PHC: Commonwealth Speakers: Speakers' Bios

Commonwealth Speakers: Speakers' Bios

Bob Allen • The Souls of Black Baseball: Barnstorming the Keystone State Dr. Robert van Roden Allen has worked as an instructor at Pennsylvania State University. Currently, he is at work on several multi-media oral history projects, including a project on Negro League Baseball. Allen received a BA in American Studies from Bucknell University. He studied languages and philosophy at the IFK-University of Salzburg, Austria and the Universite de Nice, France. Allen earned his MA and PhD from Penn State with a specialization in Modern Political Theory and the History of Modern Philosophy.
Amiram Amitai • The Arab-Israeli Conflict in American Films Amiram Amitai has been working as an independent filmmaker since 1968. Distributed in schools and libraries and aired on TV stations, Amitai's work has earned over 30 national and international awards. Amitai has lectured on film-related topics since 1982. Currently, he teaches at Temple University and Bryn Mawr College. Amitai also serves on the Greater Philadelphia Israeli Film Festival committee. He earned his BA from the Hebrew University in Jerusalem and did his graduate studies in Motion Pictures at UCLA.
Nilgun Anadolu-Okur • Heroes, Spies and Villains on the Underground Railroad • Stories of Famous Escapes from Pennsylvania's Underground Railroad A recipient of two international Fulbright Awards, Nilgun Anadolu-Okur is a Professor at Temple University. She teaches courses on African American history, women's history, racism, American history and African American literature/drama. She is the founder of an annual conference on the Underground Railroad at Temple University. Currently, she is working on a book about abolitionists.
Carlyn Aquiline • Art Imitating Life • From Page to Stage As the Literary Manager and Dramaturg at City Theatre, Carlyn Aquiline is responsible for new play commissioning and development, season planning and production dramaturgy. She is experienced in many other aspects of the theatre including directing, acting, stage management and box office. She believes this broad understanding of the entire theatrical process contributes significantly to her identity as an artist. She has taught at Yale, Ohio and Syracuse Universities. Currently, Aquiline teaches at Carnegie Mellon University.
Kelly Armor • All Stories Are True and Some Have Actually Happened • Folk Music Is Family Music Kelly Armor is the Folk Art Coordinator and Education Director at the Erie Art Museum where she initiated the Old Songs New Opportunities project which collects traditional children's songs from refugee women and trains them to present their songs at daycares, schools and community centers. Armor also is an award-winning storyteller, singer and instrumentalist. She specializes in American and East African traditional music. For the past 14 years, Armor has performed and presented workshops across the country.
Daniel Barr • The Delaware Indian Ordeal During the French and Indian War • A World on Fire: George Washington's Military Career in Pennsylvania Daniel Barr is an Assistant Professor of History at Robert Morris University, where he specializes in Native American history, colonial and revolutionary America, Pennsylvania history and early Pittsburgh history. He has just completed a book about the founding of Pittsburgh, which will be released in late 2008.
Marshall Becker • The Indians of Pennsylvania • The Story of Wampum Dr. Marshall Becker has spent 40 years researching the Lenape of southeastern Pennsylvania, their native and colonial neighbors, and how they all used wampum. His many publications in scholarly and popular journals document the success of the Lenape in preserving their lifestyle. In addition to publishing studies of wampum, Becker has lectured to many groups. And, a number of granting agencies have supported Becker's work, including the National Science Foundation and the National Geographic Society.
Joseph Becton • The Black Soldier in the Civil War Joe Becton is a member of the Association for the Study of African American History and Life and of the Historical Society of Pennsylvania. He has published a number of articles on the War of 1812 and on Africans in the American Revolution. Joe Becton is the co-founder of the 3rd Regiment United States Colored Troops Civil War re-enactors and Vice President of the United States Colored Troops Monument Committee of Philadelphia.
James Beidler • Finding Ancestral Devils in the Details • Germany to Pennsylvania: 18th Century Odyssey James Beidler writes Roots & Branches, a syndicated Pennsylvania newspaper column. He also is a columnist for several magazines and has contributed to a variety of scholarly journals and popular-interest magazines. Beidler is a Vice President for the Federation of Genealogical Societies and President of the Pennsylvania Chapter, Palatines to America. He also sits on Pennsylvania's State Historic Records Advisory Board and is national co-chair for the upcoming 2008 Federation of Genealogical Societies.
Mensura Berberovic • Sevdalinka: A Musical Tour of Bosnia Mensura Berberovic was born in Bosnia. Her mother and grandmother taught her countless songs, many of which were not sanctioned by the Communist authorities. She has continued the family tradition, singing incessantly to her own children and grandchildren. Berberovic has lived in Erie since 1995, where she works at the International Institute of Erie. In 2006, the Bosnian Congress of North America recognized Berberovic for her efforts to preserve Bosnian culture. Berberovic also has been awarded a fellowship from the PA Council on the Arts.
George Boudreau • B. Franklin, Printer of Philadelphia • Early Pennsylvanians and the Rise of the Fine Arts Dr. George Boudreau has taught early American history for 17 years. He has spoken to patriotic, heritage and historical organizations, and has lectured for Philadelphia's Elderhostel Program. Boudreau also has been invited to lecture at the Independence National Historical Park. He was the Director of the Powel House museum from 1996-1998.
