Mary

Kate Stringer Clary, PhD

EDUCATION
Ph.D Public History, Middle Tennessee State University, 2013

Fields: Museum Studies, History, Educational Management, and Business Management
Dissertation: Enriching the Public History Dialogue: Effective Museum Education Programs
for Audiences with Special Needs

Dissertation Chair: Dr. Carroll Van West
MA History, University of Memphis, 2010 | Fields: Egyptology, Classical History

Certificate Interdisciplinary Museum Graduate Studies, University of Memphis, 2010


Fields: Museum Management, Exhibits, Museum Education
BA

History, cum laude, Middle Tennessee State University, 2008

Fields: US History, Geography

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE: UNIVERSITY TEACHING

Teaching Associate, History Department, Coastal Carolina University 2015 - Present
Courses: HIST 101: Foundations of European Civilizations, HIST 395: Intro to Public History,
HIST 392/ANTH 380: Museum Studies: Museums and Communities, HIST493: Special
Topics in Public History, MALS 600: Master of Liberal Studies Core Seminar

Instructor of Record, History Department, Middle Tennessee State University
2011-2012


Courses: HIST 3110, Explorations in Public History; HIST 1110, World Civilization I

Teaching Assistant, History Department, Middle Tennessee State University

2010


Course: HIST 2010, History of the United States to 1860
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE: PUBLIC HISTORY AND MUSUEMS
Executive Director
Blount Mansion Memorial Association, Knoxville, TN

2013 - 2015

Responsible for daily operations management, collections care, historic preservation, board relations,
exhibitions, public relations. Additional work in grant writing, interpretive planning, and management of
employees and volunteers. Administration of federal, state, and local grants for preservation project.

Independent Consulting






2013, 2014
Humanities Tennessee and Clay County History Museum, Celina, Tennessee
Consultant for Humanities Tennessee for a museum assessment for the Clay County History Museum in
Celina, Tennessee. Returned in 2014 to create an exhibition plan.

Director of Collections, Interpretation, and Development

Sam Davis Home and Museum, Smyrna, TN

Responsible for collections management for the museum and historic home, grant writing and
administration, educational programming, events, exhibitions, interpretation, non-profit
management. Secured and administered federal grant and several state and regional awards.

2013

Graduate Research Assistant

Public History Department, MTSU, Supervisor: Dr. Rebecca Conard

2011, 2013

Assistant to the Chair of the History Department and Director of Public History Program. Organized, planned,
compiled and wrote Program Newsletter. Planned graduate student orientation.

Interim Education Coordinator

Sam Davis Home and Museum, Director: Meredith Baughman

2011

Scheduled, presented and developed educational programs. Coordinated volunteers and demonstrators for
events involving animals, volunteers, student, and demonstrators attended by thousands of students.

Education Coordinator







Biblical History Museum, Collierville, TN, Director: Jacob Shock

2010

Independently developed hands-on programming about ancient history. Presented programs to students
and families. Planned, coordinated and implemented new Archaeology day camp. Conducted summer
archaeology camp for 4 -12 grade students
th

th

Graduate Assistant,







2009 2010

C.H. Nash Archaeological Museum, Memphis, TN Director: Dr. Robert Connolly
Developed curriculum-based programs to use prehistoric and historic artifacts. Assisted with educational
programming development. Cataloged and facilitated the return of no-provenance items to
repositories. Member of the Museum Assessment Program research team. Created Teacher/Group Manual
with curriculum-based activities, information for teachers and leaders, and visit information.

Collections Department Intern







National Civil Rights Museum, Memphis, TN, Supervisor: Sara Cantrell

2009

Worked in collections through the process for accreditation by the American Association of Museums.
Cataloged resources throughout the museum and resource center. Trained on PastPerfect software.
Researched items in repository and collections. Worked in collections care, attended collections workshop.

Social Studies Instructor,

2008 - 2010

Pink Palace Museum, Memphis, TN, Supervisors: Alice Eilers and Kate Dixon
Developed and presented various curriculum-based history and science programs to students, preschool
high school age. Managed inventory, cared for, maintained, and revised materials related to traveling
Suitcase Exhibits. Created new curriculum-based educational materials related to women and African
Americans for Civil War suitcase exhibit. Communicated with teachers to develop meaningful programming.

Intern, Sam Davis Home, Smyrna, TN

Director: Meredith Baughman

2007 - 2008

Guided guests through the main house and the grounds of the historic plantation. Provided interpretation
and helped present educational programming. Assisted with special events. Provided clerical and
administrative assistance. Developed curriculum-based programming. Worked in giftshop and museum.
Assisted Education Coordinator and Event Coordinator

PUBLICATIONS
BOOKS
Stringer, Katie. Programming for People with Special Needs: A Guide for Museums and Historic Sites. Lanham,
MD: Rowman and Littlefield AltaMira Press, 2014.

