The students and faculty of the Department of History are committed to public history; to the many and diverse ways in which history—beyond the walls of the classroom—can be put to work in the world. Public history includes the forms and venues in which history is presented to the general public, as at museums or historical sites. It includes history researched and written for specialized audiences or purposes—such as a government agency, court of law, or documentary filmmaker. And it includes historical research and writing pursued collaboratively with community partners. At UI, students can learn about public history through undergraduate and graduate coursework as well as through internships with community partners. Our graduate public history initiative, History Corps, provides a laboratory for students and interns to practice project design and management, oral history, digital history, grant writing, and other skills associated with public history.

These pages curates recent public history projects at Iowa, or by Iowa-affiliated students and scholars. Use the links below to explore our digital projects, public commentary, outreach and engagement, and community-based research.