I am Associate Professor of History and Director of Public History at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. I teach courses in public history and in American social and cultural history, particularly during the Progressive era, the 1920s and the 1930s. My research explores the significance and value of American cultural institutions, and my book Museums, Monuments, and National Parks: Toward a New Genealogy of Public History (University of Massachusetts, 2012) won the 2013 NCPH book award. Prior to joining the UMBC faculty, I worked in numerous public history institutions, including the National Museum of American History, the Jewish Historical Society of Greater Washington and the Accokeek Foundation at Piscataway Park.