Susan Atherton Hanson, Ph.D., brings over twenty years of museum experience to History Behind the Scenes. She served as an intern, museum technician and pre-doctoral fellow at the Smithsonian Institution's Museum of American History. Dr. Hanson established the living history, education and collections management program at Meadow Farm Museum in Henrico County, VA, where she also served as History and Historic Preservation Programs Supervisor. She later worked as the Director of Operations and Acting Executive Director at the Museum of American Frontier Culture in Staunton, VA, the Assistant Director of the George Ranch Historical Park in Richmond, TX, and as the Director of the French Legation Museum in Austin, TX.

Dr. Hanson received a Ph.D. in American Studies from the University of Maryland at College Park. She has presented numerous conference papers at the Annual Meeting of the Association for Living History, Farms and Agricultural Museums [ALHFAM], the Association of European Migration Institutions and other museum organizations. Dr. Hanson has worked on consultant projects for museums and cultural institutions. She has been active in professional organizations over the years and served as ALHFAM President, 1999-2001. A full Curriculum Vitae is available upon request.