Lara Kelland

Lara Kelland, Ph.D., is the E. Desmond Lee Endowed Professor in Museum Studies and Community History at the University of Missouri–St. Louis (UMSL). She holds a PhD in U.S. History from the University of Illinois at Chicago (2013). Previously, she served as an Assistant Professor of US and Public History and Comparative Humanities at the University of Louisville, where she directed the Public History graduate concentration and certificate program.

Her research focuses on the intersection of social movements and collective memory. Her seminal book, *Clio’s Foot Soldiers* (2018), examines how 20th-century movements like Civil Rights and Black Power mobilized historical narratives to shape public discourse. Ongoing work explores Puerto Rican heritage and cultural memory. She emphasizes community-driven public history, collaborating with grassroots organizations in Chicago and Louisville.

• Believes history is a tool for nurturing inclusive communities
• Directed public history initiatives in community-based cultural organizations
• Advocates for democratizing historical practices in cultural institutions

Her current research project investigates the cultural power of heritage in Puerto Rico, expanding her exploration of memory’s role in social justice.