Elizabeth Garrett Ryan

Elizabeth Garrett Ryan serves as a Lecturer in the Master of Science in Historic Preservation program at Clemson University's College of Architecture, Art and Construction, specifically within the Richard A. McMahan School of Architecture. A Charleston native, she maintains dual professional roles as a decorative arts appraiser with Alice L. Patrick and Associates, Inc., and as an active preservationist through multiple organizational affiliations.

Education:

• M.A., Winterthur Program in Early American Culture, University of Delaware
• B.S. in Anthropology, College of Charleston

Research Focus: Ms. Ryan specializes in Charleston-centric material culture with deep expertise in historic interiors and decorative arts. Her scholarly work bridges museum studies and historical archaeology, emphasizing Southern U.S. preservation through collaborations with Winterthur Museum and the Museum of Early Southern Decorative Arts. She investigates how material artifacts reflect social history, particularly through thesis research on the Aiken-Rhett House collections.

Professional Engagement: Current board membership with the Preservation Society of Charleston complements prior service on Beaufort County's Historic Preservation Review Board and the City of Beaufort's Tourism Management Advisory Commission. She develops curriculum for the College of Charleston's Historic American Interiors courses and instructs Charleston-focused historic interiors for the Preservation Society's Master Preservationist Program.