Anna E. Lacy
I am a historian with a passion for community-engaged public history, digital archives, and higher education.
Ph.D. in Progress
I’m a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of History at the University of Delaware, writing a dissertation on household accidents in the United States from 1830-1890. My fields include United States History, Digital Humanities, and the History of Medicine.
M.A. in History
Along the way, I earned an M.A. in History with a certificate in Museum Studies from the University of Delaware.
B.A. in History
Before that, I completed my undergraduate work at the Richard Stockton College of New Jersey, earning my degree in 3 years and graduating magna cum laude and with program distinction.
Metadata Project Coordinator for Archival Collections, On These Grounds: A Project to Model and Share the Archival Materials and Data from Universities with Past Ties to Slavery Project, Georgetown University, August 2021-Present.
Primary duties are centered on 3 major areas of responsibilities: archival, metadata, and project management.
Collaborates with Library staff to select documents from the Georgetown University Archives, Maryland Province Archives, and manuscript collections to use in the testing of the linked-open data model.
Uses the LOD model in Omeka S to categorize and describe events found in archival materials related to the lives of enslaved people. Performs additional research to establish the context for events, and to describe related people and places.
Collaborates with project partners at MSU, UVA, and other institutions to review the outcomes of pilot data work and provide feedback on the LOD in development.
Trains and supervises a team of student workers and establishes their respective work plans.
Project Coordinator, The Colored Conventions Project, Pennsylvania State University, 2017-Present.
Coordinator for an award-winning public humanities project (The Colored Conventions Project) that brings buried nineteenth-century history to digital life for a new generation of researchers, students, and community members. Works closely with project directors and leadership in almost all aspects of CCP’s work.
Spearheaded data curation and digital archives initiatives leading to a 65% increase in the project collection over 3 years.
Experience creating, editing, and transforming metadata.
Supervised more than 50 undergraduate and graduate digital history internships, fellowships, and assistantships. Developed, implemented, and evaluated graduate student and undergraduate student work plans and committee-level work plans.
Enacted procedures to support project growth and reduce onboarding time by more than 25%. Created more than 100 technical tutorials and manuals for team members.
Evaluated projects and wrote reports.
Coordinated with more than 20 teaching and research partners at a range of institutions from R1s to small liberal arts colleges, regional universities, and HBCUs.
Developed an innovative research curriculum used by more than 600 students.
Co-authored a WordPress digital exhibits curriculum.
Grantwriting and reporting experience.
Event Coordinator, Frederick Douglass Day, University of Delaware, National Museum for African American Heritage and Culture, and the Smithsonian Transcription Center, 2018.
Event coordinator for a community-sourced transcription event co-sponsored by the Colored Conventions Project, the National Museum of African American History and Culture, and the Smithsonian Transcription Center. This event engaged more than 60 satellite host groups and 1,400 individuals across the country to digitally preserve the Freedmen’s Bureau Records.
Research Assistant, The Colored Conventions Project, The University of Delaware, 2015-2017.
Promoted from research assistant to the leader of a 5-person research team. Collected archival records and conducted a review of secondary and supporting literature. Creatively solved technical and methodological challenges to locate, digitize, and publish more than 100 rare historical records on Omeka. Summarized project results, prepared reports, and authored material for publication and presentation, including a digital exhibit.
Graduate Assistant, Museum Studies Program, The University of Delaware, 2015-2016.
Authored, edited, and published 40 issues of MuseWeekly, a weekly newsletter featuring professional development opportunities for museum and public humanities professionals. Solicited, reviewed, and verified content from appropriate sources to ensure accuracy. Strong editorial and writing skills. Maintained a subscriber list of more than 5,000 contacts using MailChimp. Monitored digital marketing analytic reports to increase audience engagement.
Technical Proficiencies
Digital Publishing & Communications
Omeka Classic, Omeka S, WordPress, Twitter, Squarespace
Visualization & Analysis
Tableau, AirTable, Gephi, Cytoscape, Voyant
Digital Mapping
Story Maps, Google Maps, Arc GIS (basic)
Additional Software
Dublin Core, FileMaker Pro, Adobe Creative Suite, iMovie, OpenRefine, Microsoft Suite
Teaching Experience
Spring 2017
Graduate Teaching Assistant: History 493: Capstone Teaching Social Studies and History, supervised by Dr. Hannah Kim, University of Delaware. Advised students regarding academic core/program requirements and procedures. Worked with students to meet requirements for graduation in a timely manner. Maintained advising and confidential student evaluation records. Assisted faculty with classroom instruction, exams, grading, and record keeping.
