Smithsonian American Women’s History Museum Has Announced Its Committee of Scholars

The Smithsonian American Women’s History Museum has established a committee of scholars to guide the museum on content and provide input on the museum’s comprehensive plan to document the full spectrum of the experiences of women in the United States through exhibitions, public programs, research initiatives and education resources. The museum is currently being led by Interim Director Melanie Adams of the Smithsonian’s Anacostia Community Museum. 

The 15 members of the committee of scholars include leaders from across various academic disciplines, such as women and gender studies, American history, anthropology, law and others. Together they will review exhibitions and long-distance learning and digital-engagement initiatives. The first in-person meeting will be held in March in celebration of Women’s History Month. 

The members of the committee are:

• Nadia B. Ahmad, associate professor of law, Barry University School of Law
• Keisha N. Blain, professor of Africana studies and history, Brown University 
• Nancy F. Cott, Jonathan Trumbull Professor of American History Emerita, Harvard University
• David L. Eng, Richard L. Fisher Professor of English, University of Pennsylvania 
• Paula J. Giddings, Elizabeth A. Woodson Professor Emerita of Africana Studies, Smith College
• Kimberly Gilmore, senior vice president, Corporate Social Responsibility and chief historian, The HISTORY Channel/A+E Networks
• Jane Kamensky, president, Thomas Jefferson Foundation|Monticello
• Michelle Nickerson, professor of history, Loyola University Chicago
• Guillermina G. Núñez-Mchiri, dean at Imperial Valley Campus and professor, Department of Women’s Studies, San Diego State University
• Katherine Ott, curator and historian, Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History 
• Meranda Roberts, member of the Yerington Paiute Tribe and visiting professor of Art History, Pomona College 
• Kimberly A. Scott, professor of women and gender studies, School of Social Transformation, Arizona State University 
• Susan Stryker, distinguished visiting faculty, Clayman Institute for Gender Research, Stanford University
• Gayle Wald, professor of American Studies and English, George Washington University 
• Mary Ziegler, Martin Luther King Jr. Professor of Law, University of California, Davis

About the Smithsonian American Women’s History Museum

The Smithsonian American Women’s History Museum expands the story of America through the often-untold accounts and accomplishments of women—individually and collectively—to better understand our past and inspire our future. Through new scholarship, diverse viewpoints and innovative forms of exhibition, storytelling and participation, the museum inspires the next generation to create a more equitable world. The legislation creating the Smithsonian American Women’s History Museum passed Dec. 27, 2020, and the museum is working with Congress to finalize a site for a building. Connect with the museum at womenshistory.si.edu. 

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SI-49-2024