The Special Projects Team in the Department of Museums, Archives and Rare Books (MARB)
works with Kennesaw State University and community partners to bring history to life
through programming and exhibit development. Working with KSU students, faculty, and
staff as well as off-campus clients such as museums, historical societies, school
systems, and businesses, the Special Projects Team:
Curates exhibits
Develops interpretive plans and teacher’s guides
Provides consulting and strategic planning services
The Special Projects Team provides consulting and strategic planning services for
KSU and off-campus clients through an analysis of their audiences and stakeholders,
evaluations and assessment strategies, operations and facilities maintenance, and
fundraising.
Options include:
Strategic Plans
Interpretive Plans
Vision Statements
Focus Groups
Grant Writing Support
Exhibits and Education Programs
The Special Projects Team works with KSU and off-campus clients to develop exhibits
and supplementary education programs through a multistage process including research,
curation, design, and community engagement.
Options include:
Museum Exhibits
Outdoor Exhibits
Digital Exhibits
Interpretive Plans
Program Guides
Teacher’s Guides
Archives and Special Collections
The Special Projects Team works in coordination with the KSU Archives to help clients identify, preserve, and share their collections. As part of the exhibit development process, the Special Projects unit also facilitates community digitization projects.
The Special Projects Team works with KSU and off-campus clients to facilitate oral
history projects and interviews with a special focus on stakeholders and associated
groups that support exhibitions, education programs, and interpretive plans.
The Special Projects Team provides learning experiences for KSU and K-12 students
and utilizes student research and work in a variety of on-campus and community projects.
By facilitating applied learning experiences and curriculum enhancements, the Special
Projects Team enriches student instruction and the student experience and prepares
students for the future.
KSU Student Engagement Opportunities
Internships
Curatorial
Museum Education
Grants
Applied learning and/or practicum experience
Student research support
To learn more, students can contact Special Projects Curator James Newberry atjnewber5@kennesaw.eduor apply for an internshiponline.
Project-based learning
Students work on a real-world project, such as an exhibit, digital collection, or
education supplement for an on-campus or community partner.
How to research
Students conduct research through engagement with primary and secondary sources.
Collaborative case studies
Students learn about stakeholder partnerships, problem solving, and conflict resolution
by evaluating case studies.
Previous courses
HIST 3326: Historic Preservation
HIST 4425: Oral History
HIST 4430: Museum Studies
HIST 4427: Museum Exhibitions
ART 3340: Master Craftsman
PERS 2700: World of Work
Curriculum can be customized to fit learning objectives related to humanities, conflict
resolution, project management, and education. To schedule an introduction session
or project, faculty can contact Special Projects Curator James Newberry atjnewber5@kennesaw.edu.
Developed by the Special Projects Team, the following archival collections are available
for KSU and K-12 student use through the KSU Archives Scholarly Online Access Respository
(SOAR).
Kennesaw State Spirit: KSU at 50 Curated by the Department of Museums, Archives and Rare Books in 2013, the exhibit
celebrates the first half century of KSU. It features materials from the Kennesaw State University Archives and Special Collections and was displayed in the Athenaeum Gallery at Sturgis Library.
Dr. Betty Siegel: A Legacy in Three Acts Curated by the Department of Museums, Archives and Rare Books in 2017, the exhibit
celebrates the career of Dr. Betty Siegel, who served as president of Kennesaw State
from 1981-2006 and was the first woman president in the University System of Georgia.
The exhibit is located in the Dr. Betty L. Siegel Student Recreation and Activities
Center.
Impacting Lives: The History of the Bagwell College of Education Curated by the Department of Museums, Archives and Rare Books in 2018, the exhibit
narrates the history of KSU's Bagwell College of Education. The exhibit features images from the University Archives and Special Collections
and is on permanent display on the second floor of the Bagwell Education Building.
The Michael Coles Story Curated by the Department of Museums, Archives and Rare Books in 2018, the exhibit
illustrates the life and accomplishments of Dr. Michael J. Coles. This exhibit features materials from the Michael J. Coles Papers in the University
Archives and Special Collections and is located in the atrium of the Burruss Building,
home of Coles College of Business.
Paul Radow: Life of Innovation, Legacy of Service Curated by the Department of Museums, Archives and Rare Books in 2018, the exhibit
explores the legacy of engineer Paul Radow, whose innovations enhanced Levi Strauss’ pants pockets and contributed to NASA’s Apollo program. The exhibit is on permanent display in the Engineering Technology Center on the
Marietta campus.
