Our First Alumni Profile with Francis Lukezic

Hello Conservation Community at Cardiff University. For those of you I have not had the opportunity to meet, my name is Francis Lukezic and I completed the MSc in Conservation Practice in September 2013. I returned to my home in the United States and am happy to say that I am working as a contract conservator at the Maryland Archaeological Conservation Laboratory. The facility is located in a scenic park along the Patuxent River and conserves objects not only from the state of Maryland but also from museums and heritage institutions throughout the United States.

I am having a terrific experience at the MAC Laboratory as it presents the perfect opportunity to apply all the skills and knowledge I gained while attending Cardiff University to the interesting, and in some cases challenging, projects I get to work on. For all objects, I examine, document, write treatment proposals and reports of all activities, perform research and analysis as needed, carry out conservation treatments, and package or mount objects for transport, storage, or display. Currently, I am working on: an iron cannon from the War of 1812; wood and iron components from three cannon carriages; waterlogged wood posts and planks from an 18th century well site; and smaller objects made of iron, copper alloy, leather, and worked bone. The Laboratory will be bustling with activity for quite some time, as more projects will arrive over the next several months. Happily, I was pleased to learn that my contract will be renewed again.

If you are interested to learn more about the MAC Laboratory, please visit the website or the page on Facebook. Best wishes to all!