PhD Student Andrew Bell Receives Predoctoral Fellowship at the Smithsonian

Ph.D. candidate Andrew Bell was recently offered a predocotoral fellowship from the Smithsonian Institution. The fellowship, open to researchers across academic disciplines interested in utilizing materials housed at the various Smithsonian facilities, will enable him to conduct research necessary for his dissertation, tentatively titled “Digging Deep: Archaeologists and American Foreign Relations in a World of Empire, 1880-1945.” During his four-month appointment, Andrew will examine collections held at the Smithsonian Institution Archives, the National Anthropological Archives, the National Museum of American History, and the Archives of American Art as well as specimens housed in other facilities.

The Smithsonian Institution is the world’s largest museum and research complex, with 19 museums and galleries and the National Zoological Park. On July 1, 1836, Congress accepted the legacy bequeathed to the nation by James Smithson and pledged the faith of the United States to the charitable trust. The total number of objects, works of art and specimens at the Smithsonian is estimated at nearly 138 million, including more than 127 million specimens and artifacts at the National Museum of Natural History.