Teaching Revolutionary NJ Symposium

Jennifer Janofsky, Ph.D. is the Giordano Fellow in Public History at Rowan University, Director of Red Bank Battlefield Park and Co-Director of the Red Bank Archaeology Project. Dr. Janofsky earned her Ph.D. from Temple University where she studied Early American History and Public History. She is a Postdoctoral Fellow at the McNeil Center for Early American Studies at the University of Pennsylvania.

At Red Bank Battlefield Park, Dr. Janofsky is responsible for all aspects of park interpretation including public programs, tours, preservation, exhibition, and grants management. At Rowan University, she teaches classes in Public History, American Material Culture, Early American History and directs the History Department Internship Program. Dr. Janofsky has worked in the field of public history for over 20 years, prioritizing community engagement and the production of accessible history.

In 2022, the Daughters of the American Revolution awarded Dr. Janofsky the Award for Excellence in Community Service. In 2023, the Sons of the American Revolution awarded her the Silver Good Citizenship Medal. The New Jersey Historical Commission recognized the Red Bank Battlefield Archaeology Project for its significant contribution to New Jersey history in 2023. In 2024, Rowan University awarded Dr. Janofsky the 2024 Rowan University Engagement Award.

Melissa Ziobro is curator of Monmouth University’s Bruce Springsteen Archives & Center for American Music. She began her career as a historian, archivist, and curator for the US Army in 2004 prior to returning to the University, her alma mater, where she teaches more than a dozen courses full-time. Her recent publications include Fort Monmouth: The US Army’s House of Magic and The Battlin' Bastards of Bravo: Bravo Company, 1/506th, 101st Airborne, in Vietnam and Beyond.

Topic: “What America Sounds Like: Exploring History Through Music.” 

Adam E. Zielinski is a historian and museum specialist focusing on the Revolutionary period of American history. Mr. Zielinski received his MA from the former University of the Arts in Philadelphia and currently works for the National Museum of the United States Army in Fort Belvoir, Virginia. Mr. Zielinski serves as president of the Rev War Alliance of Burlington County.

Richard Veit, Ph.D. is Professor of Anthropology and Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs at Monmouth University. A North American historical archaeologist, his research focuses on the colonial Middle Atlantic Region. He is the author, co-author or editor of eight books and has been the recipient of Monmouth University’s distinguished teacher award.

Christopher J. Slaby is a historian and art historian working on Native American and Indigenous Studies, and environmental humanities. Mr. Slaby is completing his doctorate at The College of William & Mary where he is writing his dissertation on the history of the Mohicans and their homelands. Mr. Slaby is originally from New Jersey and he also works on the art, memory, and Indigenous and environmental history of the region.

Jonathan Mercantini is Acting Associate Provost for Special Projects and Professor in Kean University’s Department of History. Mercantini is a member of the New Jersey Historical Commission and a Trustee of the New Jersey Council for the Humanities. His current research projects include Make History@Kean: William Livingston’s World – an exploration of the 18th Century Atlantic World and the Battles of Connecticut Farms and Springfield.

Topic: "Liberty, Slavery and the American Revolution in William Livingston's World." 

Dr. Lucia McMahon is a Professor and Chair of the Department of History, Philosophy and Liberal Studies at William Paterson University. She holds a Ph.D. in History from Rutgers University-New Brunswick, where she received a Dean’s Research Award for her dissertation. Her research focuses on women’s intellectual and educational history, with a particular focus on the recovery of relatively “unknown” women’s voices and experiences. She is the author of several articles and books, including The Celebrated Elizabeth Smith: Crafting Genius and Transatlantic Fame in the Romantic Era.

Topic: “At home or abroad we are never sure: New Jersey Women’s Revolutionary Experiences.”

Sue Kozel has dedicated the past 16 years to researching diverse and hidden histories of African American stories in Southern and Central New Jersey tied to early New Jersey history. Kozel retired in 2020 after 13.5 years of teaching as a history adjunct for various New Jersey community colleges and universities. Since June 2023, she has been helping to save Revolutionary War land in Upper Freehold, conducting historical research and serving as a Legal History Witness during the Planning Board hearings.

Topic: "Say Our Names: Reconstructing Early African American Life in Woodbury during the Revolutionary War.”

Dr. Elizabeth Hyde is Acting Associate Dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Professor of History at Kean University.  She received her Ph.D. in History from Harvard University. Dr. Hyde is a published author and former Mellon Visiting Scholar Fellowship at the New York Botanical Garden. She is currently a Senior Fellow at Dumbarton Oaks, and the Editor of Studies in the History of Gardens and Designed Landscapes.

Topic: “Teaching the Revolutionary World of Ideas with William Livingston, American philosophe.”

Gary Berton is the President of the Thomas Paine Historical Association, founder and former director of the Institute for Thomas Paine Studies at Iona University; former mathematics teacher at high school and college levels for 20 years; professor of Political Science where he teaches the political philosophy of Thomas Paine at Iona U. Berton is the author of several articles on Paine; an assistant editor of Thomas Paine: Collected Writings and co-developer of the Author Attribution Methodology.

Topic: "Thomas Paine, New Jersey and the Crossroads of the Revolution."

Zachary Baer is a high school history teacher and advisor to the Model UN and Debate Teams at Shawnee High School in Medford, NJ. Beyond his interest in teaching and coaching, Baer holds a deep interest in New Jersey history, focusing much of his research, and writing on South Jersey and the public history field. Zach is a member of the West Jersey History Roundtable and a board member of the Historical Society of Haddonfield.

Topic: “Teaching 10th Graders New Jersey’s role in the American Revolution with Project Based Learning.”