Events
Dean’s Lecture Series: “A Conversation with Dr. Colleen Shogan, 11th Archivist of the United States”
Event Start Date: Friday, February 20, 2026 - 4:00 pm
Event End Date: Friday, February 20, 2026 - 6:30 pm
Location: ESJ 0202, UMD College Park Campus
All UMD faculty, staff, students, alumni, friends, LIS professionals, community members—join us!
Dr. Colleen Shogan, 11th Archivist of the United States
You are invited to a special evening featuring an in-person conversation with Dr. Colleen Shogan, 11th Archivist of the United States and current senior advisor at More Perfect, an alliance of civic organizations dedicated to protecting and renewing U.S. democracy. Dr. Shogan is deeply committed to cultivating civic education and public participation in democracy, including the archiving of U.S. cultural heritage artifacts. During her time at the National Archives as the 11th Archivist, she launched numerous initiatives to make archives more accessible, both in-person and online, reflecting another of Dr. Shogan’s passions.
This talk represents a special opportunity to gain valuable insights from Dr. Shogan’s journey. Attendees are invited to join a 4:00 PM reception with refreshments, followed by the 5:00 PM conversation with an open Q&A. This event is free and open to the public. Event registration required.
Speaker Bio:
Dr. Colleen J. Shogan served as the 11th Archivist of the United States, the first woman in American history appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate to lead the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). A noted author and political scientist, Colleen is deeply committed to civics education and prioritized sharing the records of the National Archives to a wider audience. Under her leadership, NARA launched numerous strategic initiatives to enhance services and make its holdings more accessible, both in-person and online, with the goal of cultivating public participation and strengthening our nation’s democracy.
Prior to becoming Archivist, Colleen served in several cultural heritage leadership roles. She was Senior Vice President and Director of the David M. Rubenstein Center at the White House Historical Association, worked in the United States Senate, and served as a senior executive at the Library of Congress and its Congressional Research Service. She was the Vice Chair of the Women’s Suffrage Centennial Commission and the Chair of the Board of Directors at the Women’s Suffrage National Monument Foundation.
A native of the Pittsburgh area, she holds a B.A. in Political Science from Boston College and a Ph.D. in American Politics from Yale University, where she was a National Science Foundation Graduate Fellow. Colleen is the 2024 recipient of the American Political Science Association’s Hubert Humphrey Award for outstanding public service.
Colleen is currently a senior advisor at More Perfect, an alliance of 37 presidential centers and hundreds of civic leaders and organizations, that invites Americans to consider the most enduring lessons of our history while informing the future of our democracy. She is also a Senior Fellow in Civics Education at Stand Together and an Adjunct Professor of Government at Georgetown University.
In her spare time, Colleen has published eight mystery novels in her award-winning Washington Whodunit series featuring amateur sleuth Kit Marshall. Stabbing in the Senate, her debut novel, received the Next Generation Indie Book Award gold medal in 2016. Larceny at the Library won the 2021 bronze medal for mystery at the Independent Publisher Book Awards (IPPYs).
Additional Information:
Please contact infoevents@umd.edu at least one week prior to the event to request disability accommodations. In all situations, a good faith effort (up until the time of the event) will be made to provide accommodations.
For parking information and directions, please visit the Transportation Services website or view the campus map.
Speaker(s): Dr. Colleen Shogan
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