Speakers
The 2026 Virtual Teacher Institute
Meet the historians and educators who will be speaking at the American Battlefield Trust's 2026 Virtual Teacher Institute!
Event Quick Links:
Keynote Speakers:
Alexis Coe (Monday Keynote)
Alexis Coe is one of the nation’s foremost presidential historians, senior fellow at New America and the award-winning, New York Times bestselling author of You Never Forget Your First: A Biography of George of Washington. Her next book, Young Jack: A Biography of John F. Kennedy, 1917-1957, will be published in 2025. Coe frequently appears on CNN, MSNBC, CBS, History, PBS, and many others, and has been featured in and published by most major publications, including the New Yorker, the New York Times, and the Washington Post. In anticipation of America’s 250th in 2026, Coe asked “How Should a President Be” during a yearlong, 13-stop discussion tour across the country.
Dr. H.W. Brands (Tuesday Keynote)
H. W. (Henry William) Brands was born in Oregon, went to college in California, sold cutlery across the American West and earned graduate degrees in mathematics and history in Oregon and Texas. He taught at Vanderbilt University and Texas A&M University before joining the faculty at the University of Texas at Austin, where he holds the Jack S. Blanton Sr. Chair in History. He writes on American history and politics, with books including American Patriarch, Founding Partisans and The Man Who Saved the Union. Several of his books have been bestsellers; two, Traitor to His Class and The First American, were finalists for the Pulitzer Prize. He lectures frequently on historical and current events and can be seen and heard on national and international television, radio and social media. He publishes “A User’s Guide to History” at hwbrands.substack.com.
Sarah Botstein (Wednesday Keynote)
Sarah Botstein has produced some of the most popular and acclaimed documentaries on PBS. Most recently, she produced and co-directed The American Revolution along with Ken Burns and David Schmidt. Her previous work includes Jazz, The War, Prohibition, The Vietnam War, College Behind Bars, and Hemingway. The U.S. and the Holocaust marked Botstein's debut as a co-director. Botstein works closely with PBS LearningMedia to develop educational materials as part of the Ken Burns Classroom, and she was an original contributor to Ken Burns's UNUM. Botstein is now working on a three-part series about Lyndon B. Johnson and the Great Society.
Presenters:
Listed alphabetically by last name, these presenters are sharing in Breakout Sessions, Coffee Sessions and Power Sessions throughout 2026 Virtual Teacher Institute.
Claire Bellerjeau
Claire Bellerjeau is a historian and the co-author of Espionage and Enslavement in the Revolution: The True Story of Robert Townsend and Elizabeth, published in May 2021. In 2022, she co-founded a nonprofit organization called Remember Liss, with the mission of educating the community about an enslaved Black woman named Liss and her extraordinary life and times. Through the nonprofit, she co-wrote and published a student version of Liss’ story, titled Remember Liss, in March 2023. In 2025 she co-authored an article titled “Did an Enslaved Chocolatier Help Hercules Mulligan Foil a Plot to Assassinate George Washington?” in Smithsonian Magazine, based on her original research about an enslaved man named Cato.
Sarah Kay Bierle
Sarah Kay Bierle works as Educator Coordinator at American Battlefield Trust and is responsible for assisting with the Trust's K-12 outreach initiatives. Her main focuses are on curriculum and classroom content development, teacher engagement, and overseeing the Generations programs. Born and raised in southern California, Sarah has had a life-long interested in history, particularly early U.S. History. She graduated in 2013 with a BA in History from Thomas Edison State University and worked in digital marketing, customer service, and local historic preservation before joining American Battlefield Trust in November 2021. She has been active in the public history field through living history days for students, researching and writing seven published books, several published essays, and numerous blog posts, and sharing research through engaging presentations. When taking a break from research and writing, Sarah also enjoys hiking, travel adventures, and baking.