Keith Brintzenhoff • The Music, Dance and Instruments of the Pennsylvania Germans Keith Brintzenhoff is a school teacher by profession. He has taught the Pennsylvania German language to all ages. Brintzenhoff also has studied autoharp with some of the world's best, and has researched the mountain dulcimer and its Pennsylvania German connections. Brintzenhoff plays guitar and old-time banjo as well. Whether by himself, in a duo or with his band, the Toad Creek Ramblers, Brintzenhoff goes everywhere from senior citizens' groups to festivals, both here and in Germany.
Flavio Chamis • Brazilian Music and Jazz The Brazilian-born Flavio Chamis is an accomplished composer and conductor. He studied in Germany and Vienna, where he was appointed Music Director of the Villa Lobos Ensemble. In 1985, Chamis was named Conducting Assistant to Leonard Bernstein. Chamis returned to Brazil in 1987, as Music Director of the Porto Alegre Symphony Orchestra. He currently lives and works in Pittsburgh. As a composer, his works embrace a wide range of styles—from solo, chamber and symphonic pieces, to jazz and Brazilian music.
Melinda Higgins Crawford • From the Golden Plough to the Golden Arches • The Lincoln Highway in Pennsylvania Melinda Higgins Crawford has worked in historic preservation for 25 years, the majority of that time as Executive Director of Historic York, Inc. and since May 2006 as Executive Director of Preservation Pennsylvania. Her areas of expertise include architectural history, rehabilitation and restoration practices. Crawford has a special interest in the study of the recent past, specifically roadside architecture and the Lincoln Highway.
William Donner • No English Spoken Here: The Pennsylvania German Groundhog Lodges William Donner is an Associate Professor of Anthropology at Kutztown University. For the last ten years, he has been learning about Pennsylvania German history and culture, especially about issues concerning cultural preservation and change. He has been published in a wide variety of journals and is working on a book about Pennsylvania German groundhog lodges. Donner is Secretary of the Pennsylvania German Society and a cultural advisor for the Kutztown Pennsylvania German Festival. He lives outside of Kutztown with his two sons.
Josephine Dunn • Alive to the Call: Women and History in Northeastern Pennsylvania • All Shoulders to the One Wheel: Northeastern Pennsylvania Women's Clubs, c. 1910 In 1988, Dr. Josephine Dunn joined the faculty of the University of Scranton, where she founded the art and art history programs. Since 1995, Dunn has been studying women artists in the northeastern Pennsylvania region. Currently, she is engaged by research projects on Cornelia Bryce Pinchot, Louise Welles Murray and the women of the Century Club of Scranton. Dunn recently authored biographies of approximately 65 NEPA women for Legendary Ladies Making History in Pennsylvania: The Northeast Mountains.
Craig Eisendrath • Can Science and Religion Be Reconciled? • Nuclear Disarmament and Outer Space Policy Craig Eisendrath is a former diplomat with the US Department of State and winner of the Meritorious Honor Award for his work on outer space and nuclear issues. After receiving a PhD from Harvard University, he founded an experimental college in Missouri, and then served as PHC's Executive Director. During that time, he co-founded the National Constitution Center. Presently, Eisendrath is Chair of the Project for Nuclear Awareness and teaches at Temple University. He is the author of numerous plays and books, including Bush League Diplomacy.
John Fea • Patriots in Love: Courtship, Marriage and the American Revolution • Was America Founded as a Christian Nation? Dr. John Fea is an Associate Professor of History at Messiah College. His essays and articles have appeared in The Journal of American History, Harrisburg's Patriot-News and Common-Place. He also is an op-ed writer for the nationally-syndicated History News Service. Penn Press will release his book on rural enlightenment in America in 2008. Fea's work has been funded by the McNeil Center for Early American Studies and the American Philosophical Society. His web address is www.messiah.edu/~jfea.
Martha Capwell Fox • Iron Clads, Elevated Railroads and Portland Cement: The Genius of Jose de Navarro • Silk Weaver for the World Martha Capwell Fox has lived in Catasauqua for most of her life. She is a writer and researcher, with more than 30 years of experience in publishing. Fox's interest in the silk industry began in her childhood—her father was one of the last to operate a silk mill in Pennsylvania. Another early interest was the history of Catasauqua. Her work of gathering historic photographs of Catasauqua has resulted in a video history and book.
Walter Fox • The Forgotten Franklin: Pennsylvania's Premier Printer and Journalist A former newspaper reporter and editor, Walter Fox has taught journalism and American studies at Temple and West Chester Universities. He is the author of Writing the News: A Guide for Print Journalists (now in its third edition)—which has been reprinted in Chinese, Bulgarian and Indian editions. He also has written extensively for magazines and newspapers as a freelance contributor.
Robert Gangewere • Palace of Culture: The Meaning of Andrew Carnegie's Library and Museums Robert Gangewere is the retired editor of Carnegie Magazine. He also has taught English at four universities, including the American University of Cairo and Carnegie Mellon University. He lectures frequently about Andrew Carnegie and Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh and currently is completing a history, entitled Palace of Culture: Andrew Carnegie's Institute and Library in Pittsburgh, for the University of Pittsburgh Press. He has written often about Pittsburgh and western Pennsylvania and is active in the rail-trail movement.
Judith Giesberg • Jennie Wade's Bad Reputation • Lincoln and the Widow Bixby Dr. Judith Giesberg is an Assistant Professor of History at Villanova University. Her presentations come from her research on the extraordinary wartime lives of ordinary women. Giesberg's most recent book, Army at Home: Northern Women and the Civil War on the Home-Front, tells the stories of women who tried to keep things from falling apart as war came home. Photo courtesy of Edward Ferros.
