Services
Consulting
At critical junctures of organizational planning, an outside opinion can provide vital input and feedback. I am available to consult on exhibits, programming, interpretive planning, collecting initiatives, and strategic planning.
Interpretive Planning
Too many stories have been left untold. The task of sharing previously overlooked stories is among the most pressing issues currently facing museums. I am available to individually consult on interpretive initiatives, take part in larger interpretive planning efforts, or organize and facilitate group interpretive charrettes.
Here are examples of interpretive consulting I have been involved in
"Not Your Average Eighteenth-Century Gentleman" Interpretive Charrette, The Woodlands, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
The Woodlands National Historic Landmark in Philadelphia is the former home of the eighteenth-century gentleman William Hamilton. As part of a larger effort to update their interpretation, the historic site hired me to organize, participate in, and facilitate an interpretive planning event with innovative museum professionals who could bring new ideas to a familiar story.
Women's Suffrage Centennial National Traveling Exhibit, National Women's History Museum
In advance of the 2020 centennial of women’s suffrage, the National Women’s History Museum engaged me as part of a larger team to explore the possibilities of creating a national traveling exhibit aimed specifically at young women. As part of our work, the team created an outline of historical content the exhibit would cover.
Inclusivity
The best public history efforts incorporate a range of perspectives. As an expert in women’s history and LGBTQ history, as well as a member of both communities, I am at the ready to join teams striving to create products that are sensitive to a a variety of historical viewpoints.
Here are examples of some of the inclusivity efforts I have been involved in
Making History at 250: A Field Guide for the Sesquicentennial
The American Association of State and Local History recently released a field guide for museums and historical organizations preparing to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the nation’s founding in 2026. I served as part of the advisory panel for this project, exploring the salient themes for the sesquicentennial from a range of community perspectives.
Indiana Historical Society, LGBTQ Collecting Initative
As Indiana Historical Society prepared to begin an initiative to increase the amount of LGBTQ history represented in their collection, they engaged my services to meeting with senior staff and discuss strategies of building trust within LGBTQ communities.
Historiographical Consulting
Tackling the scholarship on a new topic can be an onerous undertaking, but there are ways to reduce the workload. Allow me to apply my expertise in LGBTQ history; history of gender and sexuality; and twentieth-century U.S. history to your organization’s particular needs. I offer syntheses of the latest scholarship on a particular topic; annotated bibliographies tailored to your specific needs; and/or reviews of existing literature to determine where to best focus new research.
The Philly Queer Spaces Project
The Philly Queer Spaces Project uses arts and culture to engage with the diverse histories of queer and queered spaces within the city of Philadelphia. I serve the project in an advisory capacity, ensuring that their work is informed by the latest scholarship on queer history.
Representing Women's History with a National Museum
In the 2010s, Congress established a national commission to explore the possibility of creating a national museum devoted to the history of women in the United States. The commission organized a symposium to get input from scholars on what such a museum would involve. I was honored to be one of the scholars invited to participate in this event. The commission’s ultimate recommendations led to the Smithsonian Institution’s women’s history initiative Because of Her Story.