Department History
The Art Conservation Department at Buffalo State University opened in 1970 as the Cooperstown Graduate Program in the Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works, affiliated with the State University of New York College at Oneonta and with the New York State Historical Association in Cooperstown.
Since its founding, the department has offered a master of arts degree and certificate of advanced study in art conservation following a three-year program of study. In 1983, the program administratively transferred to Buffalo State College (changed to Buffalo State University in 2023) and relocated to the campus in 1987. In fall of 2022, the department started awarding a dual MA/MS degree to all of its graduates. The department today occupies a superb modern facility in Rockwell Hall, specifically designed to support conservation teaching and research.
Faculty History
Director
1970-1981 Caroline K. & Sheldon Keck
1981 - 1983 Paul V. Koehn (interim)
1983 - 2004 F. Christopher Tahk
2004 - 2009 Elizabeth Pena
2009 - 2010 James Hamm, Emeriti
2010 - present, Patrick Ravines
Andrew W. Mellon
Professor of Conservation Science
2005 - 2009 Gregory Smith
2010 - 2013 Corrine Rogge
2013 - 2023 Aaron Shugar
Conservation Science
1970 - 1973 Donald Sebera
1973 - 1974 Jon Eklund
1974 - 2004 F. Christopher Tahk
1980 - 1981 Stephen Bonadies
1984 - 1985 James Argo
1986 - 1993 John Messinger
1993 - 1994 Karen Trentleman
1994 – 1998 Judith Bischoff
1998 - 2001 Jennifer Mass
2001 - 2005 Anikó Bezur
2006 - 2013 Aaron Shugar
2014 - present, Rebecca Ploeger
Paintings Conservation
1970 - 1981 Sheldon Keck
1970 - 1981 Caroline Keck
1981 - 1984 Gregory Thomas
1978 - 1993 Dan Kushel
1986 - 2017 James Hamm
2017 – present, Fiona Beckett
Paper Conservation
1971 - 1974 Marilyn K. Weidner
1974 - 1975 Katherine Eirk
1975 - 1976 José Orraca
1976 - 1977 Keiko Keyes
1978 - 1993 Cathleen Baker
1994 - 2005 Irene Brückle
2005 - 2016 Judith Walsh, Emeriti
2016 - present, Theresa Smith
Objects Conservation
1971 - 1972 Hanna Jedrzejewska
1972 - 1979 Rostislav Hlopoff
1979 - 1980 Victor von Reventlow
1980 - 2019 Jonathan Thornton, Emeriti
2020 - present, Emily Hamilton
Examination and Documentation
1970 - 1978 Sheldon Keck
1978 - 2012 Dan Kushel, Emeriti
2012 – present, Jiuan Jiuan Chen
Program Manager
2002 – present Meredeth Lavelle
Secretarial Staff
1970 - 1984 Irma Cizek
1974 - 1987 Anna “Nonnie” Bliss
1987 - 1994 Verla Alexander
1994 - 1995 Tammy Sabo
1995 - 2010 Diana McNerney
2010 - 2017 Kim Fox
2013 - 2017 Lucy Weber
2017 – present, Anne Hoehn