Denise D. Meringolo

Denise D. Meringolo received her PhD in American Studies from the George Washington University in 2005. Her book, Museums, Monuments, and National Parks, was awarded the annual National Council on Public History book prize in 2013. She is currently Associate Professor of History and Director of Public History at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County.

Denise D. Meringolo began her career at the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of American History. Her senior-year internship morphed into a contract position, and between 1989 and 1995, she learned about public history simply by doing it. Later, she worked for the Jewish Historical Society of Greater Washington, the Accokeek Foundation at Piscataway Park, and as an independent contractor. Each opportunity allowed her not only to expand her professional network, but also to learn from a variety of people -professionals and non-professionals-- who showed her what it meant to practice history as a form of public service. As a public historian, Meringolo is committed to helping people use history to establish a sense of place, understand pressing social problems, or develop a politically viable collective identity.