Sarah Canfield
Sarah Canfield manages the American Battlefield Trust's cross-departmental events and supports the History Field Trip Grant Program, Helping of History Program, the Military Field Trip Outreach program and Teacher Institutes. Sarah proudly hails from northern New Jersey. She earned her B.A. and M.A. in Public History from American University. Before joining the Trust, Sarah worked as a fellow for the National Park Service’s National Historic Landmarks Program, researching Revolutionary War landmarks. She brings her love of historic preservation and place-based history to the Trust.
Daniel T. Davis
Dan Davis assists with the American Battlefield Trust’s education programs, digital outreach and provides historical support for the organization’s major efforts. He is responsible for our on-site interpretation, and he is the Education Department’s point of contact for military and veterans’ outreach. Daniel Davis is a native of Fredericksburg, VA. He is a graduate of Longwood University with a bachelor’s degree in Public History. Dan has worked as a Ranger/Historian at Appomattox Court House National Historical Site and the Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park. He is the author or co-author of numerous books on the Civil War. His work can be found in the Emerging Civil War Series, Blue and Gray Magazine, Civil War Times, Hallowed Ground as well as at emergingcivilwar.com. He currently resides in Fredericksburg.
David Duncan
President of the American Battlefield Trust, David Duncan joined the battlefield preservation cause in March 2000 after 14 years in the direct marketing political and charitable fundraising industry. His work was nationally recognized for effectiveness three times by the American Association of Political Consultants and twenty times by the Direct Marketing Association of Washington. A native Virginian, he graduated from James Madison University with a BS in Telecommunications and a Music Composition minor. He served as the organization’s primary fundraiser and Chief Development Officer before being named in October 2020 to take over the top spot with the retirement of longtime legacy president O. James Lighthizer. David can identify three Civil War ancestors; two from the 54th Virginia Infantry with the Army of Tennessee, while the third was a lieutenant in the 57th Virginia Infantry (Armistead’s Brigade, Pickett’s Division, July 3, ’63).
Kate Egner
Kate Egner supports the American Battlefield Trust as Senior Manager of Digital Content, working on the American Revolution Experience, Liberty Trail, social media, and other historical content needs. She holds a B.A. in Historic Preservation and Classics from the University of Mary Washington and an M.A. in American History from the College of William and Mary. Kate has experience in archaeology, primary source transcription, and once interned with the tailors at Colonial Williamsburg. Previously, Kate spent over a decade at the Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation. As curator, Kate contributed to the development of the American Revolution Museum at Yorktown galleries, films, and interactive media. As curatorial manager, Kate directed the growth of the artifact collection and developed and wrote special exhibitions for Yorktown as well as Jamestown Settlement. Most recently, Kate worked for the VA250 Commission developing their mobile museum. A Midwesterner, Kate grew up near the site of the 1780 Battle of Piqua in Springfield, Ohio. Outside of her passion for history, she enjoys making and listening to music, cooking, and running.
Jon-Erik Gilot
Jon-Erik Gilot has worked in the field of public history for the past twenty years. He earned a degree in History from Bethany College and Master of Library & Information Science from Kent State University. A contributing historian at Emerging Civil War, his research has been published in books, journals, and magazines. His first book for the Emerging Civil War Series, John Brown’s Raid, was recently published by Savas Beatie. Today, he serves as curator at the Captain Thomas Espy Grand Army of the Republic Post in Carnegie, Pennsylvania, and works as a business archivist and records manager in Wheeling, West Virginia.
Dr. Matthew Goetz
Matthew Goetz joined the White House Historical Association full-time in 2025, though he previously interned with the history team in 2019. He earned his doctorate in American history from The George Washington University (GW) in 2023, after which he taught history at GW, Georgetown University, and the United States Military Academy at West Point. Matthew has published scholarship in numerous outlets, including White House History Quarterly and Washington History Magazine, and has contributed chapters to the edited volumes What the Presidents Read (2025) and The Routledge History of Religion and Politics in the United States since 1775 (2024). Originally from California, Matthew enjoys living in Washington, D.C., and exploring the many museums and historic sites in the city and surrounding area.
