Graduate Students

Research Interests

I'm interested in the intersection of museums, public history, and digital technology and how these tools can enhance people’s engagement with the past. I'm also interested in highlighting the stories of everyday people from the past and bringing those stories to the everyday people of the present.

Dissertation

“‘A Summer City of Unique Beauty’: Northeast American Resort Towns and their Workers”

Education

M.A. in History, University of Rochester; May 2022
B.S. in Museum Studies (Museum Management track), Rochester Institute of Technology; December 2019
B.S. in Digital Humanities and Social Sciences, Rochester Institute of Technology; December 2019

Selected Publications

• Rycenga, Jennifer, Nick Szyldowski, Elizabeth Carr. "The Burleigh Family of Plainfield, Connecticut: An Anti-Racist Legacy." Digital Humanities project archiving the activities of sixteen members of this activist family over three generations. Hosted by San José State University, Martin Luther King Library, launched February 27
• Elizabeth Carr, “Birth Control on a Local Level: Rochester’s Maternal Health Clinic, 1934-1945,” Rochester History Journal Vol. 82, No.1 (Fall 2024)
• Master's Thesis in History, Gatsby's Gold Coast: Understanding the Legacy of Long Island EstatesGatsby’s Gold Coast – Understanding the Legacy of Long Island Estates
• Senior Thesis in Museum Studies/Digital Humanities and Social Sciences, The Role of 3D Printed Facsimiles in Fulfilling Museum Visitors’ Desire to TouchThe Role of 3D Printed Facsimiles in Fulfilling Museum Visitors’ Desire to Touch

Teaching/Professional Experience

• Project Collaborator, The Burleigh Family of Plainfield, Connecticut: An Anti-Racist Abolitionist Legacy; January 2024 - March 2025
• Digital Archive Project Assistant, Seward Project; September 2021 - May 2023
• Project Archivist, First Peoples Fund; December 2020 – September 2021

Honors

• Donald Marks ‘Dexter Perkins Prize’: History department graduate prize, University of Rochester (May 2025)
• Glyndon VanDeusen Award: To support travel and dissertation research and writing for a History student, University ofRochester (May 2024)
• Harkins Prize: Best graduate seminar paper, University of Rochester (May 2023)
• Aida DiPace Donald Fellowship: American History graduate fellowship, University of Rochester (May 2023)Excellence in Student Life Award, Rochester Institute of Technology (April 2019)
• Outstanding Undergraduate Scholar Award, Rochester Institute of Technology (March 2019)

Bio

I grew up on Long Island, and moved to Rochester first in 2016 for my undergrad at RIT. After living in Wisconsinbriefly, I returned to Rochester in 2021 for my graduate work.

I love the dramatic season changes (including winter!), and how Rochester strikes a perfect balance between big city and rural environment.