NCPTT interns take on preservation research this summer

(Caption: NCPTT interns this summer include (l-r) Joe Evans, Megan Smith, Molly McGath, Kayla Wagner, Bethany Frank, Josh Springer, Eric Guidry and Curtis Desselles. Not pictured is Jessica Cleaver.)

Natchitoches’ preservation population grew just a little this past week with the arrival of the summer interns at the National Center for Preservation Technology and Training.

Throughout the summer, these young professionals will update the community about their nationally significant research projects here on the Natchitoches Preservation Network website. Some will also present their research at the annual Preservation in Your Community event taking place later in the summer.

Joseph Evans, a Heritage Resources major at NSU, will work to develop a web-based application for the planning and management of historic landscapes. Evans will create a plant inventory and assessment database for a touch-screen computer.

Megan Smith, a graduate student in the Nautical Archaeology program at Texas A&M University, will continue research she originated at NCPTT last summer. Smith will compare the effectiveness of treatments for strengthening bone in the archaeological context.

Two interns will collaborate on a study of commercially available paint removers on historic masonry. Jessica Cleaver comes to NCPTT from the Master of Preservation Studies program at Tulane University and Joshua Springer is an architecture student Ball State University in Indiana.

Eric Guidry is a liberal arts student at the Scholar's College. He will continue research in the Center's long-running study about the affects of pollution on cultural resources.

Curtis Desselles, a recent graduate of NSU’s masters program in Heritage Resources, will expand his efforts to develop low-cost tool for metallurgical analysis.

Molly McGath, a chemistry graduate student from the University of Arizona, is interning with NCPTT for the second consecutive year. McGath will research and apply techniques in the field for the removal of graffiti from historic structures.

Bethany Frank and Kayla Wagner, both public relations majors at NSU, will be working to promote NCPTT through strategic online communications. They will also help organize the Preservation in Your Community event.

I'll have more details on Preservation in Your Community when the date is set. In the meantime, stop by the Natchitoches Preservation Network website to interact with the interns and learn more about their projects.