Remote
- Social media outreach officer
- Worked to make sustainability more visible in conservation spaces
- Raised awareness for Climate Change related conservation issues
Sejal Goel
Object Conservator
Sejal Goel
Object Conservator
About Me
Hello! I’m Sejal Goel
I'm an archaeologist and object conservator originally from Colorado, USA. I moved to the United Kingdom for university and fell in love with heritage, museums, and archaeology.
I enjoy working with my hands, particularly when it comes to metalworking and jewellery craft.
To further my career, I'd really love experience in exhibition preparation and installation, more work with materials analysis, and to work with the public to present my field and help others take care of their personal collections.
- Current Lab Missouri History Society
What I Do
I've worked with archaeological artefacts for over 6 years, both in recording and analysing objects and, in the past year, preparing them for display and storage.
I have made jewellery for over 8 years, including metalsmithing work and more basic beading. I've also been using these skills to help family and friends fix their pieces so they can continue to be worn.
Fun Facts
4 Years Excavation Experience
26 Countries Visited
Over 500 Hours of jewellery work
6 Hair Colours
Resume
Experience
Jun. 2023 - Jun. 2024
Voting Member Sustainability Committee
American Institute of Conservation
Oct. 2023 - Oct. 2024
Great Basin Institute Post Graduate Fellow in Objects Conservation
National Park Service
Charles Town, WV., USA
- Design and implementation of conservation treatments for a wide range of objects
- Materials include organic composites, metal, wood, leather
- Periods ranging from 1860s to modern day
- Historic firearms
- Onsite object treatment, rehousing and care
- Condition survey and recommendations for collections in varying environments
- Implemented and managed project for researching, polishing, and coating over 100 silver/silver plated objects
- Historic Firearms Training
- Object photography
- Treatment photography
- Multispectral imaging (Infrared and Ultra-Violet)
- Material analysis using pXRF, FTIR, and PLM
Sept. 2022 - Sept. 2023
Kress Fellow in Object Conservation
Missouri Historical Society
St. Louis, MO., USA
- Primary conservator for Missouri History Museum’s Gateway to Pride Exhibit
- Design and implementation of conservation treatments for a wide range of objects
- Organic composites, modern composites, metal, plastics
- Research regarding care and conservation of prescription drugs in a modern composite art piece
- Oddy Testing (Met Procedure)
- Exhibition installation and de-installation
- St. Louis Sound Deinstallation
- Soccer City Installation
- World's Fair
- McCabe Carriage deinstallation
- Conservation of oversized objects in situ
- Suspended Spirit of St. Louis II
- McCabe Carriage
- Handling training instructor
- Arsenic Testing (Odegaard Procedure)
- Cellulose Nitrate Testing (Odegaard Procedure)
- Mould Remediation
Oct. 2021 - Jul. 2022
Trainee Conservator
Conservation and Museum Advisory Service (CMAS)
Chippenham, Wiltshire, UK
- Design and implementation of conservation treatments for objects
- Basic archival conservation
- Anoxia for large objects
- Environmental Monitoring
- Integrated Pest Management (IPM)
- Advising local museums surrounding IPM and environmental monitoring, as well as basic collections care
- Photography
- Basic mount making
- Designed a training course for museum professionals on the care and storage of medals and coins
- Created an energy sustainability plan for both lab and office spaces
Jun. - Aug. 2020
Intern
Sela for Vocational Training and Protection of Cultural Heritage
Wadi Musa, Jordan (Remote)
- Market Research looking at Social Enterprising Companies
- Worked on social Media strategies
- Including blog and post writing
- Research into intangible heritage, customs and eating traditions
Jan.-Apr. 2020
Lab Assistant
Durham University Archaeology Department
Durham, UK
- Sample preparation for materials analysis
- Soil and coarseware ceramics
- Pellet and bead creation for WDXRF analysis
- Cataloguing of pottery for further study
- Data entry
Sept. 2019
Student
Divisão de Cultura, Património, e Museus de Tavira
Tavira, Portugal
- Helped perform a complete survey of pottery from two different kilns
- Characterised and quantified ceramic materials from the 16th Century
