Heather Morrison

Candidate statement

As an associate professor of history at SUNY New Paltz, I write about Vienna’s intellectual circles in the 1780s. My past publications focused on freemasonry and publication practices in that decade of enlightenment activism. I am now working on a book about a botanical expedition sent around the world to gather plants, animals, and minerals for the Habsburg imperial collections. I have been supported by the Botstiber Institute for Austrian American History, a Richard Plaschka fellowship from the Austrian government, and a Fulbright. In serving the field, I have been on the GSA’s program committee and otherwise worked to promote Habsburg and Austrian studies through a long stint editing the HABSBURG H-net list. With my research focusing on pre-1800 global exchange and race, a background at an underfunded mid-sized state university, and connections with a range of centers and programs supporting the Austrian side of German Studies, I feel I can support and help expand the GSA’s goals of representation and serving member needs. On the board, I would focus on building community and mentoring through the association, communicating the value of knowledge work in German Studies, and supporting our strong interdisciplinary networks and increasing their visibility.