Kierstin Miller has received a “Faces of the Class of 2010” recognition.

Biochemistry and Art History student combines two different majors for conservation

Kierstin Miller, who is graduating with double major in Art History and Biochemistry — both with honors — has been an outstanding student, according to her professors. While studying biochemistry with the plan of going to medical school, she originally was only doing art history as a passion. But now she plans to combine the two areas of art history and science and pursue conservation studies at the graduate level. In her tenure at Colorado State, Miller has written undergraduate theses for both majors: “Using siRNA to Combat Influenza A” and “Conquest, Clash, and Convergence: Picturing Catholicism through Feather Mosaics and Pasta de Caña de Maíz Sculpture in Early Colonial Mexico.” Her desire to be a scientist, a doctor or a researcher led Miller to select Biochemistry while her longtime love of art led her to select Art History as a purely second major. However, in meeting with her Art History professor, Catherine DiCesare, Miller was introduced to the world of Pre-Columbian and Spanish Colonial art. Realizing that this was her true passion, she decided that her future was in the art world, which later led her to the field of art conservation. As a conservator, Miller can maintain her love for both art and science within a single career. She has held internship positions with National Jewish Health, Xcel Energy and the Denver Art Museum. Following graduation, she intends to go to graduate school for art conservation and focus specifically on ethnographic objects and research conservation.