CHAPTERS
Stringer, Katie. Accessibility in Museum Learning in Museum Learning, 2nd Ed. Eds. Barry Lord
and Brad King. Lanham, MD: Rowman and Littlefield AltaMira Press, 2015.
SELECTED ARTICLES AND REVIEWS
Stringer Clary, Katie. Review of Museum Websites and Social Media in The Public Historian, Vol. 38, Number 2,
May 2016.
Stringer, Katie. Blount Mansion: Looking Back, Moving Forward. Everything Knoxville. December 2013.
Stringer, Katie. Primary Sources, Artifacts, and Students with Special Needs. Teaching with Primary
Sources, Middle Tennessee State University (Fall 2013).
Stringer, Katie. The Legacy of the Freakshow in Musuems. AASLH History News, American Association for
State and Local History (Fall 2013).
Stringer, Katie. "Disability, the Sideshow, and Modern Museum Practices. Scientia et Humanitas 3, (2013):
15-28.

AWARDS AND FELLOWSHIPS

American Association for State and Local History Conference Scholarship
Post-Doctoral Fellowship, MTSU





Deans Distinguished Essay Award for publication in Scientia et Humanitas
Kitty Phillips Seitz Endowed Scholarship




Tennessee Association of Museums Conference Scholarship

Bart McCash Memorial Scholarship for Superior Graduate Studies
Student Government Association Senator Award



Dissertation Research Grant College of Graduate Studies

Dissertation Research Grant Department of Public History

Doctoral Resident Award






Conference Scholarship: College of Graduate Studies


Middle Tennessee State University Study Abroad Scholarship

2013


2013


2013


2012


2012

2012, 2013


2012


2012


2012

2011 - 2012
2011 - 2012

2011

PRESENTATIONS
SELECTED INVITED TALKS AND LECTURES
Access and Your Historic Site or Museum, Webinar for American Association for State and Local History,
online. November 2016.
Accessibility and Education in State Parks, Southeastern State Parks Programs Seminar, Nashville, TN.
December 2014.
May Day! Disaster Preparedness for Museums and Archives, Museum at 5ive Points, Cleveland, Tennessee
for the Tennessee Association of Museums. May, 2014
The House with Many Eyes: A History of Blount Mansion and a Look Into the Future, Downtown Knoxville
Rotary Club, April 2014.
Blount Mansion and East Tennessee History, Fort Loudoun, Tennessee. February 2014.
Restoration and Preservation: Blount Mansions Past and Future, University of Tennessee Womens Club,
February 2014.
The House with Many Eyes: Blount Mansions Expansive Past, West Knoxville Rotary Club, January 2014.
Working in Museums and the Public History Field: How to be Relevant, University of Tennessee History
Club, January 2014.

PRESENTATIONS, CONTINUED
SELECTED CONFERENCE PRESENTATIONS
Making Public History Accessible: Exploring Best Practices for Disability Access, working group
participant, National Council for Public History, Baltimore, MD, March 2016.
Accessing History: Museums in a Post-ADA World, South Carolina Federation of Museums, Edgefield, SC,
March 2016.
Historic Homes of Knoxville: Breaking Barriers and Creating Successful Partnerships at the South Eastern
Museums Conference annual meeting, Knoxville, Tennessee, 2014.
Brass Tacks: Preventive Conservation in Historic Houses, moderator. South Eastern Museums Conference
annual meeting, Knoxville, Tennessee, 2014.
New Solutions for Old Houses: Engaging Visitors and Managing Todays Historic House Museums at the
South Eastern Museums Conference annual meeting, Knoxville, Tennessee, 2014.
Welcoming All Visitors: Accessible Programs at History Museums and Sites, chair and presenter at the
American Association for State and Local History annual meeting, St. Paul, Minnesota, 2014.
Sustainability at Historic House Museums: Creative Thinking, Projects, and Partnerships at the Tennessee
Association of Museums Annual Meeting, Greeneville, Tennessee, 2014.
TLC as a Sideshow: The LEARNING Channel? at the Popular Culture in the South Conference, Savannah,
Georgia, 2013.
Access for All: Museum Education Programs for Students with Special Needs at Tennessee Association of
Museums Conference, Franklin, Tennessee, March 2013.
Acting on Accessibility in a Post-ADA America Session Chair, Tennessee Association of Museums
Conference, Franklin, Tennessee, March 2013.
Rookie Roundtable: Professional Development for Museum Professionals at Tennessee Association of
Museums Conference, Franklin, Tennessee, March 2013.
Disability and Museum History: Exhibiting the Other" at Chronic Disease and Disability Section Western
Social Sciences Association Conference, Denver, Colorado, 2013
Creating Programs at Museums for Special Education Classrooms at Tennessee Council for Exceptional
Children State Conference, Nashville, Tennessee, 2012.
Sensitivity and Awareness: Steps to Take for Successful Connections at Tennessee Association
of Museums Conference, Memphis, Tennessee, 2012.
Your Museum: Compliance, Awareness, Sensitivity, and Outreach Session Chair, Tennessee Association of
Museums Conference, Memphis, Tennessee, 2012.
What Can Lady Gaga Teach Us About the French Revolution? Social Media and Public History, at the
Popular Culture in the South Conference, New Orleans, LA, 2011
Public History and Popular Culture Use and Abuse Session Chair, Popular Culture in the South

Conference, New Oreans, LA, 2011.