Two Schools, One University: The History of Kennesaw State University and Southern Polytechnic State University Curated by the Department of Museums, Archives and Rare Books in 2019, the exhibit
documents the unique histories of KSU and SPSU until their 2015 consolidation and
is on permanent display at the Johnson Library on the Marietta campus and Sturgis
Library on the Kennesaw campus.
Historic Oakland Foundation, Atlanta, GA Working with Historic Oakland Foundation in 2022, the Special Projects Team and students
in KSU's Public History Program developed an exhibit focused on cemetery workers for
Oakland Cemetery's newly restored Bell Tower.
Georgia State Parks and Historic Sites Working with the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, State Parks and Historic
Sites Division, the Special Projects Team is developing standardized printed site
guides for Georgia's 16 state historic sites.
Friends of Roosevelt's Little White House, Warm Springs, GA Working with the Friends of Roosevelt's Little White House in 2022, the Special Projects Team and the Museum of History and Holocaust Education developed a traveling exhibit that explores the legislative and oratorical legacy of President Franklin Roosevelt.
The Trolley Barn, Atlanta, GA Working with The Trolley Barn, the Atlanta and Edgewood Street Railway Company, and
the Inman Park Neighborhood Association in 2021, the Special Projects Team and students
in KSU's Public History Program developed a 12-panel exhibit exploring Atlanta's transportation
history at The Trolley Barn, a local landmark in the historic Inman Park neighborhood.
Jewish HomeLife, Atlanta, GA Working with Jewish HomeLife in 2021, the Special Projects Team developed a 70th anniversary
exhibit for The William Breman Jewish Home.
Marietta City Schools, Marietta, GA Working with Marietta City Schools starting in 2019, the Special Projects Team is developing exhibits at the school system's new central office and at the formerly segregated Lemon Street Elementary School. The Special Projects Team coordinates the Lemon Street Schools Oral History Collection, an ongoing oral history project with former students and educators at Lemon Street
Elementary School and Lemon Street High School. The Special Projects Team is also
working with students in KSU's Public History Program to nominate Lemon Street Elementary
School to the National Register of Historic Places.
Town Center Community Alliance, Cobb County, GA Working with Town Center Community Alliance starting in 2019, the Special Projects Team is developing a series of STEM and history-focused outdoor exhibits at Aviation Park, a Town Center Community Alliance project located next to the Cobb County International Airport. As part of the research process, the Special Projects Team is conducting oral history interviews with local aviators and individuals involved in the development of the airport including pilot and developer Larry Brantley Thompson.
Pickens Historical Society, Jasper, GA Working with the Pickens Historical Society in 2019-2021, the Special Projects Team and students in KSU's Public History Program developed exhibits in the Old Pickens County Jail and the historic Kirby-Quinton Cabin in Jasper, Georgia. As part of the project, the Pickens Historic Society's archival collection became part of the Kennesaw State University Archives and Special Collections.
City of Acworth and the Save Acworth History Foundation, Acworth, GA Working with the City of Acworth starting in 2010, the Special Projects Team, the Department of Museums, Archives and Rare Books, and students in KSU's Public History Program, developed four exhibits, including installations in Acworth's historically Black Rosenwald School Community Center (2009), the Red Caboose (2010 and 2022), Acworth Depot Park (2019), Doyal Hill Park (2020), and the site of the Old Acworth Hotel (2022). The Doyal Hill Park exhibit resulted in the creation of the Historic Black Acworth Image Collection.
Downtown Development Authority, Historic Preservation Commission, Sans Souci Women's
Club, Adairsville, GA Working with Adairsville’s Downtown Development Authority, the Historic Preservation Commission, and the Sans Souci Women’s Club in 2016-2017, the Department of Museums, Archives and Rare Books and students in KSU's Public History Program conducted the Adairsville, Georgia Oral History Series and developed a 40-panel exhibit and accompanying education programs for the Adairsville Depot History Museum and Welcome Center.
Greek Life Museum, Suwanee, GA Working with the Greek Life Museum in 2015, the Department of Museums, Archives and
Rare Books developed an exhibit exploring the history of the Chi Phi fraternity and
other Greek organizations for the William M. Byrd Chi Phi National Headquarters in
Suwanee, Georgia.
Memories of the Mansion: The Story of Georgia's Governor's Mansion Published in 2015 by the University of Georgia Press, Memories of the Mansion was
coauthored by Sandra Deal, First Lady of Georgia from 2011-2019, Dr. Catherine Lewis,
Assistant Vice President for Museums, Archives and Rare Books, and Dr. Jennifer Dickey,
Coordinator of the Public History program and Preservationist for Museums, Archives
and Rare Books.
