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AC’s Tess Davis Shares Advice for Students Interested In Cultural Heritage Careers

May 5, 2023

The field of cultural heritage is made up of many different disciplines and focus topics, including archaeology, museums, art crime, international trade in looted antiquities, antiquities repatriation, and heritage tourism. The collective work of these fields is critical to preserving and protecting our shared history for future generations. 

To introduce students to rewarding careers in the cultural heritage field, Tess Davis, Executive Director of the Antiquities Coalition, joined fellow experts during a roundtable event at Boston University (BU) to discuss their professional experience and answer questions about how to get started in the field. 

“Ask the Experts: Career Paths in Cultural Heritage Management” featured Davis alongside:

  • Dr. Chris Jasparro, Associate Professor in the National Security Affairs Department and Director of the Africa Regional Studies Group at the Naval War College.
  • Victoria Reed, the Sadler Curator for Provenance at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.
  • Susan de Menil, the founding co-president of the Art, Antiquities, and Blockchain Consortium (AABC), a nonprofit 501(c)3 that uses blockchain-based infrastructure to guide the future of cultural heritage repatriation.
  • Anthony Amore, an internationally recognized expert in the security realm, previously holding positions at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston, the U.S. Immigration Service, and the Federal Aviation Administration’s Security Division.
  • Ricardo Elia, Associate Professor of Archaeology in the College of Arts and Sciences, Boston University.

Davis, an alumni of BU, collaborated with Robert E. Murowchuck, Director of Undergraduate Studies of BU’s Archaeology Program, to organize the event. For students interested in pursuing a career in cultural heritage, learn more about the Antiquities Coalition’s internship program.