Public History

My work in public history brings together archival research, digital preservation, and historical interpretation. From developing digital exhibitions to documenting oral histories, I've worked on projects that make historical sources accessible to audiences beyond academia. I'm particularly interested in how museums and archives can engage the public with the past while preserving its complexity and remaining faithful to the historical record.

Black-and-white newspaper photographs of religious leaders discussing responses to the AIDS epidemic, including a community meeting and an AIDS symposium. Copy
The tall ship Kalmar Nyckel silhouetted against a golden sunset while sailing on calm water, its masts and rigging outlined against the evening sky. Copy

DIGITAL EXHIBITION

Called to Care

Developed as part of UAH's Research and Creative Experience for Undergraduates program, Called to Care examines faith-based responses to the AIDS epidemic in Alabama during the 1980s and 1990s. I researched, designed, and curated the digital exhibition using archival newspapers, oral history, and primary sources. Built on the Omeka platform, the exhibit makes this often-overlooked aspect of Alabama's history accessible to the public.

Two pages of an early nineteenth-century handwritten document, dated July 1820, with cursive testimony and signatures associated with a Revolutionary War pension application. Copy

CURRENT PROJECT

The Kalmar Nyckel Foundation

I am working as an intern with KNF staff on oral history and exhibition development for the ship's 30th anniversary.

ARCHIVAL TRANSCRIPTION & RESEARCH

National Archives Citizen Archivist

As a volunteer Citizen Archivist with the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), I contributed to the Revolutionary War Pension Files Project by transcribing and reviewing digitized pension records.

ARCHIVES & DIGITAL PRESERVATION

UAH Archives & Special Collections

As a Student Specialist III in UAH's Archives and Special Collections, I worked on digital preservation and oral history projects. I managed the Digital Initiatives Lab and developed a restoration workflow for more than ninety recordings from the NASA/Apollo oral history collection, improving their audio and video quality. I also produced searchable transcripts, indexes, and metadata for the Women in STEM Oral History Project, helping make these collections more accessible to researchers.