Introducing the Public History Collaborative at The University of Arizona

The Public History Collaborative (PHC) at the University of Arizona was launched in 2019 – admittedly not the most fortuitous time to begin a collaborative, public project. But hindsight is 20/20! In its post-pandemic life, the PHC serves several purposes. First, it is an advocacy hub for all things public that the Department of History faculty members engage in outside of their academic scholarship and their teaching. Next, the PHC is an educational center that coordinates events and projects that include members of the public beyond the space of the university. Lastly, the PHC is a resource for anyone looking for ideas, information, and inspiration for their own public history initiatives.

Advocacy Hub: In this role, the PHC works with faculty to incubate, amplify, and promote projects they are working on that fall outside the more traditional research work of historians (ie publishing books and articles with scholarly presses and journals). The PHC provides support to faculty in a variety of ways. Look for future blog posts about some of these exciting projects.

Event Sponsor: The PHC also coordinates events and projects of its own. It welcomes K-12 teachers and students to campus to learn what it’s like to be a Wildcat AND a History major, and it works with partners to create exciting opportunities for interacting with history (both locally and globally).

Resource: The PHC maintains a robust website announces upcoming public history events on the UArizona campus, in the southern Arizona community, and online. Additionally, the PHC offers information and resources about public history and digital humanities via its website and this blog. We hope you find the resources helpful!

The PHC is coordinated by Michelle K Berry (mkberry@arizona.edu) and is supported by the PHC Committee in the Department of History. If you’d like to connect, please reach out!