My Story

However, my experience at Canisius inspired me to do a year of service after graduation, and I put grad school on hold. I joined the AmeriCorps where I worked as a middle school social studies teacher in a Buffalo public school. The experience profoundly changed my trajectory. I came to realize just how under-resourced most social studies classrooms were and how students were becoming frustrated by the subject. There had to be a better way.

“Oxford She Says”

Still determined to become an academic, I finished my year of service and began my graduate studies at the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. It was an incredible opportunity to work with some of the leading minds in historical research and I had access to some of the rarest archives. I threw myself into researching the intellectual origins of the Act of Supremacy of 1534. AKA: Henry VIII’s divorce and the formation of the Church of England.

While I loved it, I kept thinking about my students and all the ways these amazing resources could benefit them. Then, in the midst of trying to prove that one monastery in Lincolnshire had contracted the sweating sickness in 1528 to prove the authenticity of a book list, I realized something profound: it didn’t matter. While maybe ten or fifteen academics would consider this discovery revolutionary, at the end of the day, most people would still think Anne Boleyn was the only reason for Henry’s divorce. What was the point?

Change of Plans

Unsure how to proceed, by some miracle, the answer fell into my lap. Seeing a job posting for a museum educator, I realized that maybe there was a way to bridge the gap between academia and social studies education. Since then, I’ve made it my goal to make museum resources more accessible and available for social studies education.

I have also learned that history education extends beyond the classroom. There are so many people who grew up in a system that made them hate history. Yet, when historical information is presented to them in fun and creative ways, they love it. Making entertaining, engaging, and educational digital content allows people of all ages to learn history AND enjoy the process. Plus, it allows me to combine my research training and incredibly dry sense of humor and channel it into something productive!

I also worked at The Buffalo History Museum and Forest Lawn Heritage Foundation on the interpretive side. Most recently, I was the Executive Director of the Italian Cultural Center.

Presently, I am the Executive Director of the Niagara Aerospace Museum and I am an active member of the Erie Canal Bicentennial, the Erie County Historical Commission, and the Niagara County 250th Commission. I am on the boards of the New York Public History Trust, Buffalo Niagara Heritage Village, and the Niagara Frontier Council for the Social Studies.

City of Buffalo Historian

In March of 2024, I had the honor of being named the first woman to serve as the City of Buffalo Historian. New York State is unique in that it requires all municipalities, counties, and boroughs to have a government appointed historian. This little known law has made history more accessible to the public for decades. Today, there are more than 1,600 government appointed historians serving communities across the state.

The office of the City of Buffalo Historian was vacant for much of our recent past. However, in recognition of the many major historical milestones on the horizon and the importance of local history, Mayor Byron Brown reactivated the position. The Historian is tasked with ensuring Buffalo takes its right and prominent place in the upcoming state and national historical commemorations: Erie Canal 200 in 2025, American 250 in 2026, and Freedom 2027.