Welcome to my little piece of cyberspace. I am a historian and educator who engages in cultural history storytelling through a variety of media formats.
I am a lecturer in the Liberal Arts department of the Kansas City Art Institute (KCAI) where I teach American history, critical studies, and film and history. I also run a media production company, Clio’s Scroll Productions, that creates historically focused documentary films, podcasts, and websites. My interests revolve broadly around 20th-century American history, mass culture, film, and public art.
My main area of academic expertise is the Great Depression era in American history, and specifically New Deal arts programs. I produced the award-winning documentary film “A Deal New for Public Art in the Free State,” and am currently creating an archive of New Deal federally-funded art projects in Kansas in the 1930s and early 1940s. I also consult with museums, libraries, schools, and other institutions about New Deal and regional art in their collections.
Additionally, I am a public historian who creates media connected to multiple eras and topics in American history. I write, produce, and host historically-focused podcasts, including “Pandemic on the Prairie” about the 1918-1920 influenza pandemic, and “Kansas 1972,” a multiple award-winning Humanities Kansas podcast about Kansas history in 1972. I also create and design websites that showcase museum collections and digital exhibits.
I give public talks and lectures on a variety of topics, including New Deal Art, the 1918 Influenza pandemic, documentary photography, the ERA, and a podcasting for small institutions workshops. You can hire me through the Humanities Kansas Speakers Bureau.
You can also catch me presenting the classic film series “Once Upon A Time in Hollywoodland” and “Pre-Code Hollywood” at the Stray Cat Film Center in the Crossroads district of Kansas City.
I have Master’s degrees from The London School of Economics and George Washington University and was ABD in the Cultural Studies Ph.D. program at George Mason University. I completed my undergraduate at the University of Kansas.
I am a perpetual student, passionate teacher, film nerd, travel enthusiast, history junkie, art lover, and mother of two humans & three dogs.
You can view my CV here.