Summer interns assist with Catt Center projects
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Two undergraduate students have been spending part of their summer as interns at the Carrie Chapman Catt Center for Women and Politics, working on projects for the Archives of Political Communication and the launch of a new Professional Excellence workshop series for faculty and staff.
Winnie Dau, a senior in political science with a minor in international studies, has been researching and collecting speeches for the Archives of Women’s Political Communication, focusing her research on activists. Since beginning her internship on June 2, she has added profiles and speeches for three women who are new to the Archives – Claudia Jones, Maria Pearson, and Haunani-Kay Trask – as well as additional speeches for several women who were already included in the Archives.
“One of my favorite projects has involved transcribing speeches by Haunani-Kay Trask and Angela Davis,” Dau said. “Both women are powerful speakers, and throughout their speeches, I was struck by how they engaged with their audiences, not just delivering a message, but responding to the crowd and speaking with them. Their videos all felt alive, as if Trask and Davis and the crowds with them were breathing as one; it was incredible.”
She added, “Last week, I had the opportunity to visit the Ames History Museum, beginning the process of adding Maria Pearson – an Iowan, Ames resident, and Indigenous activist – to the archive. The Catt Center has been a great space for me to learn, connect, and contribute.”
Elyse Shaw, a rising junior in political science and English at Central College in Pella, Iowa, is a member of the 2025 cohort of I‑RAISE (Iowa Research Administration Internship Student Experience) interns. I‑RAISE is a cross-institutional project supported by the National Science Foundation GRANTED program to train undergraduate and graduate students on research administration.
After receiving a two-week introduction to research administration and development from I‑RAISE staff, Shaw began her internship at the Catt Center on June 6. She has been assisting Carrie Ann Johnson, associate director of outreach and communication, with preparations for the launch of the Professional Excellence workshop series this fall.
Shaw says that her favorite activity so far has been creating case studies for the workshops. “One case study I have written is about a cross-unit grant initiative that has stalled due to miscommunication and differing priorities. Writing these case studies has allowed me to build upon the skills that I learned in the I‑RAISE bootcamp earlier this summer,” she said. “Everyone at the Catt Center has been so supportive and welcoming. Hopefully I will have the opportunity to return next year!”
“Working with Elyse and Winnie has been a joy!” Johnson said. “Winnie has added engaging ideas and material to our Archives, and she asks interesting questions about the world and everyone in the office. Elyse has showed confidence in her internship as a grants administrator and has been willing to learn and engage with new ideas as we move through the summer. Having their personalities in the office has made summer work a lot more fun, and I am honored for this chance to work with them.”