Fall 2015
Graduate Teaching Assistant, History 101: World History to 1400, supervised by Dr. Michael Frassetto, University of Delaware. Assisted faculty with classroom instruction, exams, grading, and record keeping. Met with students during office hours to provide supplemental support. Created and developed materials such as study guides, supplementary notes, and visual aids.
Summers 2012/2013
Summer Latin Tutor, Richard Stockton College of New Jersey. Taught introductory level Latin classes for community members ranging in age from 8-90 through Stockton’s Interdisciplinary Center for Hellenic Studies summer language program. Developed interactive lessons and activities to engage students from different backgrounds and with varying levels of knowledge. Worked one-on-one with students and in small groups to explain concepts, provide supplemental instruction, and evaluate student progress.
Invited Talks and Workshops
Oct. 2020
Workshop Leader, “Conceptualizing Collaborative Public Humanities Internships and Fellowships,” Johns Hopkins Digital History Workshop, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD.
Sept. 2020
Invited Speaker, HIST 4690: Historical Methods, Stockton University, Dr. Sharon Musher, Galloway, NJ.
July 2020
Invited Speaker, “Digital Pedagogy Initiatives and Community Partnerships: The Colored Conventions Project,” DH@Wake Summer Institute, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, NC.
Sept. 2019
Keynote Speaker, “Interdisciplinary Public Humanities Project and Graduate Education: The Colored Conventions Project,” ReDefining Doctoral Education and the Humanities Symposium, Washington University, St. Louis, MO.
Sept. 2018
Workshop Leader, “Community-sourced Digital Transcription Initiatives: Frederick Douglass Day,” The American Association of State and Local History Annual Meeting, Kansas City, MO.
Feb. 2017
Invited Speaker, AMST: 5000 Pro-Seminar in American Studies, Dr. Deborah Gussman, Stockton University, Galloway, NJ.
Dec. 2016
Dec. 2016, Invited Speaker, “Digital Exhibits: The Colored Conventions Project, Interdisciplinary Research, and Collaborative Scholarship,” Winterthur Museum and Library, Winterthur, DE.
April 2016
Invited Speaker, Panel on applying to graduate school sponsored by the School of Arts and Humanities, Stockton University, Galloway, NJ.
Conference Presentations
Nov. 2020
“Mellon-Grant Funded Public Humanities Initiatives: The Colored Conventions Project,” The American Studies Association’s Annual Meeting, Honolulu, HI.
April 2018
“Home Dangerous Home: Mapping Nineteenth-Century Household Accidents,” Emerging Scholars Symposium, Winterthur Museum and Library, Winterthur, DE.
March 2019
“Current Research in Digital History: African American Digital Humanities Projects and Archives,” Roy Rosenzweig Center for Digital History Dispatches in the Digital Humanities Conference, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA.
Feb. 2018
Panelist, “Viral Networks: An Advanced Workshop in Medical History and Digital Humanities,” the National Library of Medicine at the National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD.
January 2018
Panelist, “Bringing Collaborative Research into Graduate Programs from the NEH Next Generation Program and the AHA Mellon Grant,” The American Historical Association’s Annual Meeting, Washington D.C.
Nov. 2017
Panelist, “What Did They Eat? Where Did They Stay? Black Boarding Houses and the Colored Conventions Movement,” The American Studies Association’s Annual Meeting, Chicago, IL.
January 2018
Panelist, “What Did They Eat? Where Did They Stay? Mapping Black Boarding Houses and the Colored Conventions Movement,” The American Historical Association’s Annual Meeting, Washington D.C.
April 2017
Panelist, “Linked Data Methods for Black Bibliography,” The Black Bibliography Symposium, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ.
April 2014
“Her Own House is Her Kingdom:’ Concepts of Domesticity in Nineteenth-Century Advice Literature,” McNeil Center for Early American Studies, Undergraduate Roundtable, Philadelphia, PA.
March 2014
March 2014- “Hygiene Practices and the Making of the Middle Class in Nineteenth-Century Advice Literature,” Eastern American Studies Association Conference, Undergraduate Roundtable, Philadelphia, PA.
Outreach and Community Service
2017-2018
Graduate Representative, Program in the History of American Civilization, University of Delaware.
2015-2017
Graduate Representative, Department of History, University of Delaware (2015-2017).
2015-2016
Workshop Coordinator, Weekly History Workshop, University of Delaware (2015-2016).
2015-2018
Delaware History Day Judge, Delaware Historical Society, Wilmington, DE (2015-2018).