Dr. Mariah Kupfner

Biography

Mariah Kupfner is an Assistant Professor of American Studies and Public Heritage at Penn State Harrisburg. She holds a Ph.D. in American & New England Studies from Boston University. Her dissertation, titled ''Has Ever Appropriate Occupation Woman': Crafting Femininity in American Women's Decorative Needlework, 1820-1920,'' was awarded Boston University's Keith N. Morgan Prize. Kupfner's current book project explores core themes in the development of the women’s movement in the United States from 1820 to 1920, focusing on topics such as abolition of slavery, women’s property ownership, education, political identity, and the franchise, all through the lens of decorative needlework. Her research highlights the significant contributions of needleworkers to women's cultural and political activism, considering gender as a crafted form. Previously, she worked as a postdoctoral curatorial fellow at Historic New England and coordinated the Boston University Public Humanities Undergraduate Fellowship Program. Her commitment to publicly engaged scholarship is evident through her work in public humanities, public history, and the museum field. Kupfner serves on the leadership team for the Material Culture Caucus of the American Studies Association and has published work in venues such as Winterthur Portfolio and Material Culture Review. Her teaching expertise includes American visual material culture, women's and gender history, public history, and museum studies.

Research Interests