Mac Given • A Frog Watcher's Guide to the Philosophy of Science A Professor at Neumann College, Mac Given has published many articles on frog communication. He teaches introductory and advanced seminars in science, and also taught a course on forgiveness and reconciliation in the wake of 9/11. In 2001, his teaching was recognized with the award of the Lindback Distinguished Teaching Award. While on sabbatical in 2005-2006, Given lived in Guatemala where he introduced an environmental curriculum for children. In July 2007, Mac Given was appointed Interim Dean of the Division of Arts and Sciences.
Christine Goldbeck • The Book • Mining for Truth: Coal Culture Christine Goldbeck has been writing since she was five and has published in newspapers, magazines and books since she was 17. She is the author of the short story collection, A Tribute to O'Hara and Other Stories and editor and publisher of The Mine County. Her articles, poems, paintings and photographs have won regional and national awards. Goldbeck conducts workshops and presentations on personal journaling, creative and business writing and Appalachian literature and writers. You can visit her at www.christinegoldbeck.com.
Linda Goss • Did You Feed My Turkey? Play Parties, Rhythms and Rhymes from the African American Community • It's Storytelling Time! A Journey Through the African American Storytelling Tradition Linda Goss is an award-winning storyteller and author. She was born near the Smoky Mountains in an aluminum factory town in Tennessee. She grew up listening to the storytelling of her grandfather, father, mother, aunts and uncles. Goss listened to stories about ethical values, courtship, the Civil Rights struggle in Tennessee and participated in play party songs, hand clap rhymes and ring games. Her repertoire includes stories from personal experience and hundreds of folktales that she has gathered over the decades. Photo courtesy of Philadelphia Magazine.
Walter Greason • Community, Sprawl and Taxes • E Pluribus Unum: Race, Power and Wealth An Assistant Professor of History at Ursinus College, Dr. Walter Greason is a social analyst and political activist. Over the last two decades, he has traveled across the US spreading the history of American democracy. He has produced ground-breaking research on how suburbanization can simultaneously disrupt and reinforce past barriers of racial segregation in both urban and rural areas. Bringing people with differing opinions and histories together in productive dialogue is one of the hallmarks of his career.
Cassandra Stancil Gunkel • Secret Symbols in African Textiles and African American Quilts • The Underground Railroad in Quilts? Dr. Cassandra Stancil Gunkel specializes in the culture, history and traditions passed-on through hand-made objects. An exhibited quilt artist and textile designer, her work has been shown in museums and galleries. Gunkel held teaching positions at Bryn Mawr College, the University of Pennsylvania and Rowan University before becoming Director of Education at the Bucks County Historical Society. She also is an independent consultant who lectures around the country, specializing in regional folklife and material culture projects.
Gary Hardcastle • Black Knights and Dead Parrots: Monty Python and Philosophy • What's So Funny? The Biology, Psychology and Philosophy of Humor Gary Hardcastle taught philosophy at the University of San Diego, Virginia Tech, the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point and Bucknell University before settling at Bloomsburg University. When not lecturing to rapt audiences of undergraduates, he writes and publishes essays about logic, science and the history of philosophy in the 20th century. He resides in Lewisburg with his wife (a veterinarian), one dog, five cats, a turtle, tarantula, rat and three teenagers.
Joyce Henry • Martha Graham: Pennsylvania's Unsung Revolutionary Joyce Henry is Professor Emerita of Theatre and English at Ursinus College and the recipient of a Lindback Award for Distinguished Teaching. Currently, she is on the faculty for Main Line School Night. Henry is the editor of The Wisdom of Shakespeare, One on One: The Best Women's Monologues for the 21st Century, Beat the Bard: What's Your Shakespeare IQ? and several articles on Martha Graham. Henry has degrees from the University of Wisconsin and also is a graduate of The Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre.
Warren Hoffman • What's So American About Musical Theater? • Yiddish Poetry in America Warren Hoffman is the Literary Manager and Dramaturg for Philadelphia Theatre Company. Previously, he was the Associate Artistic Director of New York's Jewish Repertory Theatre and a reviewer for TalkinBroadway.com. Hoffman has taught at a number of colleges including Rutgers University, Hunter College, University of Delaware and Temple University. He just completed his first play, New Words, which was nominated for the Christopher Brian Wolk Playwrighting Award. Hoffman has written and lectured on a number of topics including Jewish literature, queer theory and American drama.
Daniel Holland • Old Buildings for Young People Daniel Holland has more than 15 years of experience in the nonprofit field, specializing in community-based nonprofit organizations. In 2002, Holland started his own organization, the Young Preservationists Association of Pittsburgh, as a way to encourage greater youth participation in historic preservation. Holland is on the boards of Preservation Action, the Pennsylvania Downtown Center and Robert Morris University's Board of Visitors for the School of Communications.
Paula Duda Holoviak • Ukrainian Immigration to the Coal Region of Northeastern Pennsylvania Dr. Paula Holoviak is an Associate Professor at Kutztown University where she specializes in community and economic development. She has done research projects for the Center for Rural Pennsylvania on civic engagement and revitalization of rural communities. Holoviak also is a founding member of a Ukrainian folk ensemble, which is dedicated to the preservation and performance of traditional song and dance. She has spent 20 years researching and performing the culture of the Lemko, Rusyn and Carpathian immigrants.