PUBLIC HISTORY EXHIBITS AND PROJECTS

SELECTED EXHIBITS
Charles Joyner Reading Room in the Edwards College, CCU Class Project Instructor
Framing History: Art of the Blount Mansion Association Collection, Blount Mansion
Furniture on the Frontier, Blount Mansion






Womens History Month Special Exhibit: Women of the Davis Plantation


Sogo Bo: The Animals Go Forth Exhibit at the University of Memphis


Fisk University and Freedman Education, online exhibit

2016
2014
2013
2013
2010
2010

SELECTED PROJECTS AND PLANS

Consulting: Exhibition Plan: Clay County History Museum

Consulting: Museum Assessment for Clay County History Museum

2014
2013

SELECTED PROJECTS AND PLANS, CONTINUED

Editor, Public History Program Newsletter




Disaster Planning for the Sam Davis Home




Teachers Manual and Visitor Information, C.H. Nash Museum

Roman Archaeology Summer Day-Camp, Biblical History Museum

Mediterranean Gods and Goddesses: Religions of Egypt, Greece, and Rome
Life in Ancient Egypt, Biblical History Museum



The Greeks and Romans, Biblical History Museum



Mystery Box, C.H. Nash Museum





The Scoop On Poop Gallery Guides





Life on the Tennessee Frontier, Pink Palace Museum



Native Americans of the Mid-South, Pink Palace Museum


Children in the Civil War, Sam Davis Home

SELECTED GRANTS
National Endowment for the Humanities Wrote as potential Project Co-Director
State of Tennessee Grant for Blount Mansion - Administration


First Tennessee Foundation Grant Wrote, Awarded, Administration

Arts and Cultural Alliance Wrote, Awarded, Administration


Community Agency Grant, City of Knoxville - Wrote, Awarded, Administration
Save Americas Treasures, National Park Service Administration


Tennessee Historical Commission Grant Administration



Middle Tennessee Electric Customers Care, Inc. Grant Wrote, Awarded

National Endowment for the Humanities Climate Control Grant - Administration
Frist Foundation Technology Grant Wrote, Awarded

2011 - 2013

2011

2010

2010

2010

2010

2010

2009

2008

2008

2008

2007

2016
2014-2015
2014, 2015
2013-2015

2014
2013-2014

2013

2013

2013

2013

PROFESSIONAL SERVICE AND LEADERSHIP

Horry County Board of Architectural Review and Historic Preservation

2016 - present
Contingent Faculty Committee for College of Humanities and Fine Arts

2016 - present
Department of History: Student Awards and Scholarships Committee

2016 - present
President: SEMC Historic House Museums Affinity Group



2014-2015
American Association for State and Local History
National Leadership Committee - Captain for the State of Tennessee
2013 2015
American Association for State and Local History
National Leadership Committee Regional Representative


2013 2015
American Association for State and Local History Career Development Committee 2014-2015
Southeastern Museums Conference Program Committee




2014
Southeastern Museums Conference Local Arrangements Committee

2013 - 2014
Tennessee Association of Museums Awards Program Representative


2014
Hope Center Volunteer, Knoxville, Tennessee






2013
Tennessee Achieves High School Mentor






2013
President: Graduate Student Association at MTSU




2012 2013
University Committee for University Planning




2012 2013
Graduate Student Representative: University Graduate Council


2012 2013
Graduate Student Representative: Student Affairs and Travel


2012 - 2013
Public History Graduate Committee






2011 2012
Graduate Student Professional Development Committee



2012 2013
Senator: Student Government Association





2011 2012
Association of Graduate Students in History





2010 2012

University of Memphis Graduate History Association

2008 - 2010

TRAINING AND TECHNICAL SKILLS
University of Tennessee Non-Profit Management: Strategic Planning
American Association for State and Local History Caring for Collections
American Association of State and Local History: Historic House Conference
Tennessee Association of Museums May Day Disaster Preparation
D-Plan Disaster Planning Software
PastPerfect collections management software
Omeka online exhibit software
Collections Care and Management, sponsored by Tennessee State Archives and Libraries.
Word Excel Works - PowerPoint
Photoshop - Adobe PageMaker
iMovie -Flipcam HandyCam
Digital photography
Wordpress
PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS
South Carolina Federation of Museums
Phi Alpha Theta
National Trust for Historic Preservation
American Association for State and Local History
National Council on Public History
Southeastern Museums Conference
Association of Academic Museums and Galleries