ABOUT ME

I'm an art historian who believes in the power of objects to influence and even direct our memory. 

In my scholarship, I pay attention to visual culture in part because I think that art and materiality help people to remember--and in some cases, these visuals also tell us what to forget.

I am also the Director of the Army Heritage and Education Center at the US Army War College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania.

I recently joined the leadership team at the US Army War College and I feel so fortunate to be a part of an increasingly important mission, that of educating officers of the US military and those of our allies to think in terms of grand strategy (as opposed to operationally). Think about how art, books, manuscripts, maps, documents, and other primary sources can help these influential leaders think critically! I am so excited to be at the helm of the Army Heritage and Education Center, which not only serves the War College community but also the public. I have always believed that Army history is American history, and now I can bring this message forward to important audiences.

My experience as a museum leader at the Smithsonian has prepared me well. At the Portrait Gallery in Washington D.C., you can learn about American history through biography and portraiture. There, I curated exhibitions on Marlene Dietrich, America's Presidents, Watergate, Will Rogers, women's suffrage in the United States, and the relationship between art and empire. You can find my Instagram feed here about my life as a curator. My Exhibitions page has a more formal accounting, with links to the websites and reviews.

Great Danes and fluffy cats tend to congregate wherever I live. Below is my current canine love, code-name Beastie.

My publications include three books, several book chapters, and a byline in the New York Times and CNN Opinion
Curious? Check out my books here.