2025 Summer Research Internships
Madelyn Fisher, Practicum Internship in Museum Studies
Madelyn is a rising senior undergraduate student from Sterling, Massachusetts, at Connecticut College. She is a Classics major with a concentration in Classical Studies, currently working towards her Honors Thesis on late Roman Republican portraiture styles. In conjunction with her major, Madelyn is also a student in the Museum Studies Certificate Program. Her program explores the roles of museums in shaping society’s knowledge about art, culture, history, and the natural world while exposing different career paths in all types of museums. Through her studies, she has discovered an interest in Museum Education. She is most interested in the visitor-museum relationship and expanding educational accessibility to all visitors.
As a Museum Education intern at the Icon Museum and Study Center, Madelyn plans to create a new self-guided audio tour of the Museum, featuring various selected artworks from
the galleries.
Cathy Keough, The John Barns Research Internship
Cathy is a PhD Candidate in the English Department at the University of Connecticut and a student in the UConn Graduate Certificate Program for Literary Translation. She holds a BA in Russian Language and Literature from Smith College and a BA in Scandinavian Studies from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. Her research interests include 19th-century studies, environmental humanities, museum studies, and comparative literature.
As the John Barns Research Intern at the Icon Museum and Study Center, Cathy is studying fire imagery in iconographic depictions of the Mother of God, particularly within 17th-19th century Old Believer communities in Vetka (present-day Belarus), and is translating materials on the iconographic development of the “Fiery Mother of God” icon in Vetka.
Josie Lindesay, High School Practicum Internship
Josie is a junior attending St. Bernard’s High School in Fitchburg, MA. As part of her school’s Junior Internship Program, she spent two weeks on various projects at the Museum. Her projects included writing alt text for the Museum’s website and helping shape an art activity designed for student groups.
Abigail Matthews, Practicum Internship in Public History
Abigail is a rising sophomore at Endicott College, pursuing a degree in Public History. The program equips students with the tools and methodologies needed to engage broad audiences with historical narratives through museums, archives, and cultural institutions. With a focus on curatorial studies, Abigail is interested in how historical artifacts and exhibitions can educate and inspire the public.
As a Public History intern at the Icon Museum and Study Center, Abigail plans to create a gallery brochure for the permanent collection.
Eirini Remboulis, The Catherine Mannick Research Internship
Eirini is a junior at the Savannah College of Art and Design, majoring in Art History with double minors in Museum Studies and Language and Cultural Studies. Born and raised in Athens, Greece, she developed a deep connection to Orthodox art, which continues to shape her academic focus on Byzantine and contemporary Byzantine art, as well as her practice in hagiography. Through her research and future museum work, she hopes to advocate for a more inclusive and dynamic understanding of Byzantine art’s legacy in the present day.
As the Catherine Mannick Research Intern, Eirini plans to use the Museum’s extensive study collections and the current exhibition on George Kordis as a foundation for her undergraduate thesis. Her research will explore the enduring legacy and evolving role of Byzantine art, with a focus on its contemporary revival and relevance in today’s artistic and cultural landscapes
As a John Barns Intern at the Icon Museum and Study Center, I had the invaluable opportunity to engage deeply with Byzantine and post-Byzantine iconography. My experience included hands-on work with a diverse collection of icons, and collaborating with a team of dedicated scholars. This internship not only enhanced my understanding of the historical and cultural significance of these religious artifacts but also honed my skills in archival research and curatorial practices. The mentorship and resources provided by the museum were instrumental in shaping my academic and professional trajectory in the field of art history.
My time at the IM+SC allowed me to explore new topics related to my interests in Russia and religion. I appreciated that the museums’ staff and administration treated the interns with respect, trusting us to handle items in the collection, and conduct research independently. This level of trust and access far exceeded my expectations. Input from the museums curator, Justin Willson, helped me organize my ideas and exposed me to fantastic scholars in the field.