Laura Korach Howell • Shakespeare's World, Women and Significant Others Laura Korach Howell is an Equity actor, director, teacher and playwright who has been working in the theatre for more than 30 years. She is a long-standing faculty member of Lancaster's Fulton Theatre, where she teaches both children and adults. Her love of Shakespeare has led her to train at Shakespeare & Company in Massachusetts, London's Globe Theatre and The Folger in Washington, D.C. Recently, Howell founded The People's Shakespeare Project, a nonprofit dedicated to teaching Shakespeare through performance-based instruction.
Alan Irvine • The Forbes Expedition and the French and Indian War • From Rabble to Revolution: Tales of Protest and Dissent Alan Irvine is a sociology instructor at the University of Pittsburgh, where he has taught since 1997. Irvine began telling stories as a camp counselor in college and has been telling tales ever since. He started telling tales of Pennsylvania history in 1992, when he put together the tale of the 1882 Great Homestead Strike for the centennial of that event. He is continually researching and developing new tales of our history.
Tania Isaac • Caribbean Social Dances Artistic Director of Tania Isaac Dance, Tania Isaac is a former member of Rennie Harris Puremovement, Urban Bush Women and Li Chiao-Ping Dance. She presents workshops, creates new work and tours internationally. Isaac has been an adjunct at Bryn Mawr College and has taught and performed in extended residencies at Bennington College, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Virginia Commonwealth University and Ohio State University. A personal essay about her work will be featured in a new anthology of Caribbean dance writings.
Lori Jakiela • Writing From Your Own Experience • Writing in Place Lori Jakiela is the author of a memoir, Miss New York Has Everything, and a poetry collection, The Regulars. A Pushcart Prize nominee, her work has appeared in Pittsburgh Quarterly, Chicago Review, Creative Nonfiction, Doubletake, River Styx and elsewhere. Jakiela is a Professor of English at the University of Pittsburgh-Greensburg, where she directs the writing program. She received the 2007 Outstanding Faculty Award. Jakiela lives in Trafford, her hometown and the birthplace of the chocolate-covered pickle. You can visit her at www.lorijakiela.com.
Thomas Jolin • Civil War Era Music Tom Jolin plays traditional American music and has been a solo performer since 1978, playing the hammer dulcimer, banjo, button accordion and harmonica. He is an instrument builder as well. Jolin was a founding member of The West Orrtanna String Band and has performed with the Orrtanna Mountain Steamers. Currently, Jolin is a member of two duets—Orrtanna and The Barnstormers. He is an artist for the PA Council on the Arts and is a sought after artist-in-residence. Jolin's performances are loaded with humor… sometimes intentionally.
Vagel Keller • Pennsylvania's Pioneers of Pollution Control Dr. Vagel Keller is a historian of technology and the environment. He has a special interest in the industrial northeast, especially his native Pennsylvania. Keller lives in Pittsburgh, where he lectures on historical relationships between society, the environment and natural disasters. He also serves as a consulting scholar for several projects dealing with industrial and environmental history in the Appalachian region.
Catherine Kerrison • Jefferson's Daughters • The Novel as Teacher: 18th Century Southern Women Learn to Write Dr. Catherine Kerrison teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in colonial and revolutionary America, early modern England and American women's history at Villanova University. She also serves as Director of Academics for the Women's Studies Program.
Jan Kinney • Family Storytelling: Bringing the Family Together Through Story • Travelin' on the Main Line Canal It's not true: Jan Kinney is not older than dirt—but some of the stories she tells might be. As a child, Kinney loved two things—reading and listening to stories. This led her to a career as a high school librarian. Most of that career was spent in Hollidaysburg, an important stop on the Pennsylvania Main Line Canal. At age 45, she heard her first professional storyteller and storytelling became her passion. As a rostered artist with the PA Council on the Arts, Kinney has spun her yarns for all ages throughout the state.
Lisa Kraus • In the Lineage: A Recent History of Dance Lisa Kraus is a choreographer, teacher and writer whose career has included dancing as a member of the Trisha Brown Dance Company. She also has choreographed and performed extensively with her own company. Kraus serves as a dance critic for The Philadelphia Inquirer and is a frequent contributor to Dance Magazine. Recent writings also have appeared in Dance Research Journal, Contact Quarterly and Dance Insider. Kraus currently is on the faculty of Swarthmore College. Photo courtesy of Tom Berthoff.
Roger Lane • Franklin Delano Roosevelt and the Paradox of Leadership • Sex, Sports and Schooling: Growing Up in the Year 1900 Once named by Philadelphia Magazine as one of the "Top Ten Profs" in the Philadelphia metropolitan area, Roger Lane teaches at Haverford College and has written several prize-winning books. Lane also has frequently appeared in television documentaries dealing with crime, the history of Philadelphia and the urban African American experience.
Robert Langran • The Supreme Court: In Times of Crisis • The Supreme Court: Its History and Procedures A senior faculty member in Villanova University's Political Science department, Robert Langran began teaching at Villanova in 1959. He chaired the department from 1968-1978. Langran also served as the men's and women's varsity tennis coach for 27 and 25 years respectively. Married with three children and one grandson, Langran is a former Lieutenant in the US Army Ordnance Corps.
John Lawlor • Arts in the Progressive Era Temperance Battle John Lawlor is Professor of History at Reading Area Community College. He is particularly interested in local reactions to national trends and local participation in national events. Lawlor was a contributing author for documents-based lessons at the National Archives and Records Administration's Digital Classroom. His Commonwealth Speaker presentation is an outcome of his participation as a fellow in the Community College Humanities Association and the John W. Kluge Center of the Library of Congress American Cities/Public Spaces Institute.
