President Maloney and Bill Wallace signing the MOU at the Historical Museum

Worcester State University and the Museum of Worcester Form New Partnership

February 4, 2025
By: Nancy Sheehan

In a groundbreaking move, Worcester State University and the Museum of Worcester, formerly the Worcester Historical Museum, recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding to establish a multi-faceted, continuous partnership between the two institutions.

The partnership will create a hands-on learning laboratory for students and help the museum as it works to expand historical narratives to be more inclusive and representative of the diverse communities in Worcester.

The MOU will allow for collaboration with the Worcester State history department, its faculty, and the museum to provide student exposure to museum exhibits, career opportunities, and historic site and collection interpretation.

The MOU was signed by Worcester State President Barry M. Maloney and William Wallace, executive director of the museum. The agreement came as both institutions celebrate their 150th anniversaries. 

“I cannot think of a better way to celebrate both of our 150th anniversaries than through this agreement, which will provide concrete benefits to Worcester State University’s students and to the museum,” Maloney said. “It also furthers our public mission, established at our founding in 1874, by helping the museum reach more diverse audiences. In addition to adding value to our already outstanding history program, the MOU will facilitate learning lab opportunities for other disciplines as well.”

Wallace said the partnership will allow students to interact with the museum’s exhibits and collections to explore current themes, new technology, and learning experiences related to local history.

“This partnership represents a significant opportunity for us to work closely with students and faculty to enhance the learning experience and bring fresh perspectives to the museum,” Wallace said. “We’re excited to collaborate on projects that will not only benefit the students and the museum but also help us refine and improve how we engage with our community.”

The partnership coincides with a planned update of the public history minor at Worcester State, and will create a continuous, formalized structure for student projects and internships that can benefit both the museum and the broader local community. The partnership aims to make the museum more relevant and accessible to younger and more diverse audiences, while also preparing students for careers in the public history sector.

History professors Erika Briesacher and Josh Koenig are the driving forces behind this collaboration, working with museum staff to bring the two organizations together. “This is an incredible opportunity to provide our students with hands-on, real-world experience in the field of public history,” Briesacher said.

“The collaboration will help facilitate the way that the broader public engages with and understands its own history,” Koenig said. “And Worcester Historical Museum is really one of our primary outlets to understand our local and regional history.”

Students will have access to internships in cataloging, collections care, and museum education. Future projects may cross many disciplines, providing field work in areas including museum studies, communication, journalism, photography, hospitality and tourism, marketing, fundraising, and grant writing.

“We’re no longer just talking about history students: These opportunities are open to students across disciplines, from communications to marketing to political science,” Koenig said. “Museums are wildly interdisciplinary, and this partnership allows us to provide valuable professional experience to a wide range of students.”

Worcester State students have worked with the museum occasionally before but both Briesacher and Koenig are excited about the potential of a formal partnership to assist not only students and the museum but also the entire Worcester community, which will now be able to better understand and engage with the city’s rich history.

“The level of our students’ work with faculty members and the staff and collections at the museum has been simply outstanding,” said Russ Pottle, dean of the School of Humanities and Social Sciences. “We look forward to an enhanced partnership with the museum and I look forward to seeing the presentations of research projects carried out under the guidance of our expert faculty.  Seeing these tangible, excellent products of student work is one of the fun parts of being a dean.”

In addition to benefiting the students, Briesacher said the museum stands to gain from the “infusion of youthful energy” that will help the institution stay relevant and connected to the community.

“Our students have grown up in a digital world, and they’re bringing a fresh perspective that can help the museum adapt and evolve,” she said. “This is a true partnership: The museum gets the help it needs, and our students get hands-on experience that is so crucial in this field.”

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