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<div dir="ltr">Dear Rebecca and Co.</div>
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<div dir="ltr">I share the sympathy and concern of the others!</div>
<div dir="ltr">The idea of only preserving the skull and skin ( tissue for DNA) is an old concept that doesn't apply today, with the application of specimens being so much broader than it was before.<span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr">The importance and impact of natural history collections cannot be ignored and restricted by simple 'footprint' cal<span>culations. We wouldn't hesitate for a second to spend millions on preserving a single specimen like the Mona Lisa - why should
we always have to choose the second best when it comes to natural history?! The specimens have given their lives - we owe them all we can to preserve as much of them as possible. They are so important in the current understanding and hopefully future of our
world and environment that we cannot, must not, compromise!<span></span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr"><span>If museums that care for art and other cultural heritage don't have to worry about these petty problems - why should we?</span></div>
<div dir="ltr"><span><br>
</span></div>
<div dir="ltr"><span>I know it doesn't solve our problems - but we cannot keep compromising and settling for second best. We must achieve the same consideration and importance as the art and cultural heritage collections. Exactly because the other were created
by man, it should take second place - not first! </span></div>
<div dir="ltr"><span><br>
</span></div>
<div dir="ltr"><span>That is my sentiment.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr"><span><br>
</span></div>
<div dir="ltr"><span>Kristian</span></div>
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</span></div>
<div dir="ltr"><span>Teaching associate professor </span></div>
<div dir="ltr"><span>Natural History Conservation </span></div>
<div dir="ltr"><span>Institute of Conservation </span></div>
<div dir="ltr">Royal Danish Academy</div>
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<div id="divRplyFwdMsg" dir="ltr"><font face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="font-size:11pt" color="#000000"><b>From:</b> Nhcoll-l <nhcoll-l-bounces@mailman.yale.edu> on behalf of Hendrickson Dean <deanhend@austin.utexas.edu><br>
<b>Sent:</b> Saturday, February 10, 2024 6:15:21 AM<br>
<b>To:</b> nhcoll-l@mailman.yale.edu <nhcoll-l@mailman.yale.edu><br>
<b>Subject:</b> Re: [Nhcoll-l] Minimum viable mammal specimen</font>
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<p class="x_MsoNormal">Thanks John, for mentioning our presentation/paper. With permission of SPNHC, we archived both a copy of the pdf and the recording of my presentation of it at:
</p>
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<p class="x_MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.3in">Cohen, A. E., Hendrickson, D. A., & Casarez, M. J. (2022). Testing An Alternative Shelving Arrangement to Optimize Space and Task Efficiency in a Fluid Fish Collection. Presented by Hendrickson at SPNHC 2022,
Edinburgh, Scotland. <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.26153/tsw/44357" originalsrc="http://dx.doi.org/10.26153/tsw/44357" shash="Q9bPtA7R00vlnuVsqXi8O8/nlDBBQmNEdCjkW8PTCC/plsVH6qOP9Ck1OADZFkqSapYRsHusvJ8UTXsDy786xZBfrcohlPjNRchnzC1ZRORR3+CC7RuFaW7gXHy9PsbxKA3vc3pGfU1OgWocUT+TTUBUDaQslyv3hEe1D79SV98=">
http://dx.doi.org/10.26153/tsw/44357</a></p>
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<p class="x_MsoNormal">Adam (<span style="font-size:10.5pt; font-family:"Google Sans Text",serif; color:#1F1F1F; background:#F0F4F9"><a href="mailto:TNHC_Fish_CM@austin.utexas.edu">TNHC_Fish_CM@austin.utexas.edu</a></span>) and I are both happy to answer questions
and discuss this further. We’re still both very happy with the new system, and continue hoping one day we can convert the whole collection to this shelving method. He and his crew of volunteers and students have since done more testing of aspects of the system,
and implemented some related experiments, all interesting and promising. </p>
<p class="x_MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="x_MsoNormal">I’ll also point out that Rob Robbins et al in the <a href="https://www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/fish/" originalsrc="https://www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/fish/" shash="JkjCfDTcLC1rS7aAc6X3JeX2f5qT9RTiMKWYUj12RTEB/UNl5ly5alsPNplcMOo2gbbz7niAeIklXRWJ+NbaTUTZSm3YNQSPzAFpkQSPkYG5rtdI5KSqIG0K7g61kyNaemsUfLsQxn/Fdzn+LohJzFViKEB9zcNZaSzMyeWdQ3o=">
Fish Collection at University of Florida</a> converted that collection to a similar space-efficient system that shares some of the same features as ours, and, with their move, they also were able to barcode everything to add additional power and efficiency.</p>