David Lembeck • Pennsylvania's Post Office Art of the New Deal • Pennsylvania's Vanished Industries in Post Office Art David Lembeck is a graphic designer specializing in publications for community-based arts organizations, as well as for historical preservation and sustainable agriculture organizations. Lembeck has been studying Pennsylvania post office art and architecture for more than 10 years. As part of that, he has interviewed surviving artists who produced post office art during the New Deal. In 2006, Lembeck wrote and designed a driving tour of 11 post offices for the Susquehanna Valley Visitors Bureau, which became the basis for a 60-minute documentary produced by WVIA-TV, Pittston.
Bradley Litwin • Ragtime Jazz and Stride Blues • Writing a Blues Song Bradley Litwin is a singer and guitarist who aims to broadcast and preserve the extraordinary passion and humor embodied in early roots blues and jazz. Litwin's interest in folk and blues music took shape as a teenager. While proprietor of a guitar-making shop, Litwin became acquainted with a number of folk circuit musicians. Their anecdotes fed his fascination with blues and jazz performers of the '20s and '30s. Today, Litwin presents recreations of their masterworks for enthusiastic audiences all over the US. Photo courtesy of Jody Kolodzey.
Rob Lukens • Drawn to the Northern Climes: Arctic Exploration and the Delaware Valley Since 1994, Rob Lukens has worked at a variety of museums and historical organizations. Currently, he is Executive Director of Historic Yellow Springs. Lukens also contributes a history column to Chester County's Daily Local News. A PhD candidate in American History at Temple University, Luken's dissertation examines issues of gender, race and national character as related to American Arctic exploration from 1890 to 1930. His award-winning essay on explorer Samuel J. Entrikin will be published in the spring 2008 issue of Pennsylvania History.
Randi Marrazzo • Pennsylvania's Musical Heritage in Song A versatile soprano, Randi Marrazzo has achieved national acclaim in major operatic roles, musical theater, recitals and concerts. Marrazzo frequently performs with the Opera Company of Philadelphia, Opera Delaware and Sarasota Opera. Concert appearances with the Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia and Philly Pops confirm her strengths as a solo artist. She also is a lover of song, and presents recitals of repertoire from Bach to Broadway. Marrazzo is a co-founder of Lyric Fest, a festival of lively thematic voice recitals.
Ed McDade • The Rhythms and Rhymes of American Folk Music • Singin' on the Rails Singer/songwriter Ed McDade was born in Philadelphia into a music-loving family. He studied chord melody guitar and vocal technique with Russ Faith and finger picking-style guitar with Jack McGann. McDade has taken his music across the US and around the world. His ease in live performance developed from a wide range of musical influences. He regularly performs at community and arts festivals, universities, libraries, fairs, theaters and wherever people gather together to hear good music. Photo courtesy Rossa William Cole.
Anne McGuire • Re-Imagining Mary Magdalene: Female Disciple, Witness and Icon Anne McGuire has been on the faculty of Haverford College since 1982. Her research and teaching are concerned with the literature of early Christianity and Gnosticism. She is co-editor of The Nag Hammadi Library After Fifty Years and author of several studies of early Christian texts. Her current research focuses on female imagery in Gnostic literature and on religious and artistic representations of Mary Magdalene. McGuire earned her BA in Religion at Barnard College and her PhD in Religious Studies at Yale University.
John McWilliams • Barbarians at the Prison Gate: Riots, Rebellion and Penal Reform in Pennsylvania • Men of Color: Race, Riots and Black Firefighters' Struggle for Equality from the AFA to the Valiants Dr. John McWilliams has participated as a panel chair, discussant or presenter at more than forty academic meetings in the US and abroad, including the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences, American Society of Criminology, American Sociological Association, Duquesne History Forum, International Congress on Criminology, Law and Society Association, Organization of American Historians, Pacific Coast Branch of the American Historical Association and Social Science History Association.
Carla & Allan Messinger • Lenape Lifeways • The Role of Women in Native Society: Then and Now Lenape descendant, Carla Messinger is recognized nationally and internationally for her work as a Native American cultural educator. As the Director of Native American Heritage Programs and author of the children's book When the Shadbush Blooms, she has devoted her life to presenting the lifeways of the Lenape. Allan Messinger (aka Mr. History) is a veteran educator with 32 years experience as a teacher in the Allentown School District. As a presenter for Native American Heritage Programs, he teams with his wife to create a historically-accurate portrait of the Lenape and other Native American groups.
Valerie Metzler • Seeing Your History Through the 21st Century To her private archival firm, Valerie Metzler brings 30 years experience of helping individuals, families and establishments of every kind to preserve their history. Public speaking comes naturally to this descendant of Mennonite preachers. Through her public speaking, Metzler relates her archival knowledge in workshops, illustrated lectures and hands-on-instruction. Topics range from archives, to genealogy, to oral history, and include computerization and Mennonite history.
David Miller • The Battle of Bushy Run • The French and Indian War in Pennsylvania David Miller is a native of Pennsylvania originally from Greencastle near the Maryland border. While in college and graduate school, Miller worked as the head interpreter and historian at Fort Frederick State Park in Maryland. He also served on the faculty of Hagerstown Junior College as a lecturer on the French and Indian War for their Elderhostel Programs. Since 1998, he has served as the Director of Education for Bushy Run Battlefield in Irwin.
