Melanie Highsmith
Curator of Education and Design
A native of Texas, Melanie moved to Manhattan in 2018 to pursue her Ph.D. in History at Kansas State University. Her dissertation concerns asylums in Kansas in the late 1800s, medical technology, and social perceptions of wellness. Curator Highsmith received a B.A. in History from Angelo State University and two M.A.s in History and Anthropology from Texas Tech University. Study abroad opportunities have taken her to England, Scotland, Ireland, France, Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands, and Cyprus, where she has excavated Roman fortifications, rearticulated skeletons from ossuary boxes, and even aided a criminal forensic investigation. Hobbies include walking her two dogs, playing survival horror video games, attending rock concerts, and enjoying a nice whiskey out with friends. Currently Melanie serves on the boards of the Manhattan/Riley County Preservation Alliance, the Arts & Humanities Association of Manhattan, and the Wonder Workshop Children’s Museum.
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