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<p class="x_MsoNormal">Dean</p>
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<p class="x_MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="color:black"><a href="http://www.fishesoftexas.org/home/" originalsrc="http://www.fishesoftexas.org/home/" shash="MflLxVK3m5Td0M0xgyoYorH4As6ZggJQOZ6cJgyPk9fqFwV888ZRaVnn/DpH40iHFACD59HPh7TLAiz3DvaZQPG9zlPADVz69zwEkc6wlSt+rxwOxPrzy2cuTG8RfNwpEvDtC0GI3cugvine+iGYGYgGUJb5sJzEKw0eA4oj3gs=" target="_blank"><span style="font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Arial",sans-serif; text-decoration:none"><img border="0" width="96" height="52" id="x__x0000_i1025" src="https://ci3.googleusercontent.com/mail-sig/AIorK4wyUyM300ua9wmLk3vhwG-puN8HRJxA6xNVqMElTUV9nbcpHnP7OCSfm3J_Zt8bQ6caSueeWN4" alt="Fishes of Texas " style="width:1.0in; height:.5416in"></span></a></span><span style="font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Arial",sans-serif; color:#202124; background:white">Dean
A. Hendrickson </span><span style="font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Arial",sans-serif; color:#202124; background:white">(</span><span style="color:black"><a href="https://namedrop.io/deanhendrickson" originalsrc="https://namedrop.io/deanhendrickson" shash="cs3UBtnRXQCxtjPaqif8zXpOBhk3k4P/c7D0wIqeRNKfvH4PDpST2739lnEAAwDzszQxoMcw4Y05Z3JrqdgU4jj19D+Cu9Pfo74sUMeoZpOZeRJQ6ZFaAgpF2cBopjS/y1OZIdbnW3cY1wb/pDiSb3hOHS4vhGaQIt6cDwByx4c="><span style="font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">pronunciation</span></a></span><span style="font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Arial",sans-serif; color:#202124; background:white">)</span><span style="font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Arial",sans-serif; color:#202124; background:white">,
Ph.D. (he/him/his)</span><span style="font-size:12.0pt; color:black"></span></p>
<div>
<p class="x_MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Arial",sans-serif; color:#202124">Curator of Ichthyology, <a href="https://biodiversity.utexas.edu/" originalsrc="https://biodiversity.utexas.edu/" shash="PI4dwtcvRN8Bdozm7LF881ntxz+WAVFPq3cAJekfHc3PNgqYP+4VG8GslFaQBAkY/Xk9PFUBhqmc5e8h7JC0WftWIxvHUWEPjpQQ+r/aEkKFo8ylWlOOaKmbCfecAB2LrXotYJ9fH+SXWZGRt7GieLp2VH2mtZOGTPkrxyl7SSQ=" target="_blank">Biodiversity
Center</a>, <a href="https://www.utexas.edu/" originalsrc="https://www.utexas.edu/" shash="z7PZ/sa93ytA1GBEDjOzbODrN5Rsw9tGIC2QPxFxnLcszDBvs7WJCLaHyUqD1I+JflIvEx8iisi8G7T+pCM2hIIVm3hc4745JQOU02zmnxK9C0O+d+7eQBJlMwrLzAj0R6YQoCfC9syPha0MfL4fscb4gljPb1R0Rf0mpcJautY=" target="_blank">University
of Texas</a>,</span></p>
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<p class="x_MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Arial",sans-serif; color:#202124">Texas Natural History Collections,10100 Burnet Rd., PRC176/R4000</span></p>
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<p class="x_MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Arial",sans-serif; color:#202124">Austin, Texas 78758 USA</span></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="x_MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Arial",sans-serif; color:#202124">+1-512-656-9504 (cel.); <a href="https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7835-0295" originalsrc="https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7835-0295" shash="QcaKUgWu3iFe8cnw4CCrLJKsQeC0vlnT8+Fm3JRYrgZh6z/QG+6OAaB1KufdmRLzEBd21w1TiYmCMP/5o+DYklaoLQAH5PonjKuUiF+O6oKIyxeM7xo4U/o28XJGmphracHqjZlBv1UMF6uOpZQafZCJL7dCxgbMK9MIOxQ7PC8=" target="_blank">Orcid</a> / <a href="https://sites.cns.utexas.edu/hendricksonlab/home" originalsrc="https://sites.cns.utexas.edu/hendricksonlab/home" shash="omMfMKua+tenVECreTohNSNe1iM39Ix2E4sT4mK3vMIZdyEJ0YvQB2qqSkg+rJe7AIBlC/ex1DOOXcR5AzHC5YwOix58Hx2aycV/cVz6eV4dQDJYOt8dH1wHP3UjjzQQauB1elxA1YIG7OslJ7TPCW9+tfXJE+A+ikuPCT+IXaE=" target="_blank">lab</a> / <a href="https://integrativebio.utexas.edu/biodiversity-collections/collections/ichthyology-fish" originalsrc="https://integrativebio.utexas.edu/biodiversity-collections/collections/ichthyology-fish" shash="tcy8WCf6tPT+JKc3Terx5WUWxEdkQC+WO1Vajui3knKc8V295xVn9cLTmaihAwHW3tAIS39e1m9PizKBSZFzjndzaTiiLmXz41yO4uEOIF7wAfl8H3zKfPM3coje6sC77kYNVym0v5iAqdBXhVyeT1+mmfbK0uEGeNpwGUnUda0=" target="_blank">collection</a> / <a href="https://utexas.zoom.us/j/7165800443" originalsrc="https://utexas.zoom.us/j/7165800443" shash="H7TVtM+Br5tX4F0LlQQ+PmBINihCebop7IBKgDQ0yLyni1CJ6XumLfpa5Aefy+1XwaOoLCrAk+XmxV9Y1PVlufU7btJ8P6LnX6j6bBbo+qVUjp1hzBpP4jMdpcp2PHlWSuDNodT3/oBEBE5arYBfeer87Snb33D+eguWcBcK9V8=" target="_blank">zoom</a></span></p>
