Atmospheric Chemistry Program Seminar: Julia Bakker-Arkema, Metropolitan Museum of Art

Environmental Analytical Chemistry in an Art Museum
Julia Bakker-Arkema, Ph.D.,
Associate Research Scientist, Metropolitan Museum of Art
(Ziemann Group alum, 2020)
As a preventive conservation scientist at a museum, my work is centered around improving environmental conditions during the conservation, transportation, storage, and display of cultural heritage objects. I will share some current work using gas-chromatography-mass-spectrometry (GC-MS) to identify and quantify volatile organic compounds emitted from conservation materials that have the potential to damage the surfaces of art and artifacts, and hopefully I’ll give you a sense of what it means to be an analytical chemist in an art museum. During my Ph.D. research in the Ziemann lab, I investigated the oxidation of volatile organic compounds and the formation of secondary organic aerosol through environmental chamber studies. My experience and interest in environmental analytical chemistry led me down various paths both in and out of the laboratory, including science policy on ozone management in the front range, an indoor air field campaign in Texas, science communication workshops for Women in Science & Engineering, and website design and video production with the Sloan Foundation. I’ll discuss each of these pursuits, and how I applied the skills I learned to launch a career in teaching and research at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. This talk is aimed at graduate students, and all questions are welcome!