Emily Swafford

The AHA’s portfolio of special projects and funded programs has outgrown its small staff, and we are delighted to welcome a new member to our team. Emily Swafford joined the AHA staff as programs manager in September, bringing with her a range of ideas, skills, and experiences that enhance our ability to serve members.

Emily comes to us from the German Historical Institute, where she has been a postdoctoral fellow continuing her research on US military family policy in postwar Germany. She recently received her PhD in 20th-century US history from the University of Chicago, where she taught widely in both the core curriculum and in gender and sexuality, as well as advising undergraduate senior theses in history. She worked for five years in the development office of the University of Chicago Library, and has previous experience as a legal assistant in a Washington law firm.

Emily is looking forward to working on the AHA’s various initiatives, and helping the discipline to navigate the challenges to scholarship and teaching created by the changing landscape of higher education. “I’m especially excited to be working on issues related to graduate education. I believe that graduate training in teaching helps students to identify the skills and habits of mind cultivated by a graduate education in history, which will serve them well as future professors or in whatever careers they choose.” In addition to the next phase of Career Diversity for Historians, she will also be working on issues related to undergraduate and K–12 teaching, and staffing the Teaching Division.

Julia Brookins is the AHA's special projects coordinator.