Mark L. Shanks

mlshanks [at] ix.netcom.com

        University of California, Santa Barbara, Ph.D. program in History, Specializing in Public History, American History, Public Memory and Museology.  (ABD, Spring 2003, degree anticipated, 2005)

        Calif. State University at San Bernardino, Interdisciplinary MA program focused in Public History (Education) and Certificate in Museum Studies, December 1994

        California State University at Northridge, post-graduate work in American history and geography, 1989-1990

        University of California at San Diego, BA in Drama  (Technical Theater emphasis), with double minor in American Literature and General Science, 1984

        Director of Historical Interpretation, Old Cowtown Museum, Wichita, KS.  Directed seasonal and permanent interpretive staff (20) and interpretive volunteers (350+) for major regional outdoor living history museum; developed and implemented daily and special events programming; oversaw departmental budgeting; served as key member of  staff planning team.

        Education Director, Virginia’s Explore Park, Virginia Recreational Facilities Authority.  Oversaw policy and operations of the historical and environmental interpretive staff (23) and volunteers (85+) for 1300 acre outdoor living history and environmental museum; developed daily and special events programming; wrote grants and funding proposals; helped develop mission statement, master plan, and budget plans. Implemented complete program evaluation and review process.

·            Contract Historical Education Programming: research, construction, presentation, and follow-up for The Living History Center's "Workshop in the Woods" (re-creation site historical first-person instruction) as well as historical classroom outreach programs for The Living History Center and History-ala-Carte involving a variety of  historical periods and methods of presentation. Staff training and program development for The Living History Center, Santa Barbara Trust for Historic Preservation, and Arizona Historical Society.

·            Local History Aide, California Room, Feldheim [Central] Public Library, San Bernardino Public Library.  Assisted patrons in research  use of extensive history collection.  Worked with library staff in historical reference, collections, cataloging, and preservation.  Major projects included preserving and organizing the collection’s extensive map holdings for public use.

·            Professional Internship, Washburn-Norlands Living History Center, Maine.  Duties included historic structure and farm interpretation, assistance in conducting operation of historic farm, creation and presentation of  interpretive training seminars, and completely researching and re-writing the men’s interpretive costume guidelines for site.

·            Independent Contractor with The Living History Center on a seasonal and contract basis for almost 12 years in a variety of roles both professional and volunteer including: character re-enactment, docenting, stage management, exhibit design and construction, teaching, writing, research, volunteer coordination, concessions, and public relations.  This work included involvement in historical re-creation events in a diverse variety of historical time periods.

·            Graduate Assistant (UC Santa Barbara): Taught undergraduate discussion sections for History 17B/17C (American Survey), History 7 (Public Policy); Black Studies 3 (African Studies);  Law and Society 180 (Social Science and the Law); Film Studies 101C (Historical Survey, Modern), and Film Studies 46 (Intro to Cinema).   Created lesson plans, led discussions, graded assignments and exams, and assisted students with work.

·            Graduate Assistant: (CSU San Bernardino) Assisted undergraduate history students with study and research, graded papers, and compiled class statistics for Department of History. 

·            Secondary Substitute Social Studies Instructor for Los Angeles, San Bernardino, and Arrowhead Unified School Districts (Grades 6-12)  (CA Em. Credential)

·         “Maintaining the Message: The Care and Feeding of Historical Interpreters” ALHFAM Annual Meeting 21 (1998)

·         “Bringing the Schoolhouse to Life: Methodologies of Living History Education Demonstrated in a Program for San Timoteo Schoolhouse, Riverside County, California”  (MA Thesis: California State University San Bernardino, December 1994)

      Contributor to The Moderne Aviso (a re-enactment journal), including “Interdisciplinary Synthesis: Tools for Building a Living History Presentation” (4:1), “A Bibliography for Living History” (4:1), and other  articles relevant to living history re-enactment.

·         Washburn-Norlands: 1870: Costume Guidelines for Men and Boys (Livermore Falls, ME: Washburn-Norlands, 1992)

      Historical Summaries: “Social Precedence in Tudor and Stuart England”, “English Currency, Making Sense of the Pense” and “Historical Counting”, Genie On-Line Service, Writer’s Forum (Uploaded January 1992)

•       Contributor, “Renaissance History” series in the San Bernardino Sun (May 1991): “Masters and Apprentices”, “The Court of Elizabeth”, and “An Age of Exploration” (Collected & published by the Living History Center, September 1991)

Association of Living Historical Farms and Agricultural Museums (ALHFAM)

                                                (Guest speaker, Western Regional meeting, 1995)

(Guest speaker, Annual meeting, 1998)

American Association for State and Local History

The British Library (Reader)

The Huntington Library (Reader)

The Occasional Daunce Society

The Sons of Anachrion

·         Dr. Ann Plane, Dept. of History, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA  93106  (805) 893-2644  bergstro@history.ucsb.edu

·         Linda Underhill, Presenters of the Past, 803 East Villa, #1, Pasadena, CA  91101  (626) 795-3397 lindaunderhill@hotmail.com

·         Dr. Jay Price, Dept. of History, Wichita State University, Wichita, Kansas 67260 (316) 978-7792 jay.price@wichita.edu

·         Jan McKay, Executive Director, Old Cowtown Museum, 1871 Sim Park, Wichita, Kansas  67203  (316) 264-0671  jmckay@sedgwick.gov