Kentucky Museum

I hold a Master's in Public History from Appalachian State University, with specialization in museum administration and exhibitions. I am also certified in protecting human research participants, the National Incident Management and Command System (ICS), and as a Big Historian.

Joining the Kentucky Museum in 2018, I bring over a decade of experience in interpreting history and developing programs, exhibitions, and development plans for museums. I previously worked with Museum Hack, the Blowing Rock Art & History Museum, Hickory Ridge Homestead, Theodore Roosevelt Center, Gulf Coast Archaeology Research Institute, Girl Museum, and as a teaching and research assistant. As of 2022, I have led over 25 exhibitions, three podcast series, and various collaborative projects.

• Material culture
• Girls' and women's history
• Identity and museum practice

My work has been featured in a variety of publications, including the Journal of Curatorial Studies, Tuckasegee Valley Historical Review, American Alliance of Museum's and ExhibiTricks blogs, and Feminism and Museums. To date, I have published two books: Exploring American Girlhood in 50 Historic Treasures (Rowman & Littlefield, 2021) and A Girl Can Do: Recognizing and Representing Girlhood (Vernon Press, 2022).

My research interests include children's and women's lives during the late Medieval and Early Modern eras of the Atlantic world and object-based storytelling to foster greater inclusion and social justice in historical narratives.

Learn more about my research in this article by Debra Murray for the WKU Herald.