Kate Staples

Dr. Kate Staples is an Associate Professor and Department Chair in the Department of History at West Virginia University, affiliated with the Eberly College of Arts and Sciences. Her research focuses on the gender, social, and cultural history of medieval Europe, particularly urban spaces and women's economic agency. She holds a Ph.D., M.A., and B.A. from the University of Minnesota and its Morris campus. Her work challenges traditional narratives of women’s roles in medieval economies through studies of inheritance, secondhand trade, and gendered labor.

Research Interests
Dr. Staples investigates medieval urban economies, women’s property ownership, and the secondhand trade in Northern Europe. Her book *Daughters of London* (2011) examines how merchant daughters leveraged inheritances to navigate patriarchal structures. Her current project, *The Secondhand Trade in Late Medieval England*, explores fripperers (secondhand goods dealers) and their role in economic and social networks. She emphasizes gender’s role in shaping economic practices and material culture.

Key Contributions
Her work appears in journals like *Journal of Medieval History* and *History Compass*, and she has contributed to edited volumes such as *Medieval Work, Worship, and Power* (2024). She has secured grants including the American Historical Association Career Diversity Grant and teaching awards like the Eberly College Outstanding Teacher Award (2012).

Teaching & Advising
Dr. Staples teaches courses ranging from medieval Europe to gender history and historical methods. She advises Ph.D. students Lacey Bonar and Morgan McMinn, and MA students Madisyn Magers and Evan Simonetti. Her pedagogical focus includes integrating primary sources and interdisciplinary approaches.

Grants & Recognition
- West Virginia University Humanities Center Research Grant (2019)
- Caperton Award for Excellence in Teaching Writing (2017)
- Multiple fellowships from the West Virginia Humanities Council (2007, 2012)
- Riggle Fellowship in the Humanities (2010)