Meet Our New Program Coordinator: Caroline Hugh
Georgia Humanities is thrilled to welcome Caroline Hugh, our new program coordinator.
Born and raised in Metro Atlanta, Caroline is excited to be back in her home state after earning dual BAs in urban studies and history, as well as an MA in social sciences–history, from the University of Chicago.
Caroline Hugh
Having previously worked at institutions like Landmarks Illinois and the Musée Carnavalet—Histoire de Paris, she’s looking forward to bringing place-based programming and experiential learning opportunities to more Georgians.
In the interview below, Caroline talks about her passion for history, what drew her to the humanities, and how she hopes to spark curiosity and connection through Georgia Humanities’ programs.
1. What inspired you to pursue a career in the humanities?
Good question: for a while, I thought I wanted to be an urban planner or engineer, because I’ve always loved cities and I enjoy finding out how different processes come together to form communities. However, in college, I finally came to realize it was less the physical processes and more the social ones that interested me, thanks to the people I met and projects I had the opportunity to work on in Chicago. In the end, though, pursuing a career in the humanities wasn’t an altogether surprising conclusion: my one required stop when visiting new places has always been the local history museum!
2. Do you have a favorite moment or memory from your own school days that sparked your interest in history or research?
I attended K-12 here in Georgia, so my school days are incredibly relevant to the work I’m doing now. The moment that most directly nudged me towards history and research was exploring my county’s school board archives as part of an initiative to rename my high school. It was the first time that I used apparently mundane archival documents (board minutes from the 1960s, in this case) to better understand our contemporary world and to develop an argument to try and shape it.
3. You’ll be connecting with lots of teachers and students around the state as the coordinator of NHD Georgia. What are you most looking forward to about that part of the job?
I’m a big proponent of experiential learning, and I know there are many Georgia educators who feel the same, so I’m looking forward to connecting with teachers across the state who are passionate about NHD Georgia and other hands-on learning methods. It’s a necessary but often difficult step for students to recognize that history is about interpretation, not just memorizing facts, and I’m excited to help students across Georgia develop these interpretation and argument skills with NHD.
4. Our state has such a rich history. Do you have a favorite Georgia story, figure, landmark, or tradition that especially resonates with you?
A place that, for me, strongly encapsulates our state’s history is Oakland Cemetery. In general, I think cemeteries are really interesting landscapes for understanding the multivalent histories that define a place, and Oakland is one of the best examples of that. In about 50 acres, you have famous authors, sports legends, Confederate soldiers, prominent politicians, and early Jewish residents all honored in the same space.
5. In addition to NHD Georgia, you’ll be supporting our Museum on Main Street and grant programs. What do you hope people take away from participating in a Georgia Humanities program?
Much of our upcoming programming—including MoMS and some of our grant funding—is tied to America250 celebrations. One of the themes from the Semiquincentennial I’d like to emphasize is the power of place. There are stories to tell and discoveries to make in every community and landscape across our state, from St Mary’s to Lookout Mountain. I hope that our programming encourages Georgians to be curious about the humanities, no matter where they’re located.
