Careers in History- A Panel Discussion
Department: History
Date and Time: November 19, 2014 | 1:00 PM-2:00 PMEvent Location: Humanities Gateway 1010
Event Details
“What are you going to do with a history degree?”
Some people may think majoring in history limits your career opportunities, but there are actually many careers that require (and appreciate!) historical thinking. Our panelists work in positions that many current students find interesting. This event gives students the opportunity to discuss employment options, career goals, and steps they can take to achieve those goals.
Panelists:
Chris Jepsen is the Assistant Archivist at the Orange County Archives, where he collects and preserves historically significant materials and helps people discover the history of their families, homes and communities. Chris, a life-long resident of Huntington Beach, is also a local historian and serves as president of the Orange County Historical Society. He maintains a blog dedicated to Orange County history: The O.C. History Roundup, lectures frequently, and also writes the “Ask the O.C. Answer Man” column for Orange Coast magazine.
Over the years, Jepsen has been involved in many historical endeavors, such as organizing architectural tours, writing articles, developing historical exhibits, photo-documenting disappearing styles of architecture, and advising cities and non-profit organizations. He says he sometimes spends more time as a "history evangelist" or "history enabler" than as an actual historian.
Contact Chris @ Chris.Jepsen@rec.ocgov.com
Julie Perlin Lee is the Vice President of Collections and Exhibition Development at Bowers Museum in Santa Ana where she began as a volunteer while finishing her MFA in Exhibition Design (2006) at California State University, Fullerton. Lee holds a BA in Art History (2003) and a Certificate of Museum Studies (2006) from CSU, Fullerton. At the Bowers Museum she has held the position of Assistant Registrar, Collections Assistant, Curator of Exhibitions and Director of Collections. Her graduate field work and exhibition experience with the country of Chile prepared her for her role in organizing international exhibitions in collaboration with some of the world’s greatest museums. Recently she co-curated The Lure of Chinatown: Painting California’s Chinese Communities and the first ever exhibition of North American Indian art in Colombia at the renowned Museo del Oro. The exhibition in Colombia was part of an international exchange she organized between museums. In June the exhibition will travel to three or more museums in China.
Contact Julie @ JPLee@bowers.org
James Harris is the History/Social Science Chair at St. Margaret’s Episcopal School, an independent, college-preparatory day school in San Juan Capistrano, CA. Harris earned his teaching credential from UCI in 2005 and an M.A., in world and late-imperial Chinese history, in 2011. After working with adolescents in one capacity or another since the age of 17, Harris began teaching in 2003 and spent two years teaching English as a foreign language in the People’s Republic of China between 2005 and 2007. He is forever grateful to the faculty and staff in the UCI History department for all their assistance and willingness to work with students unsure of whether or not to follow the Ph.D. track!
Contact James @ jharris@smes.org
Cheyenne Tahbaz graduated from UCI in June of 2013 and entered the workforce in October. Cheyenne's career in marketing has taken her to various industries including engineering, personal finance and construction. From an intern and word processor to coordinator of editorial and now marketing content, Cheyenne continues to use communication and analysis skills to help businesses develop more efficient processes and convey information effectively. In her spare time she enjoys traveling (when she accrues vacation days), reading magazines (her favorite medium), going for walks (her attempt to move after sitting 8+ hours a day) and hand-making cards (when she feels creative). Feel free to connect with her on LinkedIn.
Contact Cheyenne @cheytz3@gmail.com
Ziba Perez Zehdar is a Bilingual Adult Services Librarian at the Costa Mesa Donald Dungan Branch of the OC Public Libraries system. She graduated from UCI with a Bachelor of Science in Biological Sciences (2005), a Bachelor of Arts in Film & Media Studies, and a minor in Chicano Latino Studies (2010). While at UCI, she hosted multiple music/talk shows on the campus's own radio station, KUCI 88.9 FM. Ziba has attended graduate school online & in person at the University of Illinois Urbana Champaign, receiving a Master of Science in Library and Information Science (2012), while working full time for the UCI Libraries as a library assistant. In graduate school, Ziba received a certificate of specialization in archives and special collections while interning at the American Film Institute's Louis B. Mayer Library Special Collections and the UCI Special Collections & Archives. In addition to her current position of OC public librarian, which was offered to her earlier this year, she has worked as a library consultant for the Hyundai Motor America Corporation in Fountain Valley, and now currently works as a substitute librarian in the San Diego County Public library system.
Contact Ziba @ ziba.zehdar@gmail.com