Kaitlyn Grundy
Kaitlyn Grundy has worked as an educator for over ten years, both as a middle school classroom teacher and as a volunteer educator for younger students. While working as a teacher, she led the school's Geography Bee and middle school level Reading Olympics teams. Her interest in other aspects of history education recently led her to museum work. She currently works as the Teacher Resource Developer for the Museum of the American Revolution, creating classroom lessons and activities and presenting workshops, both in-person and online. She is currently working on her MAEd at Arcadia University, and her reading topic of choice is Bronze Age civilizations around the world.
Michael Hensinger
Michael Hensinger is an educator who has been teaching students of all ages since 2011. He graduated from DeSales University with a Bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice, later earning his teaching certification at Kutztown University. He has experience working within the classrooms of both public and private schools, as well as collaborating with other education professionals to develop their instructional practices. While a teacher, Michael helped introduce a Geography Bee, pilot a grant-funded STEM program using the TechyKids coding platform and collaborated with other professionals to launch 1:1 technology initiatives. His passion for history led him to his current position as Senior Manager of K-12 Education at the Museum of the American Revolution where he trains frontline staff, designs and oversees school programming, and provides professional development opportunities to K-12 educators. He is a board game enthusiast, amateur archer, and novice tailor. Michael currently resides in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Palmer Hittesdorf
Palmer Hittesdorf was born and raised in Sleepy Eye, Minnesota and attended college at Southwest Minnesota State University where he earned a BA in History in 2022. Filled with a lifelong passion for history, Palmer interned with the Minnesota Historical Society before accepting the position of Curator with the Laura Ingalls Wilder Museum in Walnut Grove, MN. In January 2026, Palmer joined the American Battlefield Trust’s Education department where he continues his love for sharing history.
J.D. Huitt
J.D. Huitt is the creator of The History Underground, a YouTube channel with more than 700,000 subscribers that connects viewers with history through artifacts, storytelling, and on-site visits to historic places. His History Traveler and American Artifact series have become valuable educational resources for audiences of all ages. In addition to his work as a content creator, J.D. serves as Chair of the Board for the Gettysburg Museum of History Foundation and is a dedicated high school social studies teacher, committed to inspiring the next generation to engage with the past.
Dr. Chris Mackowski
Chris Mackowski, Ph.D., is the editor-in-chief and co-founder of Emerging Civil War and the series editor of the award-winning Emerging Civil War Series, published by Savas Beatie. Chris is a writing professor in the Jandoli School of Communication at St. Bonaventure University in Allegany, NY, where he also serves as associate dean for undergraduate programs. Chris is also historian-in-residence at Stevenson Ridge, a historic property on the Spotsylvania battlefield in central Virginia. He has worked as a historian for the National Park Service at Fredericksburg & Spotsylvania National Military Park, where he gives tours at four major Civil War battlefields (Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, Wilderness, and Spotsylvania), as well as at the building where Stonewall Jackson died. Chris has authored or co-authored nearly two dozen books and edited a half-dozen essay collections on the Civil War, and his articles have appeared in all the major Civil War magazines. Chris is an inaugural member of the Gettysburg History Council, and he serves as a Copie Hill Civil War Fellow at the American Battlefield Trust.
Wayne Motts
Wayne E. Motts is a historian, author, and licensed battlefield guide at Gettysburg National Military Park, where he has led tours for nearly forty years. He has dedicated his career to public history, serving as the leader of three nonprofit historical organizations, including the Adams County Historical Society (Gettysburg History) and the Gettysburg Foundation. Wayne currently serves as chief executive officer of the National Civil War Museum in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania—one of the largest museums in the world devoted to the exhibition and interpretation of the American Civil War. He holds two degrees in history and is the author or co-author of works on the Civil War.
Brandy Noyalas
Brandy Noyalas works as a sixth grade History Teacher in Virginia. She graduated from Shenandoah University in 2002 and was named Teacher of Year at Daniel Morgan Intermediate School in 2021, recognizing her dedication and success with her students. In 2025, Brandy and her husband co-authored A Civil War Journey at Cool Spring: A History for Young Learners, bringing some of her classroom teaching techniques and activities to the battlefield history and preservation work at Cool Spring Battlefield in the Shenandoah Valley.
