Bari Stith, PhD

Bari Oyler Stith, Ph.D., earned her doctorate in American Studies and MA in American Studies and Museum Studies from Case Western Reserve University, leading to specialties, presentations, and publication in 19th century American women, family, community, and education. She has worked actively in archival preservation, oral history, and exhibit development since beginning her public history career at Western Reserve Historical Society while she was a graduate student at CWRU. Her current research projects focus on the intersections between community identity, heritage, and preservation in frontier and rural communities with special emphasis on women’s experience and the importance of place in personal and community identity. She also serves on the Board of Trustees for South Newbury Union Chapel, a National Register historic site significant for its role in the women's suffrage campaign and numerous other 19th century social reform movements.