Working across Yale’s collections and around the globe since 2011.
History
The Institute for the Preservation of Cultural Heritage (IPCH) was established in 2011 by a gift from Yale Alumni Lisbet Rausing and Peter Baldwin ’78. The Institute was founded to advance the field of heritage science by improving the science and practice of conservation in a sustainable manner.
IPCH offices and labs were built on Yale West Campus, a new campus facility purchased from Bayer Pharmaceutical in 2007. Located seven miles from downtown New Haven, West Campus was transformed into research spaces that allowed for the growth of Yale’s science and medical programs.
IPCH continues to work collaboratively across Yale’s collections, focusing on conservation science, research, and teaching. It has also expanded its reach beyond Yale, offering international programs that support preservation efforts in the global south and beyond.
In order to further align IPCH with the mission and work of Yale’s collections, it was brought under the purview of Susan Gibbons, Yale’s Vice Provost for Collections & Scholarly Communication and Chief of Staff to the President.
Alison Gilchrest was appointed Director in 2022 and has strengthened its identity to reflect a more intentional approach to cross-collection collaboration.
IPCH is the only university-based research institute in the US that supports the integration of expertise across the arts, sciences, and humanities for the study and preservation of cultural artifacts.
