Laura Brannan Fretwell

In addition to receiving my PhD in history, I research and teach United States history, African American history, spatial theory, memory studies, and digital and public history. I have been grateful to have received predoctoral fellowship opportunities that have strengthened my scholarship and teaching from the Department of History, Center for Humanities Research, Roy Rosenzweig Center for History and New Media, and the University of Luxembourg’s Centre for Contemporary and Digital History. 

What was your specific area of study and how did you choose it? 

I study the histories of place, gender, race, and ideas of belonging and power in the modern American South and incorporate public history and digital humanities methods such as digital mapping and oral histories. Growing up in the American South, I realized how strongly the past informs present inequalities—especially racialized experiences of urban spaces in the South. This inspired me to engage public communities and use digital methods to study place-based histories of Southern spaces and cultural institutions, which I apply in my current research. My dissertation conducted oral history interviews, in combination with archival research and digital mapping methods, to recover African American experiences and memories of a local commemorative site called Chimborazo Park in Richmond, Virginia. Overall, the project recovers the largely untold and “forgotten” story that Chimborazo once hosted a thriving African American neighborhood for over a decade that was later displaced for the construction of the municipal park. 

How did your academic experiences in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences impact you? 

My research and teaching have greatly benefited from the various opportunities provided to me by the Department of History, including engaging with faculty, receiving research funding, and teaching my own course called The Digital Past. The various centers within the College of Humanities and Social Sciences have also been deeply influential in developing who I am as a scholar; some of the most impactful experiences was when I was a Digital History Fellow at the University of Luxembourg as a part of the Roy Rosenzweig Center for History and New Media’s graduate student exchange program, and when I engaged with a multidisciplinary cohort of humanities scholars as a Residential Fellow at the Center for Humanities Research. 

Which accomplishments during your time at George Mason are you most proud of? 

I am proud to have built successful partnerships with various members of the Richmond community for my dissertation project over the last three years, including working with and interviewing members of Fourth Baptist Church to recover their archival silences, as Fourth Baptist is a local African American church who faced discrimination and displacement at Chimborazo Hill. I am also grateful this work has been recognized by the National Park Service’s (NPS) Richmond National Battlefield Park, who cover the Civil War-era of the Chimborazo site in their on-site museum. NPS recently invited me to serve as a Historical Consultant to facilitate public sessions for their museum’s interpretation and provide recommendations based on public feedback. In addition, I am honored to have been invited to serve as Historical Consultant to the local non-profit the Chimborazo Park Conservancy. Based on these partnerships and others, I am very grateful that my scholarship has gained community attention and is directly impacting public interpretation about Chimborazo’s histories. 

Are there faculty or staff members who made a difference during your George Mason career? 

My advisor Professor Alison Landsberg especially helped my historical analysis skills grow over the last six years in terms of memory studies and thinking about the histories of power and place. She was also a constant source of expertise, support, and guidance throughout my entire graduate career, from the dissertation project to the job market. I am honored to have worked with her so closely during my time at George Mason. My dissertation committee members also provided invaluable input and advice throughout the dissertation process: Professor Yevette Richards Jordan, Professor Michael O’Malley, and Professor Cindy Kierner. In addition, the support and enthusiasm from digital and public history experts Professor Mills Kelly, Professor Lincoln Mullen, and Professor Deepthi Murali also greatly influenced how I research and teach digital public history. 

What advice would you give to an incoming cohort of graduate students? 

Always apply for any funding, research, and/or fellowship opportunity that you feel inspired by—you never know what will be a good fit for you in the future! Also do not be shy to reach out to various faculty members to ask for their advice about your research interests and graduate career. 

What are your current career plans following graduation? What are your long-term career goals? 

I am excited to be Assistant Professor of Digital and Public History at Florida Atlantic University starting this fall 2025! I hope to continue pursuing a career researching and teaching the history of American cultural institutions and digital and public history methods at the university-level.