Debra Miller • Andy Warhol: The Artist and His Critics Debra Miller's extensive teaching experience includes University of Delaware, Bryn Mawr College, Rowan University and the Hussian School of Art. Miller serves as Board President of Da Vinci Art Alliance, where she maintains an active schedule of curating and jurying exhibitions. She covers the Philadelphia arts scene for the bi-monthly arts newspaper Inferno and serves on the fundraising committee for Philadelphia's Lantern Theater Company. Miller holds a PhD in Art History, with specializations in Baroque, Renaissance and American art.
Moylan Mills • The Meteor: The Rise and Fall of Mario Lanza Moylan Mills is Professor Emeritus of Integrative Arts at Pennsylvania State University, where he teaches film, theater and popular culture courses at the Abington campus. He writes extensively on these subjects as well. Mills is the former head of Penn State's Department of Integrative Arts and former Director of Academic Affairs and Interim Chief Executive Officer for the Abington campus. He also is former President of the Pennsylvania Division of the American Association of University Professors.
Paul Douglas Newman • The Faces of the Civil War • The Keystone of Liberty? Pennsylvania's American Revolution Dr. Paul Douglas Newman is Professor of Early American History at the University of Pittsburgh-Johnstown, where he has taught since 1995. He was awarded Pitt's Phi Eta Sigman Teacher of the Year Award in 2002 and the Pi Llambda Theta Educator of the Year Award in 2003. Newman is the Editor of Pennsylvania History: A Journal of Mid-Atlantic Studies. He has served as a consultant for a number of public history projects for clients such as Fort Ligonier and the Johnstown Flood National Memorial.
Richard Pawling • America's Game and the Culture of a Nation Rich Pawling is an Adjunct Cultural Geography Professor at Pennsylvania State University-Berks, where he was awarded the 1993 and 2002 Outstanding Adjunct Professor of the Year Award. Pawling also is the owner of History Alive!™ -— a consulting firm that provides living history and traditional music programs. His vintage baseball group, the Boys of Base Ball, has performed four times at the National Baseball Hall of Fame—including programs during the 2007 Cal Ripken, Jr. and Tony Gwynn induction weekend.
William Pencak • Lafayette in Pennsylvania • Pennsylvania Jews in the Era of the American Revolution William Pencak is a Professor of History at Pennsylvania State University. He teaches Pennsylvania and early American history. He has written and edited over 20 books and currently is completing a biography of William White, the first bishop of the Episcopal Church in Pennsylvania. Pencak has lectured at the NEH's Summer Teacher Institute, the National Constitution Center and the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission. He currently is a Distinguished Lecturer of the Organization of American Historians.
Candace Kintzer Perry • The Fabric of Daily Life: Pennsylvania German Textile Traditions • Floral and Garden Imagery in Pennsylvania German Decorative Arts Candace Kintzer Perry hails from Berks County, not far from where her German immigrant ancestor settled in the 18th century. Her inspirations for her work in Pennsylvania German culture and heritage include family members, renowned redware potter Lester Breininger and her 10th grade biology teacher. Perry previously held positions at the Museum of the Albemarle, The Filson Historical Society and the Kentucky Derby Museum. She has served as curator for the Schwenkfelder Library & Heritage Center since 1998.
Brian Peterson • Is There an "Ism" in Pennsylvania Impressionism? • The Poetic Landscapes of William Langson Lathrop Senior Curator at the James A. Michener Art Museum, Brian Peterson has more than 25 years experience as a curator, critic, artist and arts administrator in the Philadelphia area. Peterson's critical writing has appeared in the Los Angeles Times, American Art Review, Photo Review and The Philadelphia Inquirer. Peterson taught photography for more than 12 years at University of Delaware, Temple University and Swarthmore College. He received a MFA from University of Delaware and a BA from University of Pennsylvania.
PJ Piccirillo • Missing Pages: The Neglected Literature of the Alleghenies PJ Piccirillo is an award-winning author whose work has appeared in journals, newspapers and magazines. Much of his fiction is set among the red brick industrial burgs and timberlands of Pennsylvania's Allegheny Plateau, where his grandparents settled to work tanneries, mines and rail sections. As an artist-in-residence for PA Council on the Arts, he conducts writing programs in schools, correctional facilities and civic organizations. Piccirillo works as a writing advisor to textbook publishers and government agencies as well.
Susan McLellan Plaisted • Dining with William Penn • Lenape Foodways Susan McLellan Plaisted has developed a joy for public speaking and sharing the experimental archaeology of food, techniques and processes. A Registered Dietitian with a Master's in Health Education, Plaisted has researched and studied food history for more than 20 years. She also has more than 35 years of experience in public speaking. Plaisted has spoken to numerous groups including historical societies, Elderhostels, antique clubs, culinary historian groups, libraries and national and international associations. Photo courtesy of Hoag Levin.
Paula Purnell • Born of Fire: Songs of Steel and Industry Paula Purnell is an educator and musician. She has released six albums of original music, including two Parent's Choice award-winning children's albums. Purnell is an outreach artist and a professional development trainer for the Children's Museum of Pittsburgh. She presents workshops on regional folk music through the PA Council on the Arts. Purnell researches and records historical songs by and about the people of Pennsylvania with her band, the NewLanders. The NewLanders are rostered artists with PA Performing Arts on Tour.
Todd Reeser • The Franco-American Connection: Film and Culture Todd Reeser teaches courses on French language, literature and culture at the University of Pittsburgh. This includes a course on French culture today and a course on the "idea" of France and French-ness across time. He has published widely in French studies on topics such as literature, film and philosophy. Reeser also is interested in how students can best make sense of their cultural experiences while studying abroad.
