Laura Milsk Fowler, Ph.D
 
 
Education B.A. University of Wisconsin - Madison, 1992 M.A. Loyola University Chicago (Public History) 1996 Ph.D. Loyola University Chicago (Public and American History) 2003  MY CONTACT Email: lmilsk@siue.edu Mail: Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Campus Box 1454 Peck Hall 1233 Edwardsville, IL 62026-1454 Website: http://www.siue.edu/MUSEUMSTUDIES http://www.siue.edu/artsandsciences/historicalstudies/facstaff.shtml  COurses Taught Spring 2010: HIST 330 - History of Illinois HIST 500A - Seminar in American History HIST 582 - Practicum in Program Exhibition and Development Fall 2009: HIST 330 - History of Illinois HIST 401 - Historical Research HIST 580 - Foundations of Museology Spring 2009: IS 341 - The Immigrant in America HIST 330 - History of Illinois HIST 582 - Practicum in Program Exhibition and Development Other courses: HIST 434A - U.S. History 1896-1945 HIST 400 - Urban History HIST 201 - U.S. HIstory and Constitution, 1877 - present Directed Readings: History of Immigration, Urban history, family and divorce in nineteenth-century America, birth of European museums, urban culture, Public history and cultural tourism http://www.siue.edu/MUSEUMSTUDIEShttp://www.siue.edu/artsandsciences/historicalstudies/facstaff.shtmlshapeimage_2_link_0shapeimage_2_link_1
 
Research Projects and Interests  My research current project looks at the history of Chicago’s downtown railroad terminals as a place where one can see the complexities of public space.  Built initially as temporary structures in the middle of the nineteenth century, the buildings quickly became centerpieces of the railroad and of the burgeoning city in the Midwest. Through this I study the history of Chicago, the railroad industry, immigration, urban history, public space, and the applications of race and gender in these spaces.   Other projects include the Croatian Heritage Project, a community research project that is exploring the history of the Croatian community in Southwestern Illinois throughout the twentieth century.   For the past two years I have also worked on CUSP: Conjunctions, Ubjects, Stories, and Places, at Southwestern Illinois College’s Schmidt Art Center. This project interviews residents of southwestern Illinois and asks them to select objects important to them, their families, and the history and culture of the region. My students have curated two shows thus far and will continue for the next three years. This is a ground-breaking exercise in community relations, local history, and material culture that teaches us all about the importance of memory and objects in understanding the past.   I also direct the Post-Baccalaureate Certificate Program in Museum Studies.  For more information, please contact our web page at www.siue.edu/MUSEUMSTUDIES.   Research interests:  U.S. History, 1850- present, History of Illinois, History of Chicago, Urban History, Immigration and Ethnicity, History of Transportation, History of Museums, Public History, and Museology.    Selected Publications “Land of Goshen and Opportunity.” St. Louis Currents: The Bi-State Region after a Century of Planning. Mark Abbott and Andrew Theising, eds. DVD. St. Louis: Reedy Press, 2009.
 “Lincolnwood,” in Chicago Neighborhoods and Suburbs: A Historical Guide. Ann Durkin Keating, ed. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2008. “Mapping Movement: Spatial Narratives in Popular Cartography.”  With Diedre Egan, Darin Jensen, and Nichole Wiedemann.  Available online at http://www.newberry.org/smith/exhibits/popcart/movement.html . 2006.   Book Review of H. Roger Grant, Getting Around: Exploring Transportation History. (Malabar, FL: Krieger Publishing Company, 2003). In History News, July 2005. Encyclopedia Entry, “Railroad Stations,” in Encyclopedia of American Urban History (Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press), (New York: Sage Publications, 2006). Encyclopedia entries, "Union Station at Chicago," "O'Hare Airport," and "Midway Airport." Encyclopedia of the Midwest. Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Press, 2005. http://www.siue.edu/MUSEUMSTUDIEShttp://www.newberry.org/smith/exhibits/popcart/movement.htmlshapeimage_3_link_0shapeimage_3_link_1
 
Associate Professor, Department of Historical Studies
 
Director, Museum Studies Program