Public History with Jason Herbert

When we think of historians, we often think of educators working within the university system, teaching classes, and conducting research in dusty old archives. However, the field of history and the careers engaged in by trained historians are wider and broader than one might think. This includes the field of public history. 

Public history is the practice of doing history outside the traditional classroom or academic setting. It’s about how historical knowledge is created, interpreted, and, most importantly, shared with the general public. But what does this look like in practice? How do historians make historical knowledge accessible to those outside academia?

Dr. Jason Herbert holds a Ph.D. in American History from the University of Minnesota and was named a Kentucky Colonel by Governor Andy Beshear in 2022. He taught high school while writing his doctoral dissertation, then served as an ethnographer in Florida, and more recently as a Tribal Liaison for the United States Forest Service in Colorado. He is also the creator and host of the podcast, Reckoning with Jason Herbert.

Dr. Julia Troche is an Associate Professor at Missouri State University. She is an Egyptologist, trained at Brown University, and teaches classes on the ancient world.