Rebecca Duke, PhD

12009 Queens Place SE Huntsville, AL 35803 ∙ rduke 614@gmail.com ∙ 615-482-3035

Nonprofit professional with 15 years’ experience in curriculum and program development, grant
writing and fundraising, management, and classroom instruction

Education

PhD – Public History

Concentration in Museum Education and Administration
Middle Tennessee State University
Graduated November 2020

Master of Art – History

Jacksonville State University
Graduated August 2009

Bachelor of Fine Art

Jacksonville State University
Graduated April 2005

Work Experience

Lecturer - The University of Alabama in Huntsville

August 2019 – Present, Huntsville, AL
Instruct college level courses in Survey of World History both in person and online;
Facilitate online learning via Canvas learning platform;
Lead and facilitate students in improving their capacity in critical thinking and learning.

Training Services Instructor – American Red Cross

June 2019 – November 2019
Teach Red Cross Health and Safety courses to businesses and to the North Alabama community;
Coordinate course delivery with businesses including equipment upkeep and logistics;
Work independently as a remote instructor across the service area of North Alabama.

Director, Osher Lifelong Learning Institute – The University of Alabama in Huntsville

July 2017 – August 2018, Huntsville, AL
Provide leadership and management for the planning, scheduling, and delivery of activities of the Osher
Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI at UAH);
Hire, train, and supervise staff and coordinate over 100 volunteers who assist in OLLI operations;
Handle multiple projects and work collaboratively with staff and volunteers to develop new programs, including
courses, lectures, cultural events, and excursions;
Mange financials of the program and report to the Dean of the College of Professional and Continuing Studies.
History Instructor – Gadsden State Community College
January 2015 – May 2017, Gadsden, AL
Instruct college level courses in Survey of Western Civilization I and II, US History 201 and 202, and World
History;
Facilitate online learning via Blackboard learning platform;
Lead and facilitate students in improving their capacity in critical thinking and learning.

History Instructor – Jacksonville State University

August 2016 – May 2017, Jacksonville, AL
Instruct undergraduate survey classes in Western Civilization and US History;
Lead and facilitate students in improving their capacity in critical thinking and learning.

Curator – Gadsden Museum of Art and History

August 2013 – July 2016, Gadsden, AL
Manage and coordinate the museum and art and history program for the City of Gadsden;
Manage daily operations, museum departmental budgets, and supervise museum staff;
Serve as a liaison between the City of Gadsden and the museum’s nonprofit Board of Directors;
Engage in grant writing and fundraising development;
Create and supervise educational programming;
Coordinate programs of display, acquisition, conservation, registration, and storage of museum artifacts;
Engage in public relations for the museum.

Curator of Education and Collections – Sam Davis Home and Museum

September 2011 – December 2012, Smyrna, TN
Coordinate, develop, and lead all aspects of educational programming to include field trips, outreaches, and
special educational events for ages preK – adult;
Lead teacher workshops on teaching history in the classroom;
Manage museum inventory and historic house collections;
Train interpretative staff;
Identify and write proposals for potential grants for education department;
Recruit, coordinate, and train volunteers – developed volunteer training and recruitment program.

Graduate Research Assistant – Middle Tennessee State University

August 2011 – December 2012, Murfreesboro, TN
Assist/Facilitate teacher workshops for the Teaching with Primary Sources-MTSU (outreach program of the
Library of Congress) to train k-12 teachers on effective methods of history education in the classroom;
Serve as a museum consultant for the Skyline Farms community (Jackson Co. Alabama) regarding the
development of their museum and heritage center;
Conduct community workshops on collecting history collections management, material culture, and
preservation.

Graduate Teaching Assistant, History Dept.– Middle Tennessee State University

August 2009 – July 2011, Murfreesboro, TN
Assist history faculty with classes by giving lectures, leading discussion sections, prepping classroom
materials;
Grade assignments, tests, and research papers.
Graduate Research Assistant, Early Childhood Education Dept. – Jacksonville State University
January 2008 – July 2009, Jacksonville, AL
Assist Early Childhood Education (ECE) professors with research topics and compile information as requested;
Prepare professional presentations for ECE faculty;
Use Blackboard, Banner, and Livetext to facilitate ECE online classes.

Art Teacher – Saks Elementary School

August 2007 – May 2009, Anniston, AL
Develop and teach art curriculum for children in grades K-4 in a title I school;
Organized first school-wide student art show.

Teacher – Creative Montessori School

August 2005 – May 2007, Birmingham, AL
Use the Montessori Method and current research-based instructional practices to develop interdisciplinary
units of instruction for grades preK and 4-6th;
Meet quarterly with parents to discuss progress reports;
Specialized in arts and culture in a co-teaching team of four teachers.

Skills
Microsoft Office Suite, Microsoft Teams, SharePoint, Zoom, Banner, Desire2Learn, Blackboard, Canvas,
Panopto, Xenegrade, Zoom, Photoshop

Professional Organizations

Alabama Museums Association Board Member – 2015 – 2020; Board President 2016-2017
Education Committee member, Alabama Bicentennial Commission – 2015-2016
Downtown Gadsden Inc. Board Member – 2015 – 2017
Central-Carver Museum Board Member – 2016-2017

Professional Presentations

Museums and Lifelong Learning Institutes – Collaborating to Increase Community Volunteerism, Alabama
Museums Association Annual Meeting, Tuscaloosa, Alabama, March 2018

We need Help! Developing a Sustainable Volunteer

Program, Alabama Museums Association Annual Meeting, Gadsden, Alabama, February 2015

Rookie Roundtable: Tips for Success for New Museum Professionals, Tennessee Association of Museums
Annual Meeting, Franklin, TN, March 2013

The Importance of Local History Museums, Alabama Museums Association Annual Meeting, Montgomery, AL,
February 2013

Connecting National History to Local History using Community Museums, Dr. JC Francis Medical and
Apothecary Museum, Jacksonville, AL, May 2012
Collections Management for the Skyline Farms Heritage Center. Skyline Farms Heritage Association, Skyline
Farms, AL, January 2012

History in Unexpected Places: Engaging Children Outside of the Classroom. Pop and American Culture
Conference, New Orleans, LA, October 2011.

History in Unexpected Places: Engaging Children Outside of the Classroom. Center for Historic Preservation,
Murfreesboro, TN, October 2011.

Connecting Educational Communities: Museums and Formal Learning. National Council for Public History
Annual Meeting, Pensacola, FL, April 2011.