Visit our blogs to learn more about our work with LESLEY.
Seth C. Bruggeman (email|blog) is an Associate Professor of History and periodically directs the Center for Public History. He received his B.A. from Penn State University and his Ph.D. in American Studies from the College of William & Mary. He teaches courses on American cultural history, material culture, memory, and public history. His books include Commemoration: The American Association for State and Local History Guide (2017), Born in the USA: Birth, Commemoration, and American Public Memory (2012), and Here, George Washington Was Born: Memory, Material Culture, and the Public History of a National Monument (2008).
Craig Bruns, Independence Seaport Museum Chief Curator, has created numerous exhibits since 2005, including Disasters on the Delaware; Skin & Bones- Tattoos in the Life of the American Sailor; It Sprang From the River- Everyday Objects with Maritime Secrets; and Drawn to the River – Artists of the Pennsylvania Academy Capture our Regions Waterways. He recently worked with Dr. Tukufu Zuberi, host of the PBS series History Detectives, on the exhibit, Tides of Freedom – African Presence on the Delaware River. Bruns has a BFA from the Kansas City Art Institute and an MFA from Temple University’s Tyler School Art.
Ying Chen (blog) received a B.A. in Chinese Literature at Xiamen University after writing a thesis on the Relationship between Ci and Paintings in the Ci in Paintings of the Southern Song Dynasty Elegant Ci Composers. She has worked in China as a commissioning editor in the publishing industry, and as a volunteer guide at the Fujian Province History Museum and the LivCom Awards by UNDP.
Derek Duquette (blog). I received a dual degree in History and German from West Chester University in 2016. My thesis looked at religion’s differentiating role in the early 20th Century American and British versus German eugenics movements. I interned with the Pennhurst Memorial and Preservation Alliance and the Elwyn School, creating and adding to their archives and finding aids respectively, and writing grant proposals for the latter’s future endeavors. My professional interests include archival preservation, American history of disability, and more broadly American history of oppression. Internship: National Park Service: Northeast Regional Office
Derek Engle (blog). I studied at James Madison University, where I completed my BA in History. I am primarily interested in the French and Indian War, the art and science of fortification, and material culture. I also like classical Greece and Greek warfare. I interned at the America on Wheels Museum in Allentown and at the Lisanby Museum at JMU, where I researched and classified unknown objects in the collection. Internship: Valley Forge National Historical Park
Cynthia Heider (blog). I received my B.A. in History from Goucher College. My work and internship experiences at the Maryland State Archives, Towson University Special Collections and Archives, and Preservation Maryland have centered on increasing the accessibility of primary source materials. I enjoy working with the public and volunteer as a visitor services assistant at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History. My areas of interest include urban history as well as digital initiatives in history and the humanities. Internship: American Philosphical Society‘s Martin L. Levitt Fellow
Charlie Hersh (blog). I received my BA in Religion from Temple in 2015, where I also earned a Certificate in Spanish. I currently work in the Education Department at the National Museum of American Jewish History, where I coordinate a school program about Eastern European immigration to the US at the turn of the 20th century. I love finding different ways to connect students with history, especially through non-dominant narratives and object-based learning. Internship: African American Museum in Philadelphia; Currently working at the National Museum of American Jewish History
Joseph T. Humnicky (blog)
Ted Maust (blog). I earned a B.A. in History and English at Goshen College (Ind.), writing my thesis on John F. Funk, a Mennonite entrepreneur and newspaperman in Civil War-era Chicago. I’ve interned as a Wikipedian, worked on a digital library with a professor, and worked for 4 years at the Wisconsin Historical Society Press, working in a variety of roles including textbook editor. My academic interests (in addition to Public History) are Mennonite/Anabaptist History, East African History, and cultural criticism. Internship: Philadelphia Society for the Preservation of Landmarks; Currently working at Eastern State Penitentiary
Daniel R. Pace (blog)
Adrianna M. Rosamilia (blog)
John E. Smith (blog). In May 2016 I graduated from West Chester University where I earned my B.A. in Political Science and History. During my time at West Chester, I worked on the award-winning Goin’ North project and frequently wrote for ExplorePaHistory. I also interned at Brandywine Battlefield Park in Chadds Ford, Pa and Valley Forge National Historical Park. My research interests include 19th century U.S. political history, social movements, digital history, and memory. Internship: Art at the Airport, City of Philadelphia; Currently working at Temple Library’s Special Collections Research Center
Gary Scales, Digital Specialist (WEB), is a Ph.D. student in the Department of History. His research focuses on the cultural history and built environment of the twentieth-century United States. As the inaugural Department of History Graduate Fellow in Digital History in 2016, his worked utilized GIS, digital modelling, text-mining, web development, and Python programming. He has served as a Research Assistant for digital projects at the University of New Mexico in 2015, and the DSC at Temple University in 2016 and 2017. He manages and develops the Department of History Wiki, and teaches undergraduate courses on American history and the history of global sport using a variety of digital tools.