ANNA L. WEISSMAN, PHD

ABOUT ME

I am a social historian, archivist, and writer. 

I partner with cultural institutions, businesses, and non-profit organizations to help them preserve their history.

Public history has become a true passion. I've worked in curation, research, archive and exhibit design at the Matheson History Museum (Gainesville, FL), the Panama Canal Museum Collection (Gainesville, FL), the Smithsonian National Museum of American History (Washington, D.C.), and the Historic Barker Mansion (Michigan City, IN). 

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I have a doctorate from the University of Florida and 10 years of experience in advanced curriculum development, scholarly research, and post-secondary education as an instructor at the University of Florida and Santa Fe College. I’ve published with Oxford University Press, Routledge, and in several peer-reviewed academic journals.

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For more specifics on my background, expertise, and experience, check out my resume.

CONSULTANT, SAVE HISTORY! COMMUNITY HISTORY PRESERVATION

December 2018-

I work with cultural institutions, businesses, and non-profit organizations to help them tell their story and preserve their history 

• Institutional genealogical research​​

• Archive design 

  • Curate ephemera, photographs, documents, and physical artifacts 

  • Preservation storage solutions

  • Digitization, audits, acquisition policies 

• Installations and digital exhibits

HISTORICAL PRESERVATION COMMISSION OF LA PORTE, IN

September 2021-

• President

  • Facilitate the advancement of local designation of La Porte's significant individual structures and historic districts

  • Lead commission in planning and executing public education and outreach events, revenue-building enterprises, and community engagement

  • Lead annual planning and commission budget management  

  • State and National grant writing

BARKER MANSION, MICHIGAN CITY, IN

July 2020 - April 2022

• Restoration Project Management 

  • Managed $4.5-million-dollar site improvements and development projects, structural repairs, and restoration of a 165-year-old building

  • Managed $50,000 historic garden restoration (fall 2020-fall 2021) 

  • Provided weekly project updates with guided presentations and design input for Board of Directors

  • Procured conservators for specialty work

• Exhibits​ & Digital Content Design

  • Designed and implemented all temporary and permanent exhibits, including a 1,200-square-foot, multi-room permanent exhibit on historic Haskell & Barker Car Factory (opening Fall 2022)

  • Managed $300,000 exhibit budget

  • Worked with Purdue-Northwest engineering students and faculty advisor in design and implementation of scale model of factory for inclusion in permanent exhibit

  • Managed exhibit design and fabrication with Ravenswood Studio, major Chicago exhibit house  

  • Provided digital content including monthly newsletters, social media campaigns, curatorial presentations, photography, and videography

  • Planned temporary and digital exhibits

• Refurnish Plan Project Curator

  • Performed comprehensive object-based and archival research on the artifacts, architecture and historic spaces of the 38-room Gilded Age historic home including historic garden and Haskell & Barker factory (1852-1922)

  • Produced full-length, multi-stage project plan including interpretative objectives, analysis of primary source documentation, site description, profile of occupants, description of each floor (4), rooms (19), objects and furnishings in each room, recommendations for new use/position of objects and rooms, and recommendations for supporting materials and media (signage, exhibits)

• Collection & Archive

  • Managed $4-million-dollar historical collection, digital archive, and physical archive

  • Overhauled digital database and performed comprehensive inventory on entire collection (~2,000 items)

  • Completed restructuring and reorganization of archive

  • Supervised volunteers and part-time curatorial staff

  • Developed and managed secondary and post-secondary internship program 

SMITHSONIAN NATIONAL MUSEUM OF AMERICAN HISTORY (NMAH), WASHINGTON, D.C.

January 2020 - June 2020 (closure due to Covid-19)

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• Designed research on acquisition history, documentation, curatorial notes, exhibits pertaining to African American history 1963-1979; developed and implemented organizational methodology of division records

• Exhibition team, “Girlhood: It’s Complicated” permanent exhibit (5,000 sq. foot gallery, June 12, 2020- January 2, 2022) and traveling exhibit (2023-2025)

• Collection team, “New Paths to Change: Undocumented Immigrant Activism, 2000 to Present,” with the Smithsonian Latino Center and the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center

• Spearheaded new collections initiative across divisions regarding responsible, community-focused collection practices, African American and Native communities

• Helped manage $40,000 for auction

MATHESON HISTORY MUSEUM, GAINESVILLE, FL

Dec 2018 - Aug 2019

• “McCarthy Moment: The Johns Committee at the University of Florida (1958-59),” Feb 2020 -Aug 2020

  • Planned exhibit and generated theme, storyboard, and content

  • Historical writing and interpretation and exhibition script, catalogues, and media for temporary exhibition

  • Included collections and curatorial work

  • Spearheaded microfiche research in local newspapers for inclusion as featured exhibition objects

  • Coordinated with local LGBTQ organizations to cultivate partnerships for objects donations and partnerships in public and on-site museum programming

• “Trailblazers: 150 Years of Alachua County Women,” March 2020, for Celebrate Women 2020  

  • City-wide celebration of the 100th anniversary of the passage of the 19th amendment

  • Generated content and storyboarding

  • Communicated with local experts and organizations for exhibit development and programming partnership

PANAMA CANAL MUSEUM COLLECTION, SPECIAL COLLECTIONS, GEORGE A. SMATHERS LIBRARIES, UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA

Feb 2018 - Aug 2019

• Curator of exhibit “Fog of War? WWII Propaganda in the Panama Canal Zone,” March 2020

  • Researched, developed, and curated exhibition for 15 large cases

  • Created object list, curator’s statement, all interpretive text, exhibit layout, and exhibit press release

  • Worked with Curation and Collections Management teams in the Panama Canal Museum Collection and the Latin American and Caribbean Collection

  • Presented proposal to exhibit stakeholders for final stage approval

• Collections management

  • Inventory for objects and developed and implemented new organizational system based on medium for objects of the Panama Canal Museum Collection

  • Coordinated projects in consultation with Head of Special Collections

PH.D., POLITICAL SCIENCE,

UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA

2019

GRADUATE CERTIFICATE, WOMEN’S AND GENDER STUDIES,

UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA

2015

M.A., POLITICAL SCIENCE, 

UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA

2014

B.A., INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS, 

LAKE FOREST COLLEGE (LAKE FOREST, IL)

2010

TEACHING EXPERIENCE

curriculum development and instruction

INSTRUCTOR UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA

2018 - 2019

Department of Political Science

Politics of Eastern Europe (CPO 3614/EUS 3930; Fall 2018)

• ​Designed new 17-week upper-level course including all pedagogical materials, student learning outcomes, exam assessments, and weekly assignments

Designed and managed course's web-based learning management system

INSTRUCTOR, SANTA FE COLLEGE (GAINESVILLE, FL)

2015 - 2019

Department of Behavioral Sciences

Introduction to American Politics (POS 2041; Fall 2015, Spring 2015, Summer 2015, Spring 2017, Fall 2017)

Introduction to Global Politics (INR 2001; Spring 2017 - three sections)

• Designed new 16-week general education courses including all pedagogical materials, student learning outcomes, exam assessments, and weekly assignments

• Designed and managed courses' web-based learning management system​

GRADUATE TEACHING ASSISTANT, UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA

Department of Political Science

Introduction to International Relations (INR 2001; Fall 2014, Spring 2015, online Summer 2015)         

Politics of World Economy (INR 3034; Spring 2012)​

• Designed and managed all course assessments and web-based learning management systems

• Designed, wrote, and filmed 10 presentations for INR course offered online via Camtasia

2012 - 2015

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS