Sarah McLennan, Co-Director, is an assistant professor of history at VSU, with a research focus in public memory and history of technology. She has previous experience in oral history, educational and community outreach, and collaborative public history projects, including The Lemon Project and National Institute of American History and Democracy program at the College of William & Mary.

Jessica Taylor, Co-Director, is an assistant professor of history at Virginia Tech. A specialist in early American history, she brings to the team knowledge of North Carolina, Maryland, and Virginia’s seventeenth-century historical materials, and past experience on interdisciplinary public history teams.

Chreston Miller, Technical Lead, is currently an assistant professor and the Data and Informatics Consultant for Engineering within Data Services of the University Libraries at Virginia Tech. He supports a wide array of data-related areas such as data wrangling and data sensemaking. Dr. Miller’s current research interests are Applied Machine Learning, specifically Natural Language Processing.

Corinne Guimont is the Digital Scholarship Coordinator in Virginia Tech Publishing at the University Libraries at Virginia Tech. Her work focuses on coordinating efforts and supporting the development of digital humanities and publishing at the University, as well as creating sustainable digital scholarship.

Kristina Poznan, Consultant, is a University of Maryland Assistant Clinical Professor in the Department of History. In addition to her work as the managing editor of Journal of Slavery and Data Preservation, she works collaboratively to create standards and best practices for Enslaved.org’s datasets.

Kara Long is the Coordinator for Metadata Technologies in the University Libraries at Virginia Tech, where she actively supports the creation, documentation, and maintenance of digital collections metadata. Her research interests include adapting interview techniques to better understand domain-specific metadata needs and sustainable digital collections.

Jolene Smith is the Director of Survey & Information Management at the Virginia Department of Historic Resources. Smith has worked as an archaeologist for over 15 years and developed expertise in data science, digital archives, and digital humanities over the past decade. Her research centers on open data, data sensitivity and ethics, digital preservation.

Michael Stamper is an Artist and Web Designer for Virginia Tech Libraries. He has extensive experience working in all aspects of design in academia, for private companies, and the Federal government. He holds a BA in Graphic Design and Art History, and a Masters in Fine Arts both from Indiana University-Bloomington.

Ishana Garuda is a computational modeling and data analytics major at Virginia Tech. His interests include natural language processing, parallel computing, and sentiment analysis.

Zahra Modarres Vahid is a candidate in PhD program in the Alliance for Social, Political, Ethical, and Cultural Thought (ASPECT) at Virginia Tech. She holds an MBA from Bahar Business School, and an MA and BA from Alzahra University. She specializes in Postcolonial and Decolonial Theories, Heritage Management, Sustainable Development, and Women’s Empowerment.

Sabrina K. Harris is a PhD candidate at Virginia Tech, studying within the Alliance for Social, Political, Ethical, and Cultural Thought (ASPECT). Her academic interests include International Relations, International Organizations, Peacekeeping and Interventionism, Feminist and Gender Studies, Decolonial Theory, and Critical Security Studies. Sabrina’s dissertation explores how the UN constructs its development agenda, specifically focusing on climate-sensitive capacity-building endeavors.

Hannah Shetselaar is a first-year graduate student at Virginia Tech, specializing in the study of gender and race in the seventeenth-century Chesapeake region. She holds an undergraduate degree in psychology from Roanoke College, graduating magna cum laude, and is now pursuing her graduate studies in History.

Diega Vega-Nazario is a sophomore at Virginia Tech. He has a background in Virginia community history, having worked on the oral history component of the federal recognition petition for a Virginia tribal Nation during the 2023-2024 school year.

Franklin Cooper Billings is a third-year undergraduate student at Virginia Tech, majoring in History and Social Science Education. He is currently focused on his studies with the goal of becoming an educator in secondary education.

William Harper is a first-year undergraduate student at Virginia Tech, majoring in History with a specific focus on international relations and world politics.

Chris Urben is a second-year undergraduate student at Virginia Tech, majoring in History and Political Science with a minor in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics. His academic focus is on contemporary history, international relations, and world politics.