Lisa Gilbert

Lisa Gilbert is a Lecturer in Education and Director of Undergraduate Studies at Washington University in St. Louis. She holds a PhD from Saint Louis University and an MA from McGill University. Her work bridges formal and informal educational spaces, emphasizing how museums, video games, and interdisciplinary approaches foster critical inquiry. She has designed innovative courses, such as an interdisciplinary secondary methods course partnered with the Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum, and presented at conferences like the Missouri Association of Colleges for Teacher Education.

Dr. Gilbert’s research explores the intersection of social studies education with public and popular history, focusing on non-traditional mediums for historical representation. She has published in journals including Theory & Research in Social Education and Curator: The Museum Journal. Her outreach includes interviews with Saint Louis Public Radio, Education Week, and NBC News.

She has received significant grants, including the Bauer Leaders Academy grant and a Mindfulness Grant, and is part of the Mindfulness Science and Practice cluster in the Incubator for Transdisciplinary Futures. Beyond academia, she has extensive experience as a teacher in U.S. and Austrian schools, focusing on AP Government and Politics courses, and as a museum educator, where she developed programs linking history to STEM and arts. She established a museum internship program benefiting over 70 future teachers and managed partnerships with institutions like Monticello and Mount Vernon.

Her service includes roles on the University Assessment Committee (contributing to accreditation via the Higher Learning Commission) and the Teacher Education Committee (2020–2024). Dr. Gilbert’s pedagogical insights are further enriched by her music education work with organizations worldwide, such as the Community Music School of Santa Cruz and Siamsa in Montreal, where she taught Irish music to diverse audiences.