WWN Spotlight: Abigail Lamphier & Jaime Ursic

WWN Spotlight: Abigail Lamphier & Jaime Ursic
December 7, 2015

What is your current role at Yale?  What other Yale groups are you involved with (volunteering, committees. etc.)?

AL- I’m Senior Curatorial Assistant in the Paintings and Sculpture department of the Yale Center for British Art. This year, Jaime and I have teamed up to coordinate Yale’s annual United Way fundraising campaign at the Center.
JU- I’m the Assistant Curator of Education at the Yale Center for British Art since 2012. I work to develop and teach creative museum programs that enhance visitors’ experiences and appreciation of the the largest collection of British Art outside of the UK.

What makes you “Uniquely” you?

AL- Being a six foot tall woman? Being heavily tattooed in a fairly conservative workplace? I honestly don’t know. I feel like a lot of the “labels” I’ve had over the past few years in the evolution of my life - working woman, working mom, working single mom, and beyond - are nothing new and unique. A lot of us have the same experiences and challenges.

JU- As an exhibiting artist, working at the Center allows me to focus my creative energies on gallery teaching and art-making for a variety of people within the university and the New Haven community. Audiences that are particularly important to me are adults with special needs at Chapel Haven, teen girls with Autism Spectrum Disorders at Yale’s Child Study Center, and the Center’s volunteer docents.

Tell us about how you became a “working woman” of Yale?

AL- I grew up nearby in Branford and visited Yale’s museums regularly over the years. I started working at Yale when I was home from college in the summers. After graduating with a degree in Art History, I was fortunate enough to land my first full time gig working with the collections at the Yale University Art Gallery, and have been an employee ever since. I’ve had three different positions at Yale since starting full time in 1999, and I’ve learned a lot from each of them.

JU- After completing my MFA at the School of Art, I stayed in New Haven to maintain my studio momentum and accepted an internship in the Education department at the Yale University Art Gallery. The internship grew into a full-time position that allowed me to weave my knowledge of art-making and history into a museum career. Ten years later, I left Los Angeles’ sunshine to return to Yale’s museums. This time to work on the other side of Chapel Street. I joined the Yale Center for British Art to create multi-faceted gallery learning experiences for visitors that are unique and inspire higher-order affective and cognitive development. And I get to look at and discuss artwork all day.

Can you share how you have benefited as an employee of Yale?

AL- Meeting some of the best people who have become my best friends. Feeling a comradery with my coworkers. Knowing I’ve been able to strike a good work/life balance utilizing my benefits and having incredibly supportive supervisors.

JU- I work with world-class art every day. Additionally, Yale’s Tuition Assistance has allowed me to further my learning without incurring school debt and the Homebuyer Program has made me a very happy first-time homeowner. Yale’s Medical Benefits impact me daily by giving me the peace of mind that is afforded by a robust health and wellness plan.

What advice would you provide to new women employees at Yale?

Smile and ask questions. Your new colleagues know the culture and the history and can be your greatest resource. Also, bookmark the Yale Portal http://portal.yale.edu/. This page links My Time, the Employee Service Center, and Organizational Effectiveness & Staff Development opportunities all in one spot. Be sure to carve out time each week to peruse Yale’s calendars to learn about happenings and opportunities across campus, be it classes about work/life balance or career skill-building, join a group that interests you, or visit a museum, especially the Yale Center for British Art, http://britishart.yale.edu.

Can you share how you have shown commitment to the greater New Haven community?

After working together on a variety of projects at the Center, we decided to combine our powers for good and spearhead this year’s United Way Campaign at the Yale Center for British Art. As members of both the Yale and Greater New Haven communities, we were excited to contribute to helping local individuals and families achieve their human potential through education, income stability, and healthy living initiatives.

As Paul Mellon gifted his collection of British art to Yale University and New Haven, the Center’s staff is quick to continue the tradition of giving to Yale and the greater New Haven community.

The United Way’s commitment to education was a tipping point. Last year, Yale’s contributions improved the school climate in 16 Boost! schools, each seeing dramatic decreases in behavior problems and discipline incidents while family involvement increased. New Haven Public Schools adopted the Boost! program and many of its K-12 students visit the Center. 90% of New Haven students have been exposed to Adverse Childhood Experiences and the United Way Of Greater New Haven collaborated with the City of New Haven, New Haven Public Schools, and the Clifford Beers Clinic to create and fund The New Haven Trauma Coalition (NHTC). The NHTC investigates what has happened to children and how caring adults can help to eradicate community violence, school failure, reduce incarceration rates, improve overall health and, in short, create a safer, healthier community for children, families, and everyone,

For more info about Boost!, visit http://www.uwgnh.org/our-work/education/about-boost.

For more info about the New Haven Trauma Coalition, visit http://www.uwgnh.org/our-work/education/about-new-haven-trauma-coalition.
 

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Internal