Museum Supporter Spotlight: How the GMNH Internship Impacted Cameron Pittman

Cameron Pittman completed the Georgia Museum of Natural History internship in Vertebrate Zoology in the Fall of 2019. Since graduating in 2020, Cameron has gone on to earn a Master's of Science in Museum and Field Studies, and has even become the assistant collections manager for the Zoology Collection at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science! We asked him a couple of questions about how his internship with the GMNH led him to where he is today.

 

Jay: What led you to apply for the GMNH internship?

Cameron: What led me to apply for the Georgia Museum of Natural History internship was my immediate love for what museums offered. It was a goal that I had since freshman year of undergrad to work with vertebrate zoology collections. Being a student in the Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, we were required to complete some type of internship or externship, and I knew right at the beginning what I would be aiming for. I have always loved museums since I was a kid, and this love has stuck with me into adulthood. It was a dream come true to apply and be accepted into Georgia Museum of Natural History internship program.

 

 

My favorite internship experience was the work dedicated to the whale collection. The museum holds the most extensive Minke whale collection in the U.S., and that’s only a fraction of the whales that are housed here. A part of the project was moving marine mammals to the mezzanine as we needed more space on the ground floor. The interns for that term were also tasked with whale-cleaning, where we scrubbed skulls and allowed them to dry in the sun. A notable opportunity also included helping with a shipment of whales from Northeastern University, which included the skeleton of a blue whale. We spent the day moving boxes and bones inside the annex, and it was outstanding seeing the size and condition of these specimens.

 

 

Cameron: I learned so much during my internship, and I knew I wanted to learn more. I was supervised by both Nicole Pontzer and Nikki Castleberry, and they were great at providing all the interns chances to learn about collections management. It was their kindness and wisdom that made the internship such a formative experience. I remember the first time I went to the Annex to chat with Nikki about internship, and how I instantly fell in love with the collections and the space. Then in turn, I knew that it was the right field for me. 

 

 

Cameron: What I recommend to students who want to pursue a museum career is to take the time to learn what is more aligned to your interest. To be honest, it is a small field, and it can sometimes be difficult to get your feet in initially. The opportunities that appear might not be what you desire, but all experience is good experience. I took time to volunteer at museums that would take me (2020-2021), and it was really worth it to learn how different museums work on collection management. Overall, keep at it and you can find a fulfilling role in the museum field. The options are practically endless!