For more than twenty years I have conducted research at two of the best research facilities in the United States: the Library of Congress and National Archives. I began visiting these sites to explore my own interests when I first moved to the Washington, D.C. area.

​

Armed with a journalism degree from the University of Kansas, I worked as a staff writer and editor for academic, association, and corporate publications, interviewing everyone from medical researchers and college professors to business owners and interior designers.

 

My love of research eventually led me to pursue graduate work in American Studies, which provided skills and insights into how the various divisions of LC and NARA can contribute to research topics. I have expanded my research to the other excellent resources in this area, including the Smithsonian, Catholic University Archives, George Mason University Transportation Archives, and special collections in local libaries, among others.

​

Since receiving my Ph.D from George Washington University I have worked as an independent researcher and writer on a wide variety of topics. Projects have included

​

• Locating 1850s ordnance records for Sharps Rifle Manufacturing Company

• Delving into the background of a circa 1820s copy of the Declaration of Independence engraved by William J. Stone

• Researching Hawaiian Queen Liliuokalani’s 1910 U.S. Court of Claims case by studying Congressional and government    documents, newspaper reports, the Queen’s diaries, and background of the various people involved in the case

• Conducting literature and database searches on Title IX

​

• Locating photos and newsreel footage to integrate in a stage performance and obtaining permission to use these

 

Some of my research for clients has been very specific and focused, while other projects have unfolded as newly found information suggests new leads and ways of thinking about topics. My journalism background and experience as a freelance writer provide additional skills in interviewing sources and preparing reports that detail the information I have located and include complete documentation of the materials I have researched.  Click here to see my resume.