I graduated from UC in the spring of 2018 with a BA in History, a minor in Architectural Studies, and a Certificate in Historic Preservation. After several years of nonprofit work in the historic Over-the-Rhine neighborhood, I moved to New Orleans to complete an MS in Historic Preservation at Tulane University. History has always been my favorite subject, and combining that love with my love for architecture has been amazing!

What are you up to these days?    

I currently work as an Architectural Historian for an engineering firm in Philadelphia, PA. I love my job for the variety of projects we are involved in – and the amount of travel required – I am never bored!  Some of the projects we have worked on have included collaboration with city planning offices to create and format design guidelines for their historic districts, documenting and researching historic buildings and structures for the National Register of Historic Places, completing county-wide surveys for historic structures, and surveying cemeteries to establish maintenance plans for monument preservation.

What brought you to history at UC?  

I came to UC to study architecture at DAAP before switching to history at the end of my sophomore year. After completing two years at DAAP and working at architecture firms through co-ops, I realized I was more drawn to restoration/adaptive reuse projects that involved research and community collaboration than in pure, new design work. Having always loved history, I decided to change my major to work on my writing and research skills while also pursuing a certificate in historic preservation and a minor in architectural studies. I was drawn to the history program at UC because of the many passionate history professors I met when I was considering the degree and because of the program’s willingness to work with me to complete the degree in two years!

What did you focus on as a history student at UC?  

Although I did not have time in my two years to formally choose one specific focus as a UC history student, I found myself in a variety of 20th-century classes. 

Did you have any favorite history courses? Which ones and why?  

I honestly enjoyed every history course I took at UC, but some of my favorites were Cold War in Latin America with Dr. Isaac Campos and Women, Sex, and Conquest in Latin America with Dr. Brianna Leavitt-Alcántara. I took these courses during the same semester to learn more about both colonial and twentieth-century Latin American history. I remember that although this semester was especially hard as it was my first as a new history student transitioning from design-based studios to research and writing classes, both classes dealt with such fascinating subject matter that I was always excited to come to class and learn! 

What did you focus on in your capstone and why?  

Unsurprisingly, I focused on history and architecture for my capstone, “Beer, Brewing, and Buildings: The Physical Impact of the Christian Moerlein Brewing Co, on the City of Cincinnati.” I greatly enjoyed working on this paper and connecting with the many preservation and history professionals in Over-the-Rhine during my research, many of whom I later worked with after graduating. This capstone was a great way to solidify my combined interests, test my research and architectural knowledge, and see if this was the type of work I wanted to continue to do in the future. I received the George Newberger Award for my capstone in the spring of 2018.

What skills did you pick up from studying history that have served you well beyond your courses?  

The research and writing skills I gained from studying history at UC were an amazing base for my future MS program and current work. UC taught me how to read efficiently and then summarize what I had read concisely, an important skill often overlooked. I remember Dr. Campos had assignments requiring extensive reading that had to be summarized on a single page. At the time, these assignments drove me insane, but now I am so grateful for them! This ability has ended up being one of the greatest skills I gained through the program and is something I use in many facets of my life.

Have any advice for current students?

Although I came into the history program with a solidified interest in architectural history, I am so grateful I stepped outside of this narrow interest to take classes with various subjects from various professors. Focusing on new material, both challenged me and expanded my view of the world. If I had focused on material I was familiar with, I still would have learned and enjoyed my classes, but I would not have met the same professors and classmates, and I may not have been introduced to certain topics that I still find myself reading up on to the present day. I challenge you to really get to know all the courses offered before choosing your semester classes and try to take a few classes with subject matter you are not as familiar with but look interesting to you!