I’m grateful to have had the opportunity to work in archives, especially just in my freshman year.
- Name
- Amy
- Class of
- 2026
- Public Health Studies
When Amy Li was selected as a Sheridan Libraries Special Collections First-Year Fellow, question number one was what to conduct her research on. Her mentor, university curator Katie Carey, introduced Li to a 1986 book: Women at the Johns Hopkins University: A History. Written by JHU’s first university archivist, Julia B. Morgan, it was here that Li became formally introduced to the centuries-old coeducation debate.
Over the next few months, Li delved into 19th and 20th century discourse on whether women should be integrated into historically male universities. She learned that Hopkins only reached its conclusion in 1970, the year that women were finally allowed to attend the university as undergraduates.
“It was a huge shift in university history,” says Li.
Li used her findings to create an online library archive focused on coeducation and equality in student life, expanding her research to include women’s health and the experiences of women of color.
“My experience at Hopkins has inspired me to pursue medicine, but also research and advocacy to make sure all voices are heard in different parts of the community.”
