Best Supporting Administrator: Developing Management and Curatorial Skills through the Ransom Center Gala and Robert De Niro Exhibition

In the Fall of 2022, the Harry Ransom Center will host its 65th anniversary gala and exhibit the collection of Robert De Niro—focusing on his education and early career—in celebration of its world-renowned film collection and the continued support of actor, producer, and director Robert De Niro. The Ransom Center seeks to ensure the perpetual stewardship of its film collection by raising $3 million to endow the De Niro Family Curator of Film. In support of these goals, I served as Project Manager—filling a staffing gap for the temporary needs of the gala—in which I provided project planning and management assistance, served as the liaison for the institution-wide initiative, and developed the project plan, timeline, and committee and meeting structures. I also served as Curatorial Assistant—co-curating the exhibition and working with the Curator of Film to meet the uncommonly tight exhibition deadlines set by the gala—during which I selected, interpreted, and tracked materials for the exhibition using finding aids, in-house databases, and Aeon archival software, created layouts, and assisted in preservation assessments for exhibition. As a result, I developed invaluable real-world management and curatorial skills while fulfilling the needs of the Harry Ransom Center.