Becky Frank '19 is a junior in the College of Arts & Sciences. She is a major in the Department of History with a minor in Jewish Studies.
What accomplishments/activities are you most proud of while at Cornell?
I got to participate in Cornell in Washington this past summer, and while there interned in the photo archives at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. I organized and researched new photo collections, attended weekly educational seminars, participated in conferences with professors, and more.
What, if any, research projects did you participate in at Cornell?
Recent research projects at Cornell include "Holocaust Denial: An Overview and the Deborah Lipstadt vs. David Irving Case" and "Liberation Concentration Camps: Memorializing Atrocity through Photography." I am currently working on a research project on The Höcker Album which are 116 photographs taken by Nazis of Nazis "having fun" while simultaneously commanding Auschwitz.
Who or what influenced your Cornell education the most? How or Why?
History Professor Isabel Hull influenced my Cornell education the most: she taught me how to read and write at a level I did not know I was capable of.
What drew you to Jewish Studies at Cornell?
I am a History major concentrated on the Holocaust, and the Jewish Studies department offers a number of courses related to the Holocaust. I am specifically interested in Holocaust denial, Holocaust photography and memorialization.
How has Jewish Studies shaped your experience at Cornell, your plans for the future, or the development of your intellectual interests?
Minoring in Jewish Studies has allowed me to take a number of courses that I loved. I plan to enter the Ph.D. track and become a professor of Holocaust History. Next semester, I will be in Haifa studying with the Weiss-Livnat International MA Program in Holocaust Studies, but be back to take more Jewish Studies courses my senior year.
If you were to offer advice to an incoming first year student, what would you say?
Study what you love: it makes spending time in the library genuinely fun.
