This Public Works Seminar will focus on best practices for writing cover letters and interviewing for job positions in the public humanities from museums and cultural institutions to non-profits and media. Together, we will walk through sample job descriptions, unpack strategies for translating academic experience to non-academic positions, and review approaches to prepare for successful interviews. Students will have the opportunity to practice identifying key language in postings, review sample cover letters, and learn about resources they can return to again and again.
Space is limited and registration is required. To join, please RSVP at weindling@wisc.edu. Light refreshments provded.
Seminar Instructors
Berit Ness is the inaugural Chief Engagement Officer at the Chazen Museum of Art, University of Wisconsin–Madison, where she oversees teaching, learning, public programming, and visitor experience. Her areas of interest include interdisciplinary partnerships that center learning, amplifying external voices within institutional contexts, and practice that deepen accessibility. Prior to joining the Chazen in 2024, she served as the Associate Director and Curator of Academic Engagement at the University of Chicago’s Smart Museum of Art. Berit holds a MA in Art History from UW–Madison and a BA in Art History from Western Washington University.
Danielle Weindling, Assistant Director, Center for the Humanities, directs public humanities programs for the Center for the Humanities. She is a freelance editor for a range of museums and academic institutions, providing editing, proofreading, and design review services. Prior to joining the Center for the Humanities, Danielle has held roles at the Vermont College of Fine Arts, Cooper Hewitt, and the Richard Avedon Foundation. Danielle received her M.A. in Design History & Material Culture from the Bard Graduate Center.