Feb
10

Office of Fellowships and Office of Internship Programs to consolidate

The new unit, the Office of Academic Appointments and Internships (OAAI), will report to the Under Secretary for Education in close collaboration with the Under Secretary for Science and Research.

Smithsonian interns at the annual "Morning at the Museum" event at the National Museum of Natural History. (Photo by Donald Hurlburt)
Smithsonian interns at the 2013 “Morning at the Museum” event at the National Museum of Natural History. (Photo by Donald Hurlburt)

In an announcement to staff Feb 10, Ellen Stofan, Under Secretary for Science and Research, and Monique Chism, Under Secretary for Education, said that an interim director for the new office will be appointed while recruitment is underway for a permanent director, with the goal of filling the position no later than Fall 2022.

Last summer, Smithsonian Organization and Audience Research conducted a review of the Smithsonian’s Academic Appointments program. This review identified recommendations for improving the effectiveness and efficiency of AA’s administrative processes, systems, and logistics. Combining the offices will address many of the recommendations from the report and support movement toward defining a Smithsonian-wide mission and vision for the program. 

“We want to offer our special thanks to Pam Hudson Veenbaas, Nicole Bryner, and the entire team in the Office of Internship Programs and the Office of Fellowships for their continued hard work and commitment to the units, interns, and fellows,” Stofan said. “We look forward to continued input on how to strengthen and expand the academic and learning opportunities at the Smithsonian,” she continued.

“As we move into our busiest season for processing academic appointments, the teams will continue to provide high-quality support and assistance to meet the needs of units and our 3,500-plus fellows and interns,” Chism said.

The consolidation of the two offices is effective immediately.

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Posted: 10 February 2022
About the Author:

Alex di Giovanni is primarily responsible for "other duties as assigned" in the Office of Communications and External Affairs. She has been with the Smithsonian since 2006 and plans to be interred in the Smithson crypt.