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<p class="x_MsoNormal"><b>From:</b> Nhcoll-l <nhcoll-l-bounces@mailman.yale.edu> <b>
On Behalf Of </b>John E Simmons<br>
<b>Sent:</b> Friday, February 9, 2024 12:19 PM<br>
<b>To:</b> Hawkins, Rebecca K. <rkhawkins@ou.edu><br>
<b>Cc:</b> nhcoll-l@mailman.yale.edu<br>
<b>Subject:</b> Re: [Nhcoll-l] Minimum viable mammal specimen</p>
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<div>
<p class="x_MsoNormal" style="line-height:106%"><span style="font-size:12.0pt; line-height:106%; color:black">Thank you, Rebecca Hawkins, for bringing up this problem that we, the natural history collections community need to discuss.</span><span style="color:black"></span></p>
<p class="x_MsoNormal" style="line-height:106%"><span style="font-size:12.0pt; line-height:106%; color:black"> </span><span style="color:black"></span></p>
<p class="x_MsoNormal" style="line-height:106%"><span style="font-size:12.0pt; line-height:106%; color:black">I sympathize with the problem of crowded collections. I don’t know of a heavily used natural history collection anywhere that does not have this problem.
However, I don’t think selecting a few essential parts of a specimen is a good idea. As several responses have already pointed out, there are research uses for all parts of a specimen, and we keep finding new uses for all parts of a specimen. The history of
use of natural history collections tells us very clearly that there is an unending variety of ways to use specimens, particularly as advances in technology enable us to look at specimens in entirely new ways. Which brings us to a collecting conundrum—we should
be making collections for future research, not just present research, but what will future researchers need? We don’t know. What we do know is that the large amount of literature on uses of natural history collections, taken all together, makes a strong argument
for keeping all parts of organisms rather than just traditional preparations or reduced parts of specimens.</span><span style="color:black"></span></p>
<p class="x_MsoNormal" style="line-height:106%"><span style="font-size:12.0pt; line-height:106%; color:black"> </span><span style="color:black"></span></p>
<p class="x_MsoNormal" style="line-height:106%"><span style="font-size:12.0pt; line-height:106%; color:black">What museums should be doing is diversifying the types of preparations for specimens they are collecting now (natural history museums should be actively
collecting to document the effects of climate change). Traditional study skins are still useful, but so are full skeletons, fluid-preserved specimens, and many other types of preparations. One of the problems is that modern collections reflect the traditions
in the various “-ologies,” which is why mammal collections have traditionally had mostly skins and skulls, bird collections mostly skins with a partial skull intact, amphibian, reptile, and fish collections but whole animals in fluid, insects are pinned, and
so on. These traditional preparations often fail to provide the kind of specimens needed for future research.</span><span style="color:black"></span></p>
<p class="x_MsoNormal" style="line-height:106%"><span style="font-size:12.0pt; line-height:106%; color:black"> </span><span style="color:black"></span></p>
<p class="x_MsoNormal" style="line-height:106%"><span style="font-size:12.0pt; line-height:106%; color:black">To address the very serious problem you have brought up about “specimen footprint” (that is a very descriptive term and we should all start using it)—there
are several approaches to solving the problem. To mention just a few:</span><span style="color:black"></span></p>
<p class="x_MsoNormal" style="line-height:106%"><span style="font-size:12.0pt; line-height:106%; color:black"> </span><span style="color:black"></span></p>
<p class="x_MsoNormal" style="line-height:106%"><span style="font-size:12.0pt; line-height:106%; color:black">1-We need new designs for collection storage furniture to make better use of space while still allowing efficient monitoring of specimens (without
having to pick them up or move them). We need to re-think drawer size and shape, cabinet configurations, the use of wide shelving vs narrow shelving, making better use of compactors, the size and shape of specimens and specimen containers, and so forth.</span><span style="color:black"></span></p>
<p class="x_MsoNormal" style="line-height:106%"><span style="font-size:12.0pt; line-height:106%; color:black"> </span><span style="color:black"></span></p>
<p class="x_MsoNormal" style="line-height:106%"><span style="font-size:12.0pt; line-height:106%; color:black">2-We can house specimen parts separately. Consider that most skulls are not the same shape as study skins, round jars are not necessarily the best