- Recording materials
- Cataloguing small finds
- Drawing form samples
- Basic reconstruction of vessels
Jun. 2018
Student Archaeologist
Durham University Archaeological Services
Bishop Auckland, UK
- Excavation of Auckland Castle
- Discovered the lost chapel of Bishop Bek
- Ceramic Building Material (CBM) Measurements and Recording
Jul. 2017
Student Archaeologist
American Foreign Academic Research (AFAR)
Naousa, Greece
- Excavation of a Roman Bath site (3 time periods)
- Osteoarchaeological Excavation
- Onsite mosaic conservation
Jul. 2016
Student Archaeologist
American Foreign Academic Research (AFAR)
Zorita de Los Canes, Spain
- Excavation of a medieval castle
- Osteoarchaeological excavation
- Basic onsite osteological conservation
Education
Continued Professional Development
- Integrated Pest Managment Workshop (Sept. 2022)
- Pat Kelley
- In connection with the Missouri Historical Society
- AIC Archaeological Block-Lifting for Conservators Workshop (Mar. 2023)
- Dr. Nancy Odegaard and Gina Watkinson
- Individual professional development scholarship from the Foundation for Advancement in Conservation and the National Endowment for the Humanities
2020-2022
Durham University
Durham, UK
MA Conservation of Archaeological and Museum Objects (Merit)
- Conserved and restored a wide range of materials (organic and inorganic ranging from 2nd c. CE - 1960CE)
- See a Sample of Reports Here
- Environmental recording for preventive conservation
- Essays surrounding:
- The conservation of desiccated and waterlogged human remains
- The desalination of iron
- 2 Artefact Biographies
- Primary research paper regarding environmental sustainability in lab settings
- Poster Presenter at the Durham Castle Conference (2022)
- Sustainability in Laboratory Settings (See Here)
2017-2020
Durham University
Durham, UK
BSc Archaeology (Class I)
- Basic training in glass analysis, numismatics, SEM, and osteology
- Dissertation on pottery production in the Algarve region of Portugal during the early modern era using archaeometry
- Excavation Skills
- Site drawing, technical drawing, photogrammetry
- Part of the Department of Archaeology's Decolonisation group
Skills
-
Research
-
Graphite Drawing
-
Microsoft Office
-
Adobe Photoshop/Illustrator
-
Painting/Colour Matching
Knowledge
-
Onsite Finds Cleaning and Processing
-
Boxmaking
-
Air Abrasion
-
X-Ray Fluorescence Spectroscopy (XRF)
-
Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM)
-
FTIR
-
Jewellery Soldering and Rivetting
Languages
-
English
-
Spanish
-
Portuguese
Soft Skills
-
Analytical
-
Fast Learner
-
Creative
-
Organised
-
Works Well with Others
My Work
Conservation
Preserving objects in order to ensure their long term stability
Restoration
Cleaning, replacing pieces, and restoring the visual aesthetics of damaged/decaying objects
Jewellery Repair
Resizing necklaces, bracelets and rings
Repairing clasps, chains. etc.
My Work
Outreach and Presentations
Content, Gallery, Image, Video
Environmental Sustainability
Content, Gallery, Image
Charles Lindbergh’s Airaft
Content, Gallery, Image, Video
Video Gallery
Content, Gallery, Image, Video
Sample Treatment Reports
Content, Gallery, Image
Jewellery
Content, Gallery, Image
Conservation
Content, Gallery, Image
Drawings
Content, Gallery, Image
Restoration
Content, Gallery, Image
Skulls for Exhibition
Content, Gallery, Image
Sejal at Work
Content, Gallery, Image
Sela for Vocational Training and Protection of Cultural Heritage
Content, Gallery, Image
Blog
December 8, 2021
Doing the Best with What you Have
Balancing the Reailities of Small Museums with Best Practice I’m now a month and a half into my placement year…
October 21, 2021
Why does Displaying Broken, Dirty, and Corroded Objects Limit Audience’s Understandings of the Past?
Overall, when objects are dirty, broken, or corroded, important details can be obscured, limiting the information that objects can present…
September 16, 2021
Remember Me: Ivory Memento Mori
Late medieval Christian culture was highly tactile, focusing on objects and their materiality to engage with the holy. Macabre art…
September 16, 2021
Japonisme Through a Brooch at Durham University’s Oriental Museum
This brooch was bequeathed to Durham University’s Oriental Museum by Miss D.M. Squire. It is an oval piece of costume…
Get in Touch
- Email: sejal.goel@rocketmail.com
- Phone: 7202368827
- Freelance: Available