Publication Date

November 12, 2013

Perspectives Section

Perspectives Daily

This month, Luann Jones, historian for the National Park Service, speaks with What I Do about her role as a historian in the Park History Program, and how she uses her background in oral history to train and teach in a variety of interdisciplinary settings.

Jones not only shares with What I Do how her experience as a historian impacts her current work but also provides great advice to current students or graduates looking to expand their career options. “In many ways I have transferred how I thought of myself in terms of teaching, research, and service as an academic into this particular arena,” she explains.

What I Do features short video interviews with history PhDs across the spectrum of professions. Each month, a different historian will sit down and talk about what they do, how they got their job, what makes their job interesting and challenging, and what they love about their work.

The What I Do project complements the AHA’s existing program funded by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and conducted in partnership with the Modern Language Association for broadening the career horizons of humanities PhDs, as well as the Malleable PhD and Tuning Project.

For more from Luann Jones and the What I Do series, please visit https://www.historians.org/publications-and-directories/perspectives-on-history/what-i-do-historians-talk-about-their-work.

For more information on the National Park Service Oral History Program, please visit https://www.nps.gov/history/history/oralhistory_NEW.htm.

This post first appeared on AHA Today.

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