HPres Students

A Powerful Collaborative Network

Professional internships give SAIC graduates the experience to build their resumes, and prepare them for preservation practice after graduation where they become positioned throughout the country and abroad within a variety of preservation-related non-profit organizations, advocacy groups, governmental agencies, museums, architecture and interior design firms, historic sites, and as independent preservation consultants and researchers.

Charles C Almonte Headshot

HPres alumni Charles C. Almonte interviewed by Topic Architecture

"...when I was in college in architecture school, there were a couple of professors who encouraged acknowledging historic architecture in the Philippines—even though the historic preservation movement is not really big there. It's a developing country, so the primary goal of the government is usually, 'Let's build new buildings to attract investors that show them that this is all shiny and new.'"

Read the Interview

HPres Student John Smagner Featured on Houzz

"When I bought my home in 2013, I set out to accomplish two goals: 1. to experience, first hand, the process of restoring a historic home and 2. to create a comfortable home big enough to contain the large number of treasures I had amassed from family members over the years."

Read more about John here

MS HPres Candidate Thesis: Palak Shah "The Adaptive Re-Use of the Pol: Indigenous Residential Architectural Types of Ahmedabad, India"

"Historic Preservation for me represents a desire to stay connected to a history that is increasingly becoming distant and less tangible. As more and more super-structures go up around me, I wonder if people of my generation and subsequent generations will truly be able to connect to our past without the preservation and restoration of these important historic structures."

Read more about Palak and her thesis here

MS HPres Candidate Thesis: Alyssa Frystak "Combating the Affordable Housing Crisis Through Historic Preservation: Strategies to Find a Solution"

"For as long as I can remember, I have been fascinated by history and the built environment. One thing that has always intrigued me about historic buildings is their ability to act as windows into our past. They not only serve as the locus of collective memory, but also lay the foundation for individual experience and cultural identity."

Read more about Alyssa and her thesis here

Intern Experience: Emily Weevers, Roger Brown Study Collection

“I think the environment we live in is shaped by what we, as a society, deem valuable enough to save—and I’ve learned that this should be an intentional and thoughtful process.”

Learn more about Emily's internship here

Excerpts from Kelly Humrichouser's Restoration Methods Journal

"Facing my fear of heights by climbing the ladder to the attic, I learned interesting things about ceilings that I never would have thought of. I also recall articles that I read regarding ceiling strength and tin ceilings and how I thought it would never be useful. Alas, proven wrong!"

Read Kelly's excerpts here

Intern Experience: Austin Eighmey, Field Museum

"As a student, I primarily focus on the use of art as an advocacy tool in protecting significant historic resources. My role as an intern at the Field Museum is to create photographic documentation of incoming artifacts for the Goldman Mexican Folk Art Collection."

Read more about Austin's internship here

HPres Students Survey Mid-Century Buildings

"In a feature on WBEZ, professor Charlie Pipal said that while people are aware of the iconic buildings from the era, there is a lack of familiarity of retail, educational and even industrial spaces that have been part of communities for generations."

Learn more about their project here

Intern Experience: Lydia Woods, Wisconsin State Historical Society

"Over the course of several weeks I summarized 86 National Register Nominations in 12 counties and paired them with archival photographs for publication."

Read more about Lydia's internship experience here