shape to hold fluid-preserved specimens, skeletons need individual containers but study skins usually do not, etc.</span><span style="color:black"></span></p>
<p class="x_MsoNormal" style="line-height:106%"><span style="font-size:12.0pt; line-height:106%; color:black"> </span><span style="color:black"></span></p>
<p class="x_MsoNormal" style="line-height:106%"><span style="font-size:12.0pt; line-height:106%; color:black">3-This next suggestion often results in me being called a heretic, but it is, in fact, the easiest and most cost-effective way to make better use of
space that we have right now. The suggestion is that we should abandon attempts at so-called “systematic arrangements” of collection storage arrays and instead develop collection storage arrays that are designed to better use space while providing the best
storage environment for the collection (for example, bones tolerate a wider range of temperature and humidity than do skins). Particularly considering the flood of taxonomic changes resulting from molecular systematics, and the need to collect more specimens
now to document climate change, our old collection storage arrays are a liability. We need to start by assessing the size and shape of specimens and containers, then consider the environmental requirements, and then develop storage arrays that are a better
use of space and use the collection database to find specimen, not a faux systematic arrangement (no linear arrangement can be phylogenetic, and I have never seen a branching sequence of cabinets or shelving). Non-systematic arrangements can accommodate collection
growth far more efficiently than traditional collection storage arrays.</span><span style="color:black"></span></p>
<p class="x_MsoNormal" style="line-height:106%"><span style="font-size:12.0pt; line-height:106%; color:black"> </span><span style="color:black"></span></p>
<p class="x_MsoNormal" style="line-height:106%"><span style="font-size:12.0pt; line-height:106%; color:black">There have been a few publications addressing the problem of crowded natural history collection storage. I will list a few below, and hope that people
will add those that I have missed. </span><span style="color:black"></span></p>
<p class="x_MsoNormal" style="line-height:106%"><span style="font-size:12.0pt; line-height:106%; color:black"> </span><span style="color:black"></span></p>
<p class="x_MsoNormal" style="line-height:106%"><span style="font-size:12.0pt; line-height:106%; color:black">At the 2022 SPNHC meeting in Edinburgh there was a session on “Managing Long-Term Sustainability in an Uncertain Future” that included several presentations
directly addressing the topic of best use of storage space. Not all of the speakers published papers based on their presentations, so if you are interested, check the abstracts from the meeting.</span><span style="color:black"></span></p>
<p class="x_MsoNormal" style="line-height:106%"><span style="font-size:12.0pt; line-height:106%; color:black"> </span><span style="color:black"></span></p>
<p class="x_MsoNormal" style="line-height:106%"><span style="font-size:12.0pt; line-height:106%; color:black">One last thing—before anyone rejects the idea of non-systematic arrangements for natural history collections, please take time to read the paper below
by Cohen et al. listed below and look carefully at the amount of space they saved.</span><span style="color:black"></span></p>
<p class="x_MsoNormal" style="line-height:106%"><span style="font-size:12.0pt; line-height:106%; color:black"> </span><span style="color:black"></span></p>
<p class="x_MsoNormal" style="line-height:106%"><span style="font-size:12.0pt; line-height:106%; color:black">Thanks again to Rebecca for bringing up this very important topic for discussion.</span><span style="color:black"></span></p>
<p class="x_MsoNormal" style="line-height:106%"><span style="font-size:12.0pt; line-height:106%; color:black"> </span><span style="color:black"></span></p>
<p class="x_MsoNormal" style="line-height:106%"><span style="font-size:12.0pt; line-height:106%; color:black">--John</span><span style="color:black"></span></p>
<p class="x_MsoNormal" style="line-height:106%"><span style="font-size:12.0pt; line-height:106%; color:black"> </span><span style="color:black"></span></p>
<p class="x_MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.5in"><a name="x__Hlk150355098"></a><a name="x__Hlk150355058"></a><span style=""><span style="font-size:12.0pt; color:black">Callomon, P. 2019. An improved design for the storage of fluid-preserved specimens in small
to medium-sized containers. <i>SPNHC Connection</i> 33(2):28-32.</span></span><span style="color:black"></span></p>
<p class="x_MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.5in"><span style="font-size:12.0pt; color:black; background:yellow"> </span><span style="color:black"></span></p>
