Sarah Blanc
Sarah Blanc became a staff member at SPOHP in fall 20
10 after serving as an intern in 2009. She graduated from UF in 2012 with a B.A. in History and wrote her honors thesis, “Showcase of the Disinherited: Planning the Poor People’s Campaign of 1968,” under the direction of Dr. Paul Ortíz. Sarah managed fundraising and grant initiatives at SPOHP, focusing on fieldwork, student research projects, community outreach, and public programs. She currently works at Santa Fe College as the Coordinator of the Civic Engagement and Service Office.
At SPOHP, Sarah worked as the Mississippi Freedom Project Coordinator. She organized the annual Mississippi Freedom Project research trip from 2011 – 2015, and served as the staff coordinator for the project’s 2013 – 2014 mini-grant with George A. Smathers Libraries. For the 2014 50th Anniversary of Freedom Summer, Sarah edited the oral history volume, “I Never Will Forget,” (PDF) for distribution at schools and reunion celebrations in Mississippi. In 2015, the Mississippi Freedom Project transcription initiative with the Libraries was awarded the Elizabeth Mason Small Projects Award by the Oral History Association.
In addition to MFP, Sarah coordinated the Florida Judges Project and the Retired Faculty of the University of Florida Project. In Spring 2014, she presented with UF African American Studies Librarian Jana Ronan at the Institute on Black Life’s annual conference in Tampa, Florida, with the poster session, “The Freedom Summer Oral History Digitization Project: Making Hidden Collections Visible.” In Fall 2014, Sarah presented at the annual Oral History Association conference in Madison, WI on the panel, “The Civil Rights Act and Freedom Summer at 50: New Evidence, New Interpretations,” highlighting the Mississippi Freedom Project. In Summer 2015, Sarah and MFP staff Diana Dombrowski presented an oral history methodology workshop for teaching fellows at the Mississippi Civil Rights Movement and Labor History Teacher Fellowship Institute in Jackson, Mississippi. In Fall 2015, Sarah presented at the annual OHA conference in Tampa, FL on the panel, “Standing with Elders: Fieldwork in the South,” using oral histories from the Mississippi Freedom Project.
Sarah is also co-founder and Director of Development of the Jasmine Jahanshahi Fire Safety Foundation, which promotes awareness of the increased risk of fire fatalities and lack of enforced fire codes in countries overseas for American students who are studying abroad. She is a member of the Forum on Education Abroad and the Center for Campus Fire Safety.
Diana Dombrowski
Diana Dombrowski is an alumna of the University of Florida and worked at SPOHP as a Senior Research Staff member from 2012-2016. She coordinated archival engagement and education, organizing SPOHP’s extensive collection of digitized oral history interviews, broadening public access to archives, and improving collection discoverability. She also managed the website, including content development and design, and coordinated SPOHP’s volunteer program.
Diana earned B.A.s in History and Environmental Science from the University of Florida in 2012 and wrote her honors thesis, “Contributing to World Community: Peace Corps Service in Historical Perspective,” under the direction of Dr. Paul Ortíz. Diana’s research interests include water conflict and management, environmental history, and natural and cultural heritage. She joined SPOHP as a staff member in 2012 as the Coordinator of the Poarch Creek Project with the Poarch Band of Creek Indians, focusing on a legacy collections documenting the tribe’s successful federal recognition petition.
Diana worked as a field researcher for the Mississippi Freedom Project’s annual research trip (2012, 2013, 2014), and as staff on an award-winning mini-grant for the project with George A. Smathers Libraries (2013 – 2014), as well as the Virginia Fieldwork in Folklore research trips (2014, 2015), and Appalachian Social Change research trip (2015). Diana presented at the Oral History Association annual meeting in 2014 on the panel, “Recording Voices and Empowering Communities: Oral History, Community Engagement, and Social Justice,” and at the 2015 annual meeting in Tampa on the panels, “Standing with Elders: Fieldwork in the South,” and “Teaching and Connecting Through Native American Oral History.” She recently wrote for the Oral History Review.
Jennifer Thelusma
Jennifer Thelusma graduated from the University of Florida in 2016 with a Bachelors of Liberal Arts and Sciences and a certificate of Public Affairs. While she was a student at the University of Florida, she double majored in Political Science and History.
