FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Contact: Maddy Elledge
(706) 379-5319, [email protected]
Blue Ridge Parkway Historian Dr. Anne Mitchell Whisnant to Present Annual Heinze Lecture at Young Harris College
YOUNG HARRIS, Ga.— Anne Mitchell Whisnant, Ph.D, a leading historian on U.S. National Parks, will present the annual Heinze Lecture at Young Harris College on Tuesday, Jan. 31, at 7 p.m. in the Hatcher Dining Room of the Rollins Campus Center on the YHC campus. The event is free and open to the public.
Dr. Whisnant’s lecture, titled “Taking Another Look: New Views of the Blue Ridge Parkway,” will highlight her study of the National Park Service’s most visited site.
Her teaching, research, consulting, and writing have focused on public history, digital history, and the history of the U.S. National Parks. In 2006, UNC Press published her book, “Super-Scenic Motorway: A Blue Ridge Parkway History.”
At the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, where she worked from 2006-2016, Dr. Whisnant served as adviser for “Driving Through Time: The Digital Blue Ridge Parkway,” an online history collection developed collaboratively with the UNC Libraries. Her teaching has always incorporated significant digital components, and her students have developed a number of web exhibits related to Blue Ridge Parkway history.
In 2010, she and her husband, David, published a book for children about the Parkway. Dr. Whisnant has also been the co-principal historian on several other National Park Service projects. Most recently, she chaired a task force commissioned by the Organization of American Historians and the National Park Service to study the state of historical practice within the organization.
Beginning in 2014, Dr. Whisnant began to turn her attention to ways campuses could approach their own histories. Both at Chapel Hill and now at East Carolina University where she serves as the Whichard Visiting Distinguished Professor of History, Dr. Whisnant is leading students in creating digital projects on university history.
The annual Heinze Lecture brings speakers to campus to discuss themes and ideas that encourage college spirit and offer inspiration to the entire college community. Traditionally, the lecture focuses on Southern or Appalachian topics. Past events include lectures, concerts and community projects. For more information about this event, call (706) 379-5323.
About Young Harris College
Young Harris College is a private, baccalaureate degree-granting college located in the beautiful mountains of North Georgia. Founded in 1886 and historically affiliated with The United Methodist Church, Young Harris College educates, inspires and empowers students through the highest quality liberal arts education. The College currently has more than 1,100 students across five divisions—Education, Fine Arts, Humanities, Mathematics and Science, and Social and Behavioral Sciences. The historic campus in Young Harris, Ga., has completed major campus improvements to accommodate the College’s growth. Recent LEED-certified campus improvements include the 121,000-square-foot Rollins Campus Center, new residence facilities, and a 57,000-square-foot recreation and fitness center. The College is an active member of NCAA Division II and remains a fierce competitor in the prestigious Peach Belt Conference. YHC is among fewer than 300 colleges and universities nationwide named to the 2016-2017 list of Colleges of Distinction and is listed as a “Best National Liberal Arts College” by U.S. News & World Report. For more information, visit yhc.edu.
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