Celebrating a 20-year Partnership

On May 4, the Smithsonian Castle provided the perfect venue for the nearly 200 people who gathered to celebrate the 20^th Anniversary of the Montgomery College-Smithsonian Faculty Fellowship Program. In attendance were Fellows from the earliest years of the program to those in the current cohort group, curators who have worked with the Fellowship, and a variety of people from both Montgomery College and the Smithsonian Institution who have supported this joint program over the last two decades. The mood was festive as old acquaintances were renewed, items from the 20-year history were on display, and the annual publication highlighting the most recently completed projects was released.

Philippa Rappoport, Community Engagement Programs Manager for the Smithsonian Center for Learning and Digital Access (SCLDA) welcomed everyone, and Patricia Bartlett, Acting Assistant Secretary for Education and Access, Smithsonian Institution (SI), talked about the value of the program to the Smithsonian, highlighting some of the  innovative projects that have marked the Fellows’ work over the last twenty years.

Keynote remarks were made by Kinshasha Homan Conwill, Deputy Director of the National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC) and Rex Ellis, Associate Director for Curatorial Affairs, NMAAHC, both of whom have been associated with the Fellowship since its beginnings, and whose inspirational comments will long be remembered by those in attendance.

Montgomery College (MC) was represented by Sara Bachman Ducey, Director, Paul Peck Humanities Institute (PPHI). Professor Ducey introduced Carolyn Terry, Associate Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs, who spoke about the history of the Fellowship and the ways in which thousands of students have benefited from the MC-SI partnership. Jamie Gillan, 2015 Fellow and Montgomery College Coordinator for Learning Lab Projects, presented the faculty perspective.  A short film highlighting 2016 Fellow Dr. Virginia Miller’s work using SI museums to teach the chemistry of space travel was shown. The film was produced by Montgomery College TV (MCTV), led by Dan Rankin, MCTV Instructional Producer/Director and his team of Carolina Galeano, Joseph Thompson and Francine Wyron.

We were also honored to hear remarks from Mr. Paul Peck, Philanthropist, and Founding Donor of the Fellowship. His generosity continues to sustain the program.

Closing remarks were made by Philippa Rappoport and Sara Bachman Ducey, both of whom thanked many of the people who have or continue to have a role in developing and expanding the Fellowship. These included Manjula Kumar, who was our Smithsonian partner for many years, and her successor, Philippa Rappoport, who is ably assisted by Tess Porter, Education Support Specialist, SCLDA, as well as Stephanie Norby, Director, SCLDA who remains a staunch supporter of the Fellowship. Past PPHI Directors Myrna Goldenberg, Judy Gaines, and Esther Schwartz-McKinzie were thanked for their contributions as were original faculty coordinators Professors Tulin Levitas and Effie Siegel and current coordinators, Professors Mimi Mann and Denise Dewhurst. Professor Ducey was thanked for her tireless commitment to the program.

Special gifts for all attendees were commemorative tote bags honoring the 20^th anniversary, and sets of post cards featuring John Lauer’s wonderful poster art which has graced our fliers and our annual publication for the last decade.