Current NSERC Fellows at CCI
Eric Hagan

Prior to joining the Conservation Research Division of CCI as an NSERC Fellow in 2009, I completed an M.Sc. in Mechanical Engineering (2002) and a Master of Art Conservation (science) (2004) at Queen’s University. I then worked for three years in the Conservation Department at Tate Britain as a Ph.D. fellow, while studying the viscoelastic properties of artists’ acrylic paints at Imperial College London. During my graduate work, I also completed an internship at the Smithsonian Institution (SCMRE) and worked at the Getty Conservation Institute through the Conservation Guest Scholar Program. My primary research interests are the time-dependent mechanical properties of artists’ paint media at finite strain and the influence of environmental conditions. This is specifically useful for implementing finite element models of complex geometries under applied loads, and investigating the risk of fracture as a function of strain rate, temperature, and moisture content.

While at CCI, I am assisting in the development a Web-based risk analysis model for Canadian museums and galleries. The goal is to facilitate a meaningful comparison of many complex risk factors, and highlight the greatest vulnerabilities in a collection over a given period of time. The model will compare agents such as light, temperature, and humidity, as well as probabilistic factors such as fire and flooding. The independent models for each of these agents will be added to the CCI Web site as they are available. I am also involved in a concurrent project to assess the suitability of different lining treatments for paintings through mechanical experiments under controlled temperature and humidity conditions, using naturally aged model specimens. These results will build upon past CCI research on lining materials and treatment methods.