Laura Wittern-Keller, Ph.D.
Visiting Assistant Professor
of history, University at Albany (SUNY)
Website: http://www.albany.edu/~lw1295/ LWittern@albany.edu
Education:
Ph.D. in American history, University at Albany (SUNY),
December 2003
▪
Comprehensive examination areas included twentieth-century
and
twentieth-century
▪ Dissertation: “Freedom of the Screen: Legal
Challenges to State Film Censorship, 1915-1981.” Dissertation
directed
by Richard F. Hamm and Julian Zelizer
Distinguished Dissertation award, University at
M.A., history,
cum laude, Pennsylvania State University,
graduate teaching assistant
B.A., history and English, magna cum laude, State University of New York at Albany
Awards/Honors:
2008— co-authored book, The Miracle Case,
named December Book of the Month by the American Booksellers Foundation for
Free Expression.
2007
Annual Archive Excellence in Research Award, awarded by New York State Archives and the New York State Board of
Regents (http://iarchives.nysed.gov/PressReleases/prDetailServlet?id=273)
2005-2006 UNC
2003 Distinguished Dissertation Award, University at
2003 Sherry Penney Prize, University at
student
in history”
2000 Phi Alpha Theta Prize for “Bad Case/Good Case: The Outlaw and The Miracle as Legal Tests of Film
Censorship”
“With Distinction”
designation on doctoral comprehensive examination, March 2002
Publications:
Books:
Freedom
of the Screen: Legal Challenges to State Film Censorship, 1915-1981, University Press of Kentucky, January 2008 (http://www.kentuckypress.com/viewbook.cfm?Category_ID=1&Group=42&ID=1418)
The
Miracle Case: Film Censorship and the Supreme Court, co-authored with Raymond J.
Haberski, Jr., University Press of Kansas Landmark Law Cases series, October
2008 (http://www.kansaspress.ku.edu/witmir.html)
Articles and reviews:
Journal of American History review of Banned in
Kansas by Gerald R. Butters, vol. 95. no. 3 (December
2008).
Journal of Popular Film and Television book review of Children,
Cinema and Censorship by Sarah J. Smith, forthcoming.
“Freedman
v.
Journal of American History review of documentary Transforming
H-Net Book review, American Catholic Lay Movements and
Trans-Atlantic Social Reform in the Progressive Period by Deirdre Moloney
“The
Film & History book review, The Cinema of
Generation X, by Peter Hanson, , volume 33.2, 2003
http://www.h-net.msu.edu/~filmhis/back_issues/issue_toc/toc_33_2.htm
“Freedom of the Screen: Joseph Burstyn and The Miracle,” Spring 2002
Available online at http://www.archives.nysed.gov/apt/magazine/archivesmag_past.shtml#Spring2002Feature
Other Academic Activities:
Peer reviewer,
Peer reviewer,
Area Chair,
“The City in the Documentary Tradition,” Film and History conference, November
2006
Consultant to 2006 documentary, This Film is Not Yet Rated, directed by
Managing editor,
Peace & Change: A
Journal of Peace Research, published by the Peace History Society and the
Consortium
on Peace Research, January 1999-January 2000 (one-year appointment)
Conference co-coordinator, Researching
New York: Perspectives on Empire State History, 1999 and 2000
President, 2000-2001,
University at Albany History Graduate Student Organization, vice president,
1999-2000
Courses Taught:
UNC
University at Albany: American Political and Social History,
Reconstruction to present, U.S Political History from Roosevelt to Reagan, Graduate
Readings Seminar in U.S. Public Policy Historiography, Graduate Readings
Seminar in the Politics of Race and Immigration, U.S. Constitutional History, Graduate
Research Seminar in U.S. Public Policy History, and Graduate Research Seminar
in Politics and the Law.
Presentations and Conference Papers:
“Cinematic
“The Politics of Censorship,”
Constitution Day speech at
“Shifting Boundaries: Public,
Private, and Media Policy in the United States, 1930-1973” panel presentation
at the 2008 Policy History Conference,
May 2008
Roundtable
on Movies and the 1960s: Organization of American Historians (OAH) annual
conference, March 2008
“Freedom
of the Screen: the Movie That Shocked New York,” sponsored by the New York
State Archives Partnership Trust, April 7, 2008
“Sandra
Day O’Connor,” UNC Wilmington Pathways Great Women series, April 2007
“State
Film Censors, the Catholic Church, and the ACLU in the Cold War,” Film,
Television and the 1950s conference, Plymouth State University (NH), 7 October
2006
“Above
the Law/Beyond the Law/Upholding the Law: Abraham Lincoln as Commander in
Chief,” Constitution Day, UNC
“72,000
Films: Under the Censors’ Scissors” keynote speech, Phi Alpha Theta annual
banquet, UNC Wilmington, 11 April 2006
“When
the Supreme Court Speaks With Many Voices: The 1959 Lady Chatterley’s Lover Decision,” presented at annual meeting of
the North Carolina Association of Historians, 17 March 2006
“From
"Fighting For Freedom of the Screen: The Legal Battle over State Film
Censorship, 1930-1965,” presented at
the
Organization of American Historians conference,
http://www.oah.org/meetings/2004/papers/index.html
“The State Film Censors,”
presented at the New York State Library, October 2003
“State Film Censorship,”
guest lecture at
“Bad Case/Good Case: The Outlaw and The Miracle as Legal Tests of New York’s Film Censorship,”
presented at
joint
meeting of the Law and Society Association and the Canadian Law and Society
Association,
“The End of Immorality in
“Bad Case/Good Case: The
Outlaw and The Miracle as Legal Tests of Film Censorship,” presented
at Researching
Professional Development:
Institute for Constitutional
Studies,
History
Redux:
Rethinking ‘Major Cases,’ July 2007
University at Albany ITLAL
teaching workshops, 2007-2008
Vermont State Colleges
Learning Technologies conference, October 2003
Castleton State College
writing intensive course development workshop, March 2003
Vermont
State Colleges professional
development seminar, November 2002