Crisis Averted

From left to right: Dr. Matthew Leslie, Dr. Karin Burghardt, Bethany Bentley, Dr. Jeremy Feinberg, and Dr. Dara Satterfield

On Monday March 13, 2017, the 2016 James Smithson Fellows went to the National Museum of the American Indian (NMAI) for a Brown Bag Talk with Bethany Bentley. Afterwards, these Fellows were given a private tour of the museum.

Bethany Bentley is the Assistant Director of Marketing and Communications at NMAI, and was the Head of Communications and Public Affairs at the National Portrait Gallery (NPG) from 2015 to 2016. She is a strategic communications, marketing and public relations professional with experience in branding and audience building.

Bethany’s talk, Crisis Communication, dealt with her specialty: what to do when there is an unexpected and volatile public reaction to your published work. Bethany and the fellows engaged in a lively discussion on how to present your research to your intended audiences and how to handle crisis communication.

A teaching tool used for educational purposes at NMAI

The tour that followed Bethany’s talk spanned several floors, starting from the Potomac Atrium. Ending on an upper floor, the tour guide was highly informative and happy to answer all questions and discuss the displays.

Thank you to everyone who made this day possible!