Jennifer served as a SPOHP Intern in the Spring of 2014, focusing on Black Pittsburgh and the Mississippi Freedom Project. In Fall of 2014, Jennifer was brought on as SPOHP staff to assist with the digitizing, audio logging, and transcribing of the Hugh Rozelle Collection. She was also among a group of students in SPOHP’s inaugural Virginia Fieldwork in Folklore research trip, where she learned of traditions and experiences of the citizens of Tidewater, Virginia through oral history and storytelling. During the Fall of 2015, Jennifer served as the Haitian Revolution Memories Project Coordinator.
Jennifer was a University Scholar for the 2014-2015 school year and wrote an undergraduate thesis advised by Dr. Paul Ortiz on Florida minority voting rights since the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Her thesis, “Florida Voting Rights: Voter Suppression Done Differently,” received Highest Honors through the History Department.
In the Spring of 2015, Jennifer was confirmed as chairwoman of STAAR, Students Taking Action Against Racism, a student government agency which raises awareness about racial issues on campus through monthly speaker series, campus wide events, and constant discussion. In the Fall of 2015, Jennifer also served as a political science junior fellow with Dr. Daniel Smith conducting research on voting rights.
In the Spring of 2016, Jennifer left SPOHP to pursue an internship in the Tallahassee office of Florida Senator Dwight Bullard. She then served as a Field Organizer for Alex Barrio’s Florida House District 48 Campaign. Jennifer is pursuing her J.D. at Duke University School of Law.
Richard Brust
Richard Brust began working at SPOHP in 2015. He is a Ph.D. student in History, studying under Prof. Elizabeth Dale. Richard received an M.A. from the University of Chicago in 2014, specializing in legal history. His thesis focused on how Supreme Court decisions from the 1930s, 40s and 50s allowed the Civil Rights Movement to form and expand.
Richard comes to the University of Florida after a career as a journalist. He most recently was an editor and writer at the American Bar Association Journal, where he also contributed podcasts with legal experts on the Supreme Court. Among them were interviews with Justice Antonin Scalia. Richard previously worked as an editor and writer in Pennsylvania at the Philadelphia Daily News, the Allentown Morning Call, and the Norristown Times Herald. He has a law degree from Temple University and a bachelors from Brown University.
Richard Lainez
Richard Lainez is a graduate of the University of Florida with a BS in Biology. He began volunteering with SPOHP through the Latino Diaspora in the Americas Project (LDAP) in Fall 2014 and was a coordinator of the project.
Richard was an ambassador for the Institute of Hispanic-Latino Affairs while also holding various Executive Board positions in multiple campus organizations. He seeks to hear stories of others’ journeys through immigration and hopes to one day help those often underrepresented be respected and confident with who they are.
Nasseeka Denis
Nasseeka S. Denis graduated in May 2016 with a degree in Anthropology and plans on going to graduate school for a master’s in Family Youth and Community Sciences to later work with families and youth in low-income communities. She began working for SPOHP as a transcriber for World War II and the Vietnam War collections in Fall 2015.
In the past, Nasseeka held two positions for Student Way at UF, a branch of United Way of North Central Florida. Nasseeka currently volunteers with Greenhouse Church Local Outreach, where she is a tutor lead and a mentor.
Jasmine Reynolds
Jasmine Reynolds joined SPOHP as a volunteer in Spring 2013, where she transcribed for the African American History Project. Jasmine served as a SPOHP intern for the Fall 2014 class which focused primarily on WWII veterans. In 2015, she graduated from the University of Florida with her B.A. in Classical Studies and a minor in History. Jasmine, who was born and raised in Gainesville, FL, centered her senior research project specifically on the Gainesville community. The project was titled, “The Social Impact of African-Americans in Politics and Education.”
Jasmine’s interests include reading and informing anyone who will listen of historical facts and events. Jasmine also enjoys advocating for equality and social justice and plans to continue onward in her education by receiving her M.A. and J.D. in the very near future.
Marna Weston
Marna Weston coordinates SPOHP’s African-American History Project and is very involved in community efforts to preserve the cultural history of African-Americans in Alachua County. Marna is a graduate student in the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences.
