Victoria Jones and a New Era for FGCU

VICTORIA JONES AND THE NEW ERA OF FGCU

Victoria Jones is the newest member of the University Archives and Special Collections team. A native Floridian, Jones grew up in Ocala, earned her undergraduate degree at Nova Southeastern University and a master’s degree in history from the University of North Florida.

Originally intending to go to law school, Jones was surprised when the history bug bit her so hard. She completed an archival internship in Dublin, Ireland, working on a project called “Tweet the Rising,” which used Twitter to bring the story of Dublin’s 1916 Easter Rising into the present and provided a new lens through which to view it. Working on this project motivated Jones to switch career paths and solidified her desire to work in archives.

After several internships, including ones at Jacksonville’s Museum of Science and History and Southwest Airlines, she earned her Master’s of Library and Information Science with a certificate in archives and special collections at the University of Southern Mississippi. Her first position as an archivist was at the Mississippi University for Women.

Jones began her story with FGCU on Feb. 28. “I am excited to be doing the work that I love in my home state,” she says. She looks forward to being at the front end of history for our university, setting the groundwork for hundreds of years to come.

“Although FGCU is a young school, it already has such a unique history and culture,” she says. “I can’t wait to work with faculty, staff and students to continue to build and share the university’s memories.”

When asked what Jones’ most remarkable quality was, Director of Academic & Community Engagement Melissa Minds VandeBurgt simply answered, “joy.” VandeBurgt, who hired Jones, was impressed not only with her qualifications, but also with her willingness to jump right in and get into the thick of things. “Her attitude and personality were just as impressive as her CV,” she says. “She fits our department’s sense of community, teamwork and fun, in addition to being exceptional on paper.”

Jones has a big job ahead of her, capturing the intellectual and cultural history of FGCU. She’s already started. “You can be a part of history,” she says, her eyes shining with excitement.

Her first exhibition, detailing student life at FGCU for the past 25 years, debuts this fall.