Kent Severson is the conservator at Shangri La: a museum for Islamic art, culture & design. Severson, a graduate of the New York University (NYU) Institute of Fine Arts Conservation Center training program, was most recently a conservator in private practice based in Boston and worked primarily for museums and other institutions. He has participated in archaeological projects in Turkey, Greece, Italy and Egypt for more than 20 years including serving as the Senior Field conservator for the NYU Excavations at Aphrodisias, Turkey. Since 2010, he has also been Visiting Instructor in Collections Care and Management for the Iraqi Institute for the Conservation of Antiquities and Heritage in Erbil, Iraq. At Shangri La, Severson is responsible for overseeing the proper care and preservation of Shangri La's collection of Islamic art.