Faculty
.jpg)
Dr. Ann McCleary, the public history coordintor, came to the University of West Georgia in 1997 to begin the public history program. She started the Museum Studies program with the Atlanta History Center and the Center for Public History. Dr. McCleary teaches the courses in museum studies, material culture, folklife, and American architecture, as well as public history internships.
In August 2009, Dr. Keith Hebert joined the History Deparment to teach public history. Dr. Hebert is currently the historian at the Georgia state historic preservation office. He brings a strong background in cultural resource management, local and regional history methods, and oral history, and he has public history research interests in archives and digital history.
Several other West Georgia faculty members have background, interest, and experience in public history activities. Dr. Keith Bohannon, our Civil War historian, has worked with the National Park Service, and Dr. Stephanie Wright, who teaches African American history, has been involved in several public history projects. Most recently, Dr. Wright served as one of the project directors for our Powder Springs study documenting an historic African American community through the Center for Public History.
Those students taking courses in the Museum Studies program interact with professional staff members at the Atlanta History Center as faculty. Dr. Gordon Jones serves as the Atlanta History Center museum studies coordinator and helps to teach two of the museum studies classes there, including Museum Exhibits and Museum Administraton. Ms. Kate Whitman co-teaches the museum educaion class and Ms. Deborah Thomas the Collections Management class. Past instructors at the Atlanta History Center have included Pam Meister, Dr. Andy Ambrose, Karen Kelly, and Heather Howell.
Dr.Wesley Chenault at the Auburn Avenue Research Library in Atlanta (Fulton County) is teaching the Introduction to Archives course for West Georgia. Chenault had previously been involved with the UWG Museum Studies program when he worked as an archivist at the Atlanta History Center.
Our public history program prides itself on offering opportunities for students to work closely with our faculty and to engage in student-faculty research projects through the Center for Public History.