Bob Rinehart
Bob Rinehart was born in York, PA and graduated from West York High School (1983). He worked in television production for eight years after graduating from High School. During this time, the station (Cable-4-York) and Bob earned several awards for Excellence in their productions. Bob has a Bachelor’s degree in Secondary Education – Social Studies from York College of Pennsylvania (1994) and a Master’s Degree in Administration and Supervision from Loyola College of Maryland (2001). He was named Preservation Teacher of the Year by the American Battlefield Trust (then the Civil War Trust) in 2004, was awarded the American Battlefield Trust Chairman’s Award in 2010, and was named the Gilder/Lehrman Maryland Teacher of the Year in 2014. Bob has volunteered for the American Battlefield Trust since 2004 for both the Summer Teacher’s Institute and the member Annual Conference. He is married to his wife Maureen, and they have five children.
Lawrence (Larry) Swaider
Lawrence—call him Larry—is the Chief Digital Officer. In that role he leads the Digital Team and oversees the development of the Trust’s digital presence through its web-based assets, social channels, and mobile offerings in support of protecting battlefields and informing the public about the vital role these battlefields played in determining the course of our nation’s history. Larry has spent his career at the intersection of technology, media, and education in service of how it can improve people's lives.
Formerly, he was the creator of the Bedsider.org program which made use of digital and traditional media to change the reproductive health behaviors of young adults in the U.S. Previous to that experience, Larry was the Chief Information Officer at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum where he led all technology initiatives in support of the teaching of Holocaust history and to motivate people to act to end contemporary genocide. In his second home of Athens, Greece, he has worked on various projects including the first digital display system for the Athens Metro and digital presentations for Greek history museums. Larry graduated from the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University with a degree in Television, Radio, and Film and earned a Master's degree in Instructional Design, Development and Evaluation from Syracuse University's School of Education. Larry has a Greek wife, a college-aged daughter, and finds inspiration from playing tennis, travel, sea kayaking in Greece, art, and a good book.
Doug Ullman, Jr.
Originally from the New York City suburbs, Douglas Ullman, Jr. is an actor and vocal coach based in the Washington, D.C. area. He has performed Off-Broadway, in Hong Kong, and across the United States, sharing his passion for stories that move people. He also shares that passion and experience by working with young performers in the Washington suburbs as a musical director, guest teacher, and private vocal coach.
Dr. Jonathan White
Jonathan W. White is professor of American Studies at Christopher Newport University. He is the author or editor of 17 books that cover a variety of topics including civil liberties during the Civil War, the USS Monitor and the Battle of Hampton Roads, the presidential election of 1864, and what Abraham Lincoln and soldiers dreamt about. He serves as vice chair of The Lincoln Forum, on the Boards of the Abraham Lincoln Association and the Abraham Lincoln Institute, and on the Ford’s Theatre Advisory Council. Among his awards are the 2019 State Council of Higher Education for Virginia’s Outstanding Faculty Award—the highest honor bestowed upon college faculty by the Commonwealth of Virginia; CNU’s Alumni Society Award for Teaching and Mentoring (2016); the 2015 Abraham Lincoln Institute Book Prize, and the 2024 University of Maryland Alumni Excellence Award in Research. His recent books include A House Built By Slaves: African American Visitors to the Lincoln White House, which was co-winner of the $50,000 Gilder Lehrman Lincoln Prize (with Jon Meacham); Shipwrecked: A True Civil War Story of Mutinies, Jailbreaks, Blockade-Running, and the Slave Trade (2023), and Final Resting Places: Reflections on the Meaning of Civil War Graves (2023), which he edited with Brian Matthew Jordan. He has published two books with CNU students: Untouched by the Conflict: The Civil War Letters of Singleton Ashenfelter, Dickinson College (2019), which he edited with Daniel Glenn; and My Work among the Freedmen: The Civil War and Reconstruction Letters of Harriet M. Buss (2021), which he edited with Lydia J. Davis. And he recently published a children's book, My Day with Abe Lincoln (2024) which was illustrated by CNU student Madeline Renaux.