Irwin Richman • Growing Yesterday's Garden: Heirloom Seeds and Pennsylvania German Tradition • Painting the Susquehanna, Pennsylvania's River of Dreams Dr. Irwin Richman is a member of the Garden Conservancy, the National Trust for Historic Preservation and the Pennsylvania Historical Association. He also served as Vice Chair of the Pennsylvania Historic Preservation Board. Richman currently is working on a book on the gardens of Pennsylvania.
Carlin Romano • The Crisis in Book Reviewing • The Ethics of Book Reviewing: The More Things Change… Carlin Romano is the literary critic of The Philadelphia Inquirer, Critic-at-Large of The Chronicle of Higher Education and a former President of the National Book Critics Circle. Before joining the Inquirer, Romano worked at The Washington Post and New York Daily News. He also served as Critic-at-Large of Lingua Franca and literary columnist of The Village Voice. In 2005, he was one of three finalists for the 2005 Pulitzer Prize in Criticism. Romano currently teaches media theory and philosophy at the University of Pennsylvania.
Richard Rosen • Benjamin Franklin: Scientist, Humanist Dick Rosen has been teaching the history of science for more than 35 years at Drexel University. In addition, he has taught world history, European history and the history of engineering. This year, he is developing a course on the history of baseball. Rosen also is the Director of the Appropriate Technology Program. He has served in various administrative capacities at the university. Currently, he is the University Ombudsman.
Paul Rosier • From Earth Day to Global Warming: A Modern Environmental History of Pennsylvania Paul Rosier grew up in Swarthmore, where as an elementary student he participated in the first Earth Day in 1970. Rosier is an Assistant Professor of History at Villanova University, where he teaches Environmental History of America, Nature and Modernity, Native American History, the History of American Capitalism and Modern World History. He also serves as chair of the university's Earth Day committee and advises a Villanova environmental group. He recently co-edited the book Echoes from the Poisoned Well: Global Memories of Environmental Injustice.
Steve Rowland • John Coltrane and Miles Davis: Two Musical Approaches • John Coltrane, Religion and the Philadelphia Scene… Steve Rowland has worked in public broadcasting for nearly 25 years. An accomplished music documentarian, Rowland has produced over 50 hours of award-winning work. His work is in the permanent collections of The Library of Congress and the Museum of Television & Radio. He has been an instructor at Columbia University, The University of the Arts, Arcadia University and Syracuse University. Rowland has degrees in ethnomusicology and film production from Temple University and an MBA from Columbia University.
Richard Sauers • The Boys in Blue • Researching Your Pennsylvania Civil War Ancestor Dr. Richard Sauers is one of the country's most prolific Civil War historians. He is the author of more than two dozen books including the highly-acclaimed Advance the Colors! Pennsylvania Civil War Battle Flags. Other writings include journal articles, encyclopedia articles and book reviews. Sauers also is the director of the Packwood House Museum in Lewisburg. He received his BA in history from Susquehanna University and his MA and PhD in history from Pennsylvania State University.
David Schell • Keeping Control: Gifford Pinchot, State Stores and Liquor in Pennsylvania Except for a youthful flirtation with wanting to be a railroad engineer, David Schell has always wanted to teach. He earned his BS in Secondary Education at Clarion University. After years of substitute teaching, he temporarily abandoned this career path and worked in private industry. The lure of history remained, and he completed his MA in History at West Chester University and his PhD in History at Temple University. Schell volunteers with several non-profits and is an active member of the Pennsylvania Historical Association.
Teya Sepinuck • Prisoners, Victims and their Families: A Creative Response Towards Healing Teya Sepinuck is the Founder and Artistic Director of TOVA Artistic Projects for Social Change. For the past 21 years, she has developed original theater works and videos with those who have not had a voice in our society. She creates work with refugees and immigrants, prisoners and their families, survivors and perpetrators of abuse and violence, mental health consumers and those living in poverty. A former dancer, Sepinuck is a long-time mediator and on the faculty of Swarthmore College.
Mark Shaffer • The Revolutionary War Burial Ground in Bethlehem Mark Shaffer has been a Historic Preservation Specialist with the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission since 1991. Prior to that, he worked with various private archaeological consulting firms and as a field archaeologist with the University of Delaware and the Jefferson Patterson Park and Museum. Shaffer has been active in the State Historic Preservation Office's environmental review program, which reviews the potential effects of development projects on significant cultural resources in Philadelphia and its surrounding counties.
Vivienne Shaffer • From Nature Study to Environmental Literacy: Rachel Carson as Teacher Vivienne Shaffer became interested in the relationship between childhood experience and lifetime achievement while working in historic houses, including Rachel Carson's childhood home. Her presentation blends this interest with her professional expertise in designing recreational learning experiences and planning interdisciplinary curricula for widely diverse audiences. Shaffer has taught in museums, nature centers and other informal learning environments as well as in public and private schools. She has a Master's in Education from Bank Street College.
Sandy Sorlien • Frontage Matters: A Critical Walk Around Your Town • Stormy Path: My Sudden Journey from Photographer to Urban Planner Sandy Sorlien's experiences of photographing open country, rural houses and urban centers led her to the New Urbanism planning movement. She has since edited several versions of the SmartCode, a planning document that legalizes walk-able, mixed-use neighborhoods, while discouraging wasteful development. When Hurricane Katrina hit, Sorlien was called to customize SmartCodes for damaged Gulf Coast towns and cities. The award-winning Sorlien has taught at The University of the Arts, Swarthmore College, Moore College and the University of Pennsylvania. Photo courtesy of Leah Stroble.
