Heather Fryer

Heather Fryer is a Professor in the College of Arts and Sciences at Creighton University and serves as Director of the American Studies Program. Her scholarship centers on 20th century U.S. social and cultural history with emphasis on migration, labor, gender, and constructions of American identity in the post-Reconstruction era.

Her educational background includes:

• PhD in History from Boston College (2002)
• BA from Reed College (1989)

Dr. Fryer's research examines intersections of race, class, gender, and religion in American historical contexts, particularly through the lens of 'encounter' in the post-frontier West. She investigates federal 'reservations' as responses to wartime anxieties and analyzes anthropologist Rosalie Hankey Wax's writings to explore community formation, collective memory, and social identity dynamics. Her work consistently bridges academic scholarship with contemporary social issues.

Publication trends reveal deep engagement with peace research, cultural politics, and marginalized experiences during wartime—especially Japanese American internment and Western urban transformations in World War II. Her scholarship demonstrates methodological diversity spanning archival research, visual analysis, and interdisciplinary cultural studies.

Scientific recognition includes:

• Creighton College of Arts & Sciences Award for Professional Excellence in Scholarship (2012)
• Journal of the West Article Prize for Best 'About the West' Feature (2000)

As current editor of Peace and Change: A Journal of Peace Research, Dr. Fryer actively shapes scholarly discourse in peace studies while maintaining robust grant activity through the American Studies Program. Her leadership extends to organizing conferences and collaborative research initiatives focused on social justice and historical memory.