During the past decade, the interdisciplinary nature of the museum has lent itself to assisting faculty across a wide range of disciplines, including (but not limited to) art, biology, botany, economics, environmental studies, film & media studies, geology, history, mathematics, paleontology and world languages.
Read about these opportunities in the expandable menu below.
The Beneski Museum houses the College’s geology, paleontology, mineralogy, osteology and anthropology collections, which can be a vital curricular resource for faculty across many disciplines.
The 200,000 specimens in the collection are rich examples of primary-source materials, some of which are well-documented in the scientific literature of the 19th, 20th and 21st centuries. Most easily accessed are the 1,700 specimens on display, but faculty can also request the use of specimens housed in collections storage. Museum staff can answer questions about the history of collecting at Amherst College and can provide acquisition and usage information about particular specimens. Museum specimens can be made available for use within the museum or can be transported to Amherst College classrooms.