Benjamin Sota • How the Circus Helped Folks During the Great Depression Ben Sota cultivated his craft by swapping lessons with other circus performers while traveling from Amsterdam to the San Francisco Circus Center where he studied aerial arts. He has performed at the National Storytelling Convention, The Kennedy Center, the Children's Museum-Jordan, among other places. Sota is interested in using circus arts as a vehicle for social change, an idea which has allowed him to perform for audiences ranging from members of Congress to children in post-Taliban Afghanistan. Sota has lectured at community centers and for alma maters Carnegie Mellon University, University of Pittsburgh and Earlham College. Photo courtesy of Heather Mull.
Sandee Gertz Umbach • My Own Backyard or Yours!—Poetry to Create a Sense of Place Sandee Gertz Umbach is the founder of Washington Community Arts and Cultural Center—created to make quality arts programming accessible to all individuals. She leads Wash Arts' "My Own Backyard," a neighborhood art program designed for areas without access to an art center. Umbach has spoken state-wide and nationally on the importance of the arts. She is an award-winning and widely published poet and writer, and a 2000 recipient of a PA Council on the Arts Fellowship.
Denise Valentine • From Richard Allen to Cecil B. Moore: Stories of Freedom and Hope • His Story/My Story/Our Story Denise Valentine made her storytelling debut in 1997 with Keepers of the Culture, a Philadelphia Afro-centric storytelling group. In 2004, Valentine traveled to South Africa to study folklore traditions and the influence of politics on contemporary oral stories. Since 2005, she has been a PA Council on the Arts storyteller-in-residence for Philadelphia public schools. She uses storytelling to teach cultural literacy, conflict resolution and empowerment. Her programs are designed for audiences of all ages.
David Valuska • Pennsylvania German Rifleman on the Frontier and in the Revolution • Reminiscing with a Pennsylvania Officer About the Civil War Dr. David Valuska taught history at Kutztown University for 35 years before retiring in 2005. While at the university, he founded the Pennsylvania German Heritage Center. Valuska has served on the board of the Pennsylvania German Society for 12 years and is a contributing editor for the Steuben Society of America. He has been active in Revolutionary and Civil War living history. He currently is working on a new book on Pennsylvania Germans in the American Revolutionary War.
Bryan Van Sweden • Discovering Architectural Clues to Your Community's Past Bryan Van Sweden works in the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission's Bureau for Historic Preservation, providing assistance to communities that seek to preserve their historic buildings and neighborhoods. Prior to this role, he worked with PHMC's Grant Programs for 10 years. For a number of years, Van Sweden taught architectural history as an adjunct at Harrisburg Area Community College. He has a Master's in Historic Preservation from the University of Vermont and started his career with Historic York, Inc.
Jeanne Murray Walker • Reading Pennsylvania Poets on Pennsylvania • Writing a Poem Jeanne Murray Walker is the author of six collections of poetry, including Fugitive Angels, Coming Into History and A Deed to the Light. Her poems have appeared in hundreds of anthologies and journals, including Poetry, The American Poetry Review and The Atlantic Monthly. She travels widely to teach writing workshops and to hold readings. Walker also is a produced playwright. Married, and the mother of two children, she has made thousands of dinners for her children and their friends. Photo courtesy of Jeff Hurwitz.
Jef Savage & Nancy Walker • 100 Years of Dance in American Society • May I Have the Pleasure of this Dance? Nancy Walker is a rostered artist with over 20 years of experience as a performer, speaker, instructor, choreographer and producer of dance programs for all ages. She was a Professor of Early Dance at London's Royal College of Music. Currently, she is an Adjunct Professor of Dance at Wilson College and an Adjunct Professor of Dance History at Gettysburg College. Jef Savage is a performer, presenter and assistant instructor. He has 20 years of experience presenting corporate management programs. Both Walker and Savage are experienced public speakers and performers. Their style is friendly, inclusive and humorous. Thorough research and historical accuracy are reflected in their work.
Anthony Waskie • Meet General Meade, Victor of the Battle of Gettysburg • Philadelphia and the Civil War Anthony Waskie is a Civil War historian and published author. He is a specialist on General George Meade whom he portrays in a first-person style. Waskie spent 31 years at the Pennsbury School as a teacher, curriculum supervisor and department head. He currently is a Professor at Temple University. Waskie is a charter member of the Philadelphia Civil War History Consortium and serves on the advisory board of the Civil War & Underground Railroad Museum of Philadelphia.
Bill Wine • Based on the Book: Best-Seller Cinema • Everyone's a Critic Bill Wine has had a lengthy career writing about and teaching film. He served as the movie critic for Fox Television in Philadelphia for twelve years—earning eight Emmy nominations and three Emmy Awards. Currently, he is the film critic for Philadelphia's KYW Newsradio, and is a tenured Professor of Film and Writing at LaSalle University. His writing has appeared in The Village Voice, The Philadelphia Inquirer, Philadelphia Daily News and many other publications. Wine also is a produced and published playwright.
Bruce Young • Pennsylvania Mountain Voices • Songs of the Labor Movement Bruce Young has been singing and playing music all his life. He is a Suzuki Association of America instructor and has a small violin and fiddle teaching studio. His performances on voice, fiddle, guitar, dulcimer, bass, banjo and mandolin feature different fiddle styles, a cappella ballads and sea chanteys, as well as humorous songs and rural southern blues. Young has developed numerous school programs and workshops emphasizing our colonial heritage.