Meet the New USHRAB Members

The Utah State Historical Records Advisory Board (USHRAB) is made up of professionals from around the state who have experience in the management, preservation, and care of historical records. Board members are appointed by the Governor and serve three-year terms, each bringing their own expertise to the group and acting as a regional representative from all of Utah’s far-flung corners. We are very pleased to introduce our three newest Board members!

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What are your day-to-day responsibilities in your current work?

My primary tasks include the management of all museum collections, which include archives, photographs, three-dimensional objects, books, & digital collections (images, audio, video). I also maintain our website and social media. I have had active roles in  writing interpretive exhibitions, conducting primary research, and running educational programs and tours. As the sole steward of our collections, I am responsible for their long-term preservation of the collection while balancing public access.

Could you please tell us about a project, initiative, or program that you led or had a major role in planning/executing that is a particular point of pride for you? 

My favorite and most rewarding projects are when I can partner with groups to help them share their stories, whether through an oral history, exhibition, family reunion, or something else.

Several years ago, my museum partnered with the Northwestern Band of Shoshone Nation to curate an exhibit as part of our national-award-winning “H2OToday in the Bear River Heritage Area” project. “Wuda Ogwa: The River is Life” explores the tribe’s relationship with what we call the Bear River and the importance of the river to the sustainability of the Shoshone people from time immemorial to today. The temporary exhibit I curated lives on as a virtual exhibit at our museum, and will be in the Peoples Online project at the Museum of Utah. Our partnership with the NWB Shoshone on this exhibit has created a long-term relationship with the tribe that continues to this day. We are currently working with tribal leadership on another Smithsonian-based exhibit, “Know Your Treaty,” which explores the Treaty of Box Elder and later treaties that affected the NWB Shoshone. It will open to coincide with the anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Box Elder in June 2027.

I am also proud to have written my museum’s first-ever Collections Management Policy. 

What attracted you to USHRAB board service?

I really like the work that USHRAB does in building an archives network, providing professional development opportunities, and creating awareness of archives through Utah Archives Month. I am excited to be a part of this board!

Is there a particular USHRAB program or service that makes you excited to join the Board this year? Or is there an idea for a new program or improvement to an existing program that you are looking forward to working on during your term?

I am just excited to participate in such a wonderful program. I look forward to learning more, brainstorming ideas, and spreading awareness of USHRAB across the state.

For fun: What is your favorite history fact/trivia that you think would be a top notch conversation starter at a party?

Pigeons have been awarded more Dickins medals for military service since WWII than all other animals combined (32 pigeons, 18 dogs, 3 horses, & 1 cat). Simon was a ship’s cat who continued catching rats despite shrapnel injuries on his damaged boat.

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What are your day-to-day responsibilities in your current work?

My day-to-day includes faculty and student support, onboarding faculty, staff and graduate students, and ensuring our departments run smoothly. 

Could you please tell us about a project, initiative, or program that you led or had a major role in planning/executing that is a particular point of pride for you?

Co-founding the Black Faculty and Staff Association Community History Internship, an initiative that equips students with hands-on experience in archival research, original scholarship, and public history. The program provides opportunities for students to learn archival methods, develop independent research projects, and collaborate directly with the co-editors of the Utah Historical Quarterly. In partnership with the J. Willard Marriott Library, we established a digital collection to preserve student work and make their research publicly accessible. Interns are encouraged to explore creative forms of historical storytelling outside of a standard essay, producing projects such as walking tours, zines, digital exhibits, and board games. Alumni of the program have gone on to earn graduate degrees and deliver keynote addresses. In recognition of the program’s impact, I received the Outstanding Achievement Award from the Utah Historical Society in 2024.

What attracted you to USHRAB board service?

I want to have an impact on archive accessibility as well as increase public support and awareness of archives.

Is there a particular USHRAB program or service that makes you excited to join the Board this year? Or is there an idea for a new program or improvement to an existing program that you are looking forward to working on during your term?

I am interested in creating training and workshop opportunities for community members and other archival institutions. 

For fun: What is your favorite history fact/trivia that you think would be a top-notch conversation starter at a party?

The term “pothole” originated from the practice of digging clay from roadsides to make pottery. These holes often created holes in the roadway, which eventually became known as potholes.

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What are your day-to-day responsibilities in your current work?

I coordinate activities and work that support our digital collections, from digitization and metadata creation through preservation, access, systems management, and project planning.

Could you please tell us about a project, initiative, or program that you led or had a major role in planning/executing that is a particular point of pride for you? 

Following a major library realignment, I played a central role in establishing USU Libraries’ Digital Stewardship Program. I helped define the program’s mission, services, staffing model, and workflows, while also leading a major operational effort to migrate our digital collections to a new platform (Preservica). 

What attracted you to USHRAB board service?

My colleague served on USHRAB and frequently talked about many of the good things that were happening across the state through their work. 

Is there a particular USHRAB program or service that makes you excited to join the Board this year? Or is there an idea for a new program or improvement to an existing program that you are looking forward to working on during your term?

Assisting other institutions with grant opportunities is what I look forward to the most.

For fun: What is your favorite history fact/trivia that you think would be a top notch conversation starter at a party?

Illuminated manuscripts feature some pretty strange things like killer rabbits, murderous geese, and snails fighting knights.