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Faculty & Staff


Chris Magra

Chris Magra headshot photo

Director

Chris Magra is a Professor of Early American history at the University of Tennessee.  His prize-winning research has focused on the American Revolutionary War.  His first book The Fisherman’s Cause examines the military mobilization of commercial fishermen in the Revolution.  Poseidon’s Curse explains why British naval impressment is listed in the Declaration of Independence as one of the justifications for forming the United States of America.  Dr. Magra has written articles for several academic journals, including the International Review of Social History and the New England Quarterly.  He has been a research fellow at the David Library of the American Revolution, the Massachusetts Historical Society, the Peabody Essex Museum, and the University of Tennessee’s Humanities Center.  He has presented research papers at academic forums in Canada, the Netherlands, and throughout the United States, including the American Historical Association’s annual meeting and the Omohundro Institute of Early American History’s annual conference.

For more information visit Chris Magra (chris-magra.com)

Kyle Vratarich

Graduate Research Assistant

Kyle Vratarich is a UTK PhD student specializing in the American Civil War.  His studies focus on issues related to war and memory.

Andrew Dingus

Department of History Intern

Andrew Dingus is a UTK undergraduate history major and intern.  He researched the story of Captain Rosemary Mariner.  Andrew also completed a project on women in aviation that is published on the Center’s website.  It can be found under our Cold War digital humanities page.  He is currently working with a local Knoxville group, the Veterans Heritage Site Foundation on the Sharp’s Ridge Park Project.