Ellen Pearlstein has co-authored a journal article on the Mellon Opportunity for Diversity in Conservation program. The article was co-authored by Bianca Martinez Garcia, program manager for the Andrew W. Mellon Opportunity for Diversity in Conservation Initiative, and was published in the October issue of “News in Conservation,” a review journal of the International Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works.
In the article, Pearlstein describes in detail how the pilot program confirms that underrepresentation in conservation is the result of both a lack of familiarity with the field by many whose skills and interests could qualify them, and the lengthy and expensive process of earning a place in graduate programs.
Pearlstein is a professor in the Department of Information Studies and the UCLA/Getty Program in Conservation of Archaeological and Ethnographic Materials. She is the principal investigator for the Andrew W. Mellon Opportunity for Diversity in Conservation, completing its third year in 2019. She was recently funded with an additional $900,000 to continue her work for another five years. She was also a major contributor to the creation of the inaugural PhD program of the Interdepartmental Program in Conservation of Archaeological and Ethnographic Materials, housed in the Cotsen Institute.