How are you?
I am so great. It is late August and the summer heat has abated, meaning I’m on my porch with my younger shih tzu Phil Collins (it’s still too hot for his older brother George Michael) and we’re working, listening to the birds, and savoring the transition to fall.
Please introduce yourself. What should the world know about Kylie Seltzer?
Hi! I’m Kylie! I’m a problem solver, researcher, creator, and imaginer, and I’m happiest when using my skills to help others thrive and to move the needle on system inequities. My approach to work (and life!) blends strategy and analysis with a keen attention to human emotions and what it means to actually live as a person in our world. I’m never bored, and often tangled up in some big, ambitious project where I have almost certainly underestimated the time it will take to complete it… yet remaining optimistic that the outcome will be worth it! Finally, I find immense joy and delight in the simple pleasures and small gifts of this world. To quote Ronald Dahl, “above all, watch with glittering eyes the whole world around you because the greatest secrets are hidden in the most unlikely places. Those who don’t believe in magic will never find it.”
Can you briefly tell us about your area of research in the humanities, and what drew you to this field?
I’m an art and architectural historian and I research how, in late 19th-century Paris, architecture became a tool for visualizing ideas about white supremacy to scientific and popular audiences alike. This happened in the context of so-called “human displays”, where non-European groups lived in public exhibition spaces for a series of weeks or months. Although the anthropologists, government administrators, and architects that planned the displays intended to portray these groups as “savage,” the groups often dressed in European clothes, spoke some French, and spent a lot of their time on display reading the newspaper and smoking cigarettes; far less different from the French viewers than the exhibit planners would have liked! Thus architecture became a legible, surrogate body that could communicate the group’s place of origin as well as their physical, intellectual, and cultural sophistication. As I progress through my research, I continuously return to questions about how people are instructed to interact with the world around them (through things like guidebooks, wall labels, teaching, societal norms, etc.) and the values that are embedded therein. I became an art and architectural historian because I am fascinated by the ways that objects communicate visually, and how they help us to better understand individuals as well as other times and places. In middle school, I saw this academic French painting at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts and was ENRAPTURED, completely captivated by the narrative, the technical qualities, and the emotional response from the story that was being told. It truly changed the trajectory of my life.
Postdoctoral training can look very different depending on the field. From your perspective, what are some unique aspects of being a postdoc in the humanities?
This isn’t a “hot take,” but researching in the humanities has a completely different cadence and flow than doing experiments in a lab. Personally, I take the role of *intuition* in humanities research very seriously; sometimes you’ll come across a reference, then come across it again and again, until finally you’re like “what is this thing?!?” (ask me about the French scientific missions and I’ll tell you more). But it’s largely up to the scholar to decide when “enough is enough.” You could research endlessly, especially with the digitization of previously unavailable information, and you have to say “I’ve hit critical mass” or “this is the boundary of what I’m trying to do here.” There’s also a real challenge in the humanities to tell the “so what” of your research. Yes, there are folks in the sciences who are challenged to make their research comprehensible and jargon-free, but in the humanities the challenge is “why should anyone in 2025 North Carolina care about 19th-century Paris?” Humanists explore both new, compelling ways to do their research (check out the digital humanities, where we use computing to explore humanities questions) AND how to make the esoteric more legible, how to make the past relevant to the present.
You also serve as vice chair for the National Postdoc Association’s Advocacy Committee. What motivated you to take on that role, and what have you learned through your work with the NPA?
I sure do! In 2024, I had the opportunity to attend National Humanities Advocacy Day in DC, and it turned out to be an enlightening and energizing experience. I watched as brilliant, prolific academics struggled to share why the work they do is important and how it impacts people outside of higher ed. So when the role of Vice Chair of the Advocacy Committee became vacant, I was eager to help lead the development of best practices for articulating how academics, and postdocs specifically, contribute to the world in meaningful ways. As I continue in this role, I’m hoping to refine my ability to understand and navigate policy at both the institutional and governmental levels. One of the biggest takeaways is that there are so many existing resources for postdocs and postdoc offices. The National Postdoc Association has a guide, the Recommended Postdoctoral Policies and Practices, that sets the standard for things like compensation, benefits, etc. Meaning: if you’re a postdoc and you’re looking to either see how your experience measures against the standard, or if you’d like language to articulate how you’d like things to be different at your institution, check it out!
You also recently began an internship with the Office of Postdoctoral Affairs. I know you just started, but what are you hoping to get from this experience?
Yes! And I’m so glad to be here! As the Postdoc in Residence, I’ll be helping to create a “postdoc roadmap” that outlines how a Carolina postdoc can get the most out of their time at UNC. I’m also excited to support the OPA staff in creating engaging programs that help postdocs tap into their soft skills and leadership styles. The humanities are excellent at preparing folks to engage in challenging discussions, ask meaningful questions, and express themselves in different media, and I’m excited to share this information with postdocs and graduate students in different disciplines. In essence: I want to help postdocs show up as their most confident, capable selves.
Do you have any advice for new postdocs, or things that you wish you had known when you first started?
First, if you’re encountering an issue or challenge, you’re not alone and you’re likely not the first. Being a postdoc is strange because you’re not a graduate student, faculty member, or staff member, so you end up in this liminal space as both a trainee and an expert. Whatever that challenge may be, there are resources to help you get through it locally (OPA offers many different trainings, programs, etc.) and nationally (through entities like the National Postdoc Association). Second, and this relates to the above, just say yes. You may not feel ready, but give it a shot; you’re here to learn and grow, and you can’t do that if you stick with what you already know and what you’re already good at. Oh, and actually do an IDP.
The Triangle is a vibrant and dynamic region. What are some local experiences, places, or activities you’d recommend to fellow postdocs while they’re living here?
I’m training for my second marathon in October (peep my “fun picture” for proof that I’m the happiest marathoner), so I spend A LOT of time on the Tobacco Trail. It starts in downtown Durham and although many segments go through urban areas, there is enough tree coverage to *feel* like you’re deep in the woods. As you get closer to Chatham and Wake Counties, you actually do end up in heavily forested areas, and I’ve spotted many hawks, turtles, and snakes on the path. I also have to shout out my favorite bakeries (I love treats): Guglhupf and La Farm. No matter how long your postdoc is, you absolutely MUST go to Guglhupf for a schneke and to La Farm for a white chocolate mini baguette. Finally, if you haven’t been to Flyleaf Books, it’s right off campus and they have an excellent selection of new and used books. Be warned: you won’t leave empty handed!
Can you share a book, movie, or podcast that has had a meaningful impact on you?
I LOVED “4000 Weeks Time Management for Mortals” and I’m currently in week 2 of “Meditations for Mortals” (both by Oliver Burkeman). Essentially, Burkeman breaks down that our challenge to do everything isn’t a time management problem, but a function of being a finite human with limited time. It’s simply impossible to do everything that matters, so you have to be choosy about how you spend your time, and commit to the things that really matter to you and light you up.
Where do you hope to see yourself in the next 5 years?
It’s less of a “where” than a “what.” I’ve learned some lessons in my personal and professional life that have been HARD WON, and I intend to share those lessons with the people around me to (hopefully) make their lives a little easier, or at least a little less lonely. My goal is to find a position that still allows me to research, to grow and to try new things; and to empower my mentees and colleagues to be the best versions of themselves.