ work, U-M is helping guide the future. This symposium co-sponsored by the Bentley Historical Library & the School of Information explores how AI impacts archival services.
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The Rhetorical Oracle from U-M
Gertrude Buck earned U-M’s first rhetoric Ph.D. The archives reveal how she used writing & teaching to break barriers for women, laying groundwork for today’s feminist rhetoric.
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Meet Skyler Leslie, our newest staff member! 🎉
We’re excited to welcome Skyler (she/they) as the new Museum Events and Operations Coordinator at U-M’s Judy & Stanley Frankel Detroit Observatory!
The Observatory is a historic U-M building and a division of the Bentley Historical Library that serves as a museum in Ann Arbor. Skyler will be working there to help share the history of U-M and the history of science with a wide audience!
Skyler brings a wonderful range of expertise from her previous position at Historic Fort Wayne in Detroit, including private and public program support. A lifelong Michigander, she has a Master’s of Science from U-M`s School of Environment and Sustainability (@um_seas), and a Graduate Certificate in Museum Studies from U-M.
Skyler is enthusiastic about bringing her experience in public engagement to the Observatory, where she’ll be supporting programs and assisting with outreach!
In her spare time, Skyler is a printmaker, and likes to dabble in fiber arts. 🎨 She also loves to listen to live music, and enjoys spending time outdoors. She`s excited to be working so close to the Arb!
Welcome, Skyler! 🥳
#StaffFeature #Welcome #MichiganHistory #ScienceHistory
#OurStaffAreAwesome
We’re delighted to share that Katya, one of the wonderful student docents at U-M`s historic observatory, has recently defended her PhD thesis!
Katya will be earning a dual PhD in Astronomy & Astrophysics, and Scientific Computing! When she’s not studying the formation of galaxies, Katya spends her time sharing astronomy history with visitors as a docent at the Frankel Detroit Observatory, the second-oldest U-M building in Ann Arbor.
"I have a blast being able to share my passion with the community, and also meeting visitors from all over the globe," Katya says.
"I am grateful that I get to call my coworkers not only colleagues, but also genuine friends. I get to work with some of the coolest people, and I have made lifelong friends at the Detroit Observatory that I hope will stay with me long after I leave Michigan."
She especially loves getting hands-on experience with historic telescopes, and sharing stories from history with visitors.
"I have always really enjoyed telling stories about science and the people behind it," Katya says. "The Detroit Observatory has a host of amazing historic instruments, tales of colorful past astronomers, and a long tradition of research that is really fun to talk about."
Outside of her work as a docent, Katya studies distant stars which she says act almost like “fossils” that let her study the past and present of the satellite galaxies that orbit the Milky Way.
“I like to call my work "extragalactic archaeology,”” Katya says.
After graduating she will be working at an observatory in Chile, studying astrophysics at a Stanford institute, and more, as a KASI-KIPAC Rubin Fellow of the American Astronomical Society!
Congratulations, Katya! 🥳
#UMich #MGoGrad #GoBlue #OurStudentsAreAwesome #DetroitObservatory #JudyAndStanleyFrankelDetroitObservatory
Happy Pride Month! 🌈 In honor of Pride, here are six collections from the archives that explore Michigan`s LGBTQ+ history!
Click through to discover records about the history of U-M`s Spectrum Center, LGBTQ+ community icon Ruth Ellis, who was once known as the oldest and proudest lesbian in Detroit, and more, from the archives at the Bentley Historical Library.
Interested in learning more? The Bentley is free to visit and open to all. Anyone is welcome here in our reading room!
Be sure to also check out the Spectrum Center`s interactive history timeline online for more LGBTQ+ history details!
#HappyPrideMonth #MichiganHistory #LGBTQHistory #Archives #HistoryMatters
Then vs. now in the Peony Garden! 🌸 #DidYouKnow that U-M`s Peony Garden includes a number of historical peony varieties?
You can visit this garden to see heirloom peonies with names like Loveliness, Jubilee, and Princess Irene, planted over 100 years ago. Here`s a view of this garden as it looked in the 1930s, and a glimpse of the beautiful peonies in bloom today!
Planning your visit? The W.E. Upjohn Peony Garden is located at Nichols Arboretum (1610 Washington Heights, Ann Arbor, MI 48104). Parking is very difficult! We will have free weekend shuttles available for those wanting to visit during peak bloom.
Shuttles run from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on May 23-24, May 30-31, and June 6-7, picking up from Mitchell Field Parking Lot (1900 Fuller Rd, Ann Arbor, MI) and dropping off at Nichols Arboretum.
If you’re interested in even more Peony Garden history, anyone is welcome to visit the Bentley Historical Library to explore the Nichols Arboretum records!
#PeonyGarden #NicholsArboretum #AnnArbor
