I teach a wide spectrum of undergraduate and graduate courses in the history of women and gender, American history, race and ethnicity, the history of sexuality, archives and historical methodology, memory studies, and cross-cultural imperialism. Courses I’ve developed include American Women and Transnational Activism, Cold War Culture, Expansion and Empire in U.S. History, The Jazz Age, and Race in 19th Century America.

Every course I teach incorporates some sort of research-based assignment, and an archival experience if at all possible. For instance, my U.S. survey students visit collections in person at the Massachusetts Historical Society. Each of them also writes a research paper analyzing a film as a primary source; for this assignment they learn to use newspaper databases to find reviews and articles that illuminate the film’s context and contemporary responses. Other classes research, write, and edit Wikipedia articles — thereby learning about citation and evaluation of sources as well as how to translate scholarly writing for more general audiences. My History of Sexuality students go on a “footnote hunt.” My 20th century women’s history students investigate their own college’s history through collections in the university archives. I make each assignment distinct, creative, and engaging at the same time that it develops real, transferable skills.