Ambassador Honors UC Intern in Switzerland

The U.S. Ambassador to Switzerland has presented an Outstanding Achievement Award to a master’s student in UC’s College of Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning.

The award, typically given to foreign service employees, was bestowed upon Catherine Elkin of DAAP, even though she is just an intern in the U.S. Embassy in Switzerland. Ambassador Mercer Reynolds, now retired, presented the award earlier this spring. He is a Cincinnati native and former UC trustee.

Elkin is a master’s student in art history who hopes to finish her degree at the end of 2003. She is just finishing up her second internship involving foreign service. She has completed a museum studies certificate under DAAP’s Anne Timpano, director of Galleries and head of the Museum Studies Program. Through this program, Elkin became involved in the Cincinnati Art Museum and the Art in the Embassies Program. Her first internship in the program took her to the Department of State in Vienna, Austria, where she worked on issues of art restitution and other issues related to the Holocaust.  “I participated along with and saw the first forced labor payments issued to victims and their families. I also assisted in the search for other qualifying victims in the United States.”

The second internship took her to Switzerland, where she has dealt with issues of modern day art theft. She received support from the UC Institute for Global Studies and Affairs for her first internship abroad and for other travel experiences.

Elkin expresses appreciation to Timpano as well as Lloyd Engelbrecht, professor emeritus of art history.