Zubin Kapadia
Zubin Kapadia is an alumnus of the University of Florida and began working at SPOHP as intern in the Spring 2015, before becoming a staff member in the summer 2015, and receiving a promotion to Senior Research Staff in the Spring 2016. Zubin graduated with a B.A. in History from UF in 2016.
While at SPOHP, Zubin worked on various projects covering a number of historical topics. Zubin initially was assigned to Addiction History in Florida and Black Pittsburgh later transitioning to the Panama Canal Zone Project and playing an integral role in SPOHP’s 2015 annual field research trip in the Tidewater Area of Virginia. In summer 2015, Zubin coordinated, recorded, and researched the history of Muslim Americans in order to create a digital legacy. Zubin was further tasked with producing newsletters and events to advertise SPOHP’s achievements and successes.
In addition to SPOHP, Zubin spent time leading and volunteering with Project Downtown Gainesville a local Non-Profit Organization dedicated to provide “meals and hand” to underserved, underprivileged, and indigent communities of Gainesville. Prior to SPOHP, Zubin worked as an intern reporter for a small local newspaper, Alachua County Today, reporting on community events and technologies in the greater Alachua County area.
Zubin is now pursuing his J.D. at the prestigious Howard University School of Law.
Maria Fuentes
Maria Fuentes is a graduate of the University of Florida with a BA in History and Political Science. Maria interned with SPOHP in the Fall of 2013 and the Spring of 2014. She focused on Black Pittsburg and the Veterans’ Project. In Fall of 2014, Maria joined the staff to assist on the Hugh Rozelle Collection. She wrote a thesis on the Civil Rights Movement in Tallahassee. She is currently attending Emory School of Law.
Meagan Frenzer
Meagan Frenzer joined SPOHP in Fall 2015 as a Graduate Coordinator. She will be working with undergraduate interns on transcription and methods of oral history. In 2014, Meagan graduated from Auburn University with her B.A. in History. Her research there focused on the cultural reception and memory of the 1919 Black Sox Scandal. Now, Meagan is a History Ph.D. student under advisor Dr. Jeffrey Adler. She is interested in early twentieth century working-class and leisure history. Outside of graduate school, Meagan contributes articles to the National Archives Prologue Blog. She also worked with the National Archives History Office during Summer 2015. Originally from Chicago, Meagan is also an identical triplet.
Chelsea Carnes
Chelsea Carnes was born and raised in Gainesville. In 2015, she graduated from the University of Florida summa cum laude with a Bachelor’s Degree in History and a Minor in Ethnomusicology. She was recently accepted into the Family, Youth, and Community Sciences Master’s Program at UF. She spent a year directing the Faces of the Homeless Speakers’ Bureau for the National Coalition for the Homeless as an Americorps VISTA representative in 2010. In 2013, she started a non-profit that uses music and performance as a platform to encourage self-esteem in young girls, Gainesville Girls Rock Camp, and still serves as the camp’s Director. Since 2015, she has worked as a community organizer at the non-profit arts center, The Repurpose Project, where she organizes quarterly festivals that raise awareness about environmental issues, develops a volunteer program, and coordinates a weekly workshop series that offers inexpensive community education in the skills of art and building. She has received both the E.T. York Work of Heart Award and the KTK Woman of Inspiration Award for her community work.
While a student at UF, Chelsea completed an internship with SPOHP and participated in both the Mississippi Freedom trip and the Appalachian Change field research trip. She has read papers at both the 2014 National Oral History Association Conference, and the 2015 UF History Department Honors Conference. She completed independent thesis research in 2015, for which she was awarded highest honors. Chelsea has backpacked parts of northern Europe and South America and toured much of North America, performing as a multi-instrumentalist in several bands. She has studied non-violent communication and worked closely on creative team projects that range from producing studio records to serving as a community radio DJ on Grow Radio.
Chelsea began working on the Poarch Creek Project at SPOHP in Spring 2016, developing the oral history archives of the Poarch Creek Indian Nation.
For additional information, contact SPOHP, call the offices at (352) 392-7168, and connect with us online today.