Advisor: Dr. Lauren Sklaroff  

Education:

B.A. History, College of William & Mary and University of St. Andrews (International Honors) 

M.A. Public History, University of South Carolina

Bio:

I am a doctoral candidate fascinated by the histories of twentieth-century United States popular culture, capitalism, and consumerism. My dissertation, tentatively titled “‘God Only Knows’: Popular Music, Capitalism, and Taste in the United States, 1950–1980,” examines the evolution of pop and rock music in the U.S. in the post-World War II period from an interdisciplinary perspective that draws from cultural studies, political economy, ethnomusicology, and the new history of capitalism.

I write for a variety of publications with the aim of making history and cultural criticism engaging and accessible for diverse audiences. You can read my work in Smithsonian, where I've written features on Marilyn Monroe, Elvis Presley, and the history of the world’s fair. You can also read my work in Slate, PopMatters, and the Journal of the History of Ideas Blog, where I serve as a Contributing Editor. As a committed public historian, I've interned for the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, the Fairfield Foundation, and the St. Andrews Heritage Museum and Garden.