<p class="x_MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.5in; line-height:106%"><span style="font-size:12.0pt; line-height:106%; color:black">Cohen, A. E., D. A. Hendrickson, and M. J. Casarez. 2019. An alternative shelving arrangement for natural history collection objects
to optimize space and task efficiency. <i>Collection Storage</i> 33(1):55-72.</span><span style="color:black"></span></p>
<p class="x_MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.5in; line-height:106%"><span style="font-size:12.0pt; line-height:106%; color:black"> </span><span style="color:black"></span></p>
<p class="x_MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.5in"><span style="font-size:12.0pt; color:black">McAlpine, D. F., and F. W. Schueler. 2018. Herpetology meets botany: using herbarium methods to archive dried skins of frogs and snakes.
<i>Herpetological Review</i> 49(2):236-238.</span><span style="color:black"></span></p>
<p class="x_MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.5in"><span style="font-size:12.0pt; color:black"> </span><span style="color:black"></span></p>
<p class="x_MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.25in"><span lang="X-NONE" style="font-size:12.0pt; color:black">Simmons, J. E.
</span><span style="font-size:12.0pt; color:black">2013.</span><span style="font-size:12.0pt; color:black">
<span lang="X-NONE">Application of preventive conservation to solve the coming crisis in collections management.
<i>Collection Forum</i> 27(1-2):89-101.</span></span><span style="color:black"></span></p>
<p class="x_MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.5in"><span style="font-size:12.0pt; color:black"> </span><span style="color:black"></span></p>
<p class="x_MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.5in"><span style="font-size:12.0pt; color:black">Simmons, J. E. and Y. Muñoz-Saba. 2003. The theoretical bases of collections management.
<i>Collection Forum</i> 18(1-2):38-49.</span><span style="color:black"></span></p>
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<p class="x_MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif">John E. Simmons<br>
Writer and Museum Consultant</span></p>
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<p class="x_MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif">Museologica<br>
<i>and</i><br>
Investigador Asociado, Departamento de Ornitologia<br>
Museo de Historia Natural, Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos, Lima</span></p>
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<p class="x_MsoNormal">On Fri, Feb 9, 2024 at 9:43 AM Hawkins, Rebecca K. <<a href="mailto:rkhawkins@ou.edu">rkhawkins@ou.edu</a>> wrote:</p>
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<p class="x_MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt; color:black">Hello all,</span>
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<p class="x_MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt; color:black">Here at the Sam Noble Museum, we have been brainstorming about mammal prep types that would minimize a specimen's footprint in the collection space while maximizing research potential, which
we have dubbed the 'minimum viable specimen' in conversation. Such a concept would be useful for larger mammals like coyotes, which—in large numbers—would take a lot of time and effort to prepare and would be spatially expensive to store as stuffed skins and
skeletons. With minimum viable specimens, large mammals could be collected in larger sample sizes crucial for research like characterizing population variability and change over time.</span></p>
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<p class="x_MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt; color:black">Right now we are thinking that a minimum viable mammal specimen consists of a skull, skin swatch, and tissues (muscle and liver?), but would like to open this discussion to other museums as
it could benefit all. Thanks!</span></p>
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<p class="x_MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt; color:black">Rebecca Hawkins (she/her)</span></p>
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<p class="x_MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt; color:black">Curatorial Associate</span></p>
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<p class="x_MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt; color:black">Sam Noble Museum</span></p>
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<p class="x_MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt; color:black">2401 Chautauqua Ave.</span></p>
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<p class="x_MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt; color:black">Norman, OK 73072</span></p>
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