Staff available for interviews with press on specialized topics.
 
Contact Karis Erwin at 816.888.8122 or media@theworldwar.org for all interview inquiries. Consult the Press Room page for other news media resources.

 

 

Patricia Cecil

Special Curator – Faith, Religion and WWI

Headshot of a white woman wearing a cream turtleneck top

 

Patricia Cecil began at the Museum in 2021, working to expand public and scholarly understanding of faith, spirituality and religion in WWI. She curates exhibitions, interprets and organizes the collection, publishes in scholarly and lay media and develops presentations for public programming. Cecil holds a B.A. in Anthropology from the University of Iowa and an M.A. in Indigenous Studies and Museum Studies from the University of Kansas.

Topics: Faith and Religion; Culture and Symbols; American Indian History

 

 

Tracy Dennis

Digitization Program Manager and Registrar

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Tracy Dennis started working at the Museum and Memorial in 2013. She maintains the collections management database and directs the processing, digitization and storage of new collections. She also provides research and logistics assistance for exhibitions, special projects and public programs. Dennis graduated from Northwest Missouri State University with a B.S. in History and from the University of Kansas with an M.A. in Museum Studies.

Topics: Collection processing and digitization; Women and WWI

 

 

Karis Erwin

Vice President of Marketing and Guest Services

 

Karis Erwin was hired in 2020 and oversees three departments at the Museum and Memorial: the marketing team, which manages visual and written communications such as advertising, social media and media relations; the Guest Services team, which manages ticketing and the onsite and online museum stores; and Special Events and Group Sales, which manages private event rentals and group visits to the Museum and Memorial. Erwin graduated from Pittsburg State University with a Bachelor of Business Administration in Marketing and from the University of Missouri-Kansas City with a Master of Public Administration in Nonprofit management.

Topics: General Museum; Special Events; Special Exhibitions

 

 

Chris Juergens

Full Curator

 

Chris Juergens was hired at the Museum and Memorial in 2024 as the first Full Curator. He develops, refines and interprets the collection; plans exhibits; conducts scholarly research; and provides public programming. Juergens attended SUNY Binghamton: triple majoring as an undergraduate in History, Russian Area Studies and Comparative Literature, as well as attaining an M.A. in History. He holds a Ph.D. in History from Florida State University.

Topics: Military History; Early Modern European and American History; 20th Century European History; General Museum; Careers in Public History; Exhibitions

 

 

Matthew Naylor

President and CEO

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Matthew Naylor came aboard in 2013 as – in his words – the “Chief Storyteller” of the Museum and Memorial. He provides overall leadership in partnership with the board, charting the course of the organization and encouraging staff and volunteers in mission. Naylor holds a Ph.D. in Health Sciences from Curtin University in Perth, Australia.

Topics: General Museum; Exhibitions; Special Events; History of the Museum and Memorial; the Role of the Museum and Memorial; Organizational Leadership; Museum Strategic Planning

 

 

Stacie Petersen

Director of Exhibitions and Collections

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Stacie Petersen began at the Museum and Memorial in 2012. As Director of Exhibitions, she is responsible for the production and management of exhibitions. As Director of Collections, she manages the policies and procedures for the collection including loans, shipping, insurance, transportation and legal documents. She also oversees digitization and maintains the digital collections database. Petersen graduated with a B.S. in History and Classical studies from Iowa State University and an M.A. in Museum Science and History from Texas Tech University.

Topics: Archival Processes; Digitization; Special Exhibitions

 

 

Lora Vogt

Vice President of Education and Interpretation

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Lora Vogt has been with the Museum and Memorial since 2011. She leads the Global Education Initiative of the Museum, engaging millions of individuals in compelling learning on the causes, course, consequences and enduring impact of WWI. Vogt is a graduate of the University of Missouri-Columbia and Covenant Theological Seminary. She holds a B.A. in History, a B.S. in Social Studies Education, and two master’s degrees in Education.

Topics: General Museum; Exhibitions; Themes and Impact of WWI; Social Implications and History of WWI; Food; Museum Programming and Educational Strategies

 

 

Natalie Walker

Special Curator – Women, Communities of Color, Indigenous Peoples

 

Joining the Museum and Memorial in 2023, Natalie Walker works with curatorial staff to enhance and create exhibitions which elevate the perspectives and experiences of marginalized groups, while also growing the Museum and Memorial’s collection as it pertains to women, communities of color and indigenous peoples. Walker attended the University of Missouri-Kansas City and Colorado State University, holding a B.A. in History and an M.A. in History with a concentration in Public History and Museum Studies.

Topics: Women; Communities of Color; Indigenous Peoples

 

 

Christopher Warren

Vice President of Curatorial Affairs and Senior Curator

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Christopher Warren has worked at the Museum since 2022. He presides over the collections and curatorial team, which is responsible for acquisitions of new objects, curating, production, and management of exhibitions, collections digitization, object loans, and interpreting and organizing the Museum collection. He regularly publishes in scholarly and lay media, teaches university courses, and develops presentations for public programs. Warren holds a B.A. in History from the University of Kansas, an M.A. in History from George Mason University, a J.D. in Law from the George Mason University School of Law, and a Ph.D. in History from George Mason University.

Topics: 19th and 20th Century U.S. history; the Gilded Age and Progressive Era; 20th Century European history; Military History; the American Experience in WWI; War Commemoration and Memorialization; History of the Museum and Memorial; General Museum; Exhibitions

 

 

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