Sarah Anne Carter

Sarah Anne Carter is an Associate Professor of Design Studies and Executive Director of the Nancy M. Bruce Center for Design and Material Culture at the University of Wisconsin–Madison's School of Human Ecology. Her work bridges material culture studies, museum history, and American social life. She holds a PhD in American Studies from Harvard University, alongside advanced degrees in History and Early American Material Culture from Harvard and Winterthur Museum.

Her research focuses on museums, childhood material culture, domestic interiors, and the intersection of material objects with societal narratives. Notable projects include Museum Feelings (forthcoming) and co-editing Oxford Handbook of History and Material Culture. She has curated exhibitions like Questioning Things and previously led the Chipstone Foundation's curatorial initiatives.

Her publications explore topics ranging from 19th-century material interpretation to feminist museum curation. She actively engages in public scholarship through platforms like The Washington Post and collaborates across disciplines to advance material culture research.

As Center Director, she oversees initiatives promoting design and material culture studies. Her academic affiliations include the Nancy M. Bruce Center and cross-school collaborations at UW-Madison.