Melanie R. Meadors
M.A. Student, Dept. of History, University of Massachusetts Amherst
EDUCATION
University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA, Anticipated Graduation Spring 2023
M.A. in History
Graduate Certificate in Public History, Archives track
Thesis, working title: “Archives, Access, and Otto Ege’s Broken Legacy”
Worcester State University, Worcester, MA, Graduated Summa Cum Laude Spring 2021
B.S. in Geography, GPA 4.0
Minor in History
Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ 1998-2000 (Physical Science, Sociology)
College of the Holy Cross, Worcester, MA 1995-1998 (Sociology, Peace and Conflict Studies)
RESEARCH INTERESTS
Public History; Archives; History of the Book; Early America; Industrial, Labor, and Working-Class History; Medieval History; Geospatial Studies; Writing for Non-Academic Audiences
INTERNSHIPS
Robert S. Cox Special Collections and University Archives Research Center, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA (300 hours, 2022)—Processed complete Darby Penney Papers; assessment; arrangement; finding aid creation; reference work; processing plan creation (Paul Williams Papers); manuscript reading experience (17th-19th c. Quaker papers); rebinding books; creating boxes for book preservation.
GRANTS
Dr. Charles K. Hyde Public History Program Fellowship, 2022
Hands-On Grant, UMass History Department, 2022
NASA Space Grant, Summer 2020
Aisiku Interdisciplinary STEM Center Grant, Summer 2020
HONORS AND AWARDS
Worcester State University Academic Major Award in Geography, 2021
Worcester State University Geography Scholarship, 2020
The Cynthia J. (Swenson) Blair Memorial Scholarship, 2020
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Special Collections and Archives Processing; Cline Library, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ (1997-2000)
Book Repair; Dinand Library, College of the Holy Cross, Worcester, MA (1995-1997)
RESEARCH AND ACADEMIC SKILLS:
· Geographic Information Systems (ArcGIS Pro, ArcGIS Online, ArcMap, QGIS)
· Remote Sensing/Landscape Analysis, Satellite and Drone Imagery
· Historiography
· Interrogating Primary Sources
· Grant Proposal Writing
· Public Speaking
· Press Release Writing
· Library: Archives and Special Collections, Interlibrary Loan
· Conference Poster Creation
PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS
Society of American Archivists
Massachusetts Historical Society
National Council on Public History
Labor and Working-Class History Association
American Association of Geographers
Urban History Association
Aldrich Astronomical Society (speaker coordinator)
CONFERENCE PRESENTATIONS
“The Impact of Place on Robert H. Goddard: How Goddard's Relationship with Worcester, Massachusetts, Affected His Study of Rocketry”
American Association of Geographers Annual Meeting, 2021.
Massachusetts Undergraduate Research Conference, University of Massachusetts, 2021.
“How Remote Sensing Data from the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter Helped Choose the Landing Site for the Mars Perseverance Rover”
· Celebration of Scholarship and Creativity, Worcester State University, May 2020.
ACADEMIC PUBLICATIONS
Hutchinson, James, Tony Stankus, and Melanie Kimball (Meadors). “Mars, Again and Again.” Reference and User Services Quarterly. 37, No. 1 (1997): 23-27.
SELECTED RECENT PUBLICATIONS
“Pliny Moody’s Turkey Tracks,” Prehistoric Times Magazine, Spring 2022.
“Bessie Coleman: History-Making Flying Ace,” GeekMom, February 7, 2022.
“Fashion, Freedom, and Function: Women and Bicycles in the 1890s, Pt 1-3,” GeekMom, Oct-Nov 2021.
“Arcadia in the City: Finding the Pastoral Ideal in an Urban Setting,” ArcGIS StoryMaps, August 15, 2021.
“The Impact of Place on Robert H. Goddard: How Goddard's Relationship with Worcester, Massachusetts, Affected His Study of Rocketry,” ArcGIS StoryMaps, May 5, 2021.
“The Electric Social Network of Benjamin Franklin: How public science and the Republic of Letters created an American icon,” ArcGIS StoryMaps, November 30, 2020.
“Cleaning Up Our Space Act: Space Junk on the Rise.” Once and Future Science, December 9, 2020.
“How NASA Picked the Mars Perseverance Rover Landing Site.” GeekMom, July 30, 2020.
“Mercury and Its Magnetic Field: More Than Meets the Eye.” GeekMom, May 10, 2020.
SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS
“Resistance is Futile: Dealing with Writer’s Block and Resistance,” with Anton Strout, Gen Con Writer’s Symposium, Indianapolis, IN, August 2019.
“Don’t Get Your Pantalets in a Bunch: Writing Historical and Other Research-Intensive Genres Without Getting Lost in the Details,” CTRWA Fiction Fest, September 2018.
“No Room for Ego: How to Give and Take Critique,” with Anton Strout, Gen Con Writer’s Symposium, Indianapolis, IN, August 2017.
“Beyond Clickbait: Creating Multi-Platform Content Readers Can’t Resist (You Won’t Believe #8!)”, Capital Region Romance Writers Event, Albany, NY, May 2017.
“Reviewers and Reviews: Gotta Catch ‘Em All,” Gen Con Writer’s Symposium, Indianapolis, IN, 2016.
“Putting the KAPOW in your Manuscript,” with Sparrow Beckett, CTRWA Fiction Fest, Meriden, CT, September 2016.
“Zen and the Art of Street Team Maintenance,” Gen Con Writer’s Symposium, Indianapolis, IN, August 2015.
“Blogging to Publicize Your Novel,” RT Booklover’s Convention, New Orleans, LA, May 2014.
“How to Plan and Execute a Kick-A$$ Blog Tour,” Market or Die Conference, Albany, NY, October 2013.
“Blogging: Part of an Author’s Toolbox,” EPICon, Vancouver, WA, March 2013.