Neva J. Specht

Neva Specht, an Associate Professor of History at Appalachian State University, also serves as Assistant Chair and University Liaison to the Blue Ridge Parkway. She teaches courses on museum education, public programming, and material culture as well as the History of Pirates. A native Iowan, Specht received her B.A. from Grinnell College (1989), and her M.A., Museum Studies Certification (1991), and Ph.D. from University of Delaware (1997). Before coming to ASU in 1996, she worked for the Mid-Atlantic Museum Association, Historical Society of Delaware, and the Adirondack Museum in Blue Mountain Lake, New York. Her research has focused on community formation among the Society of Friends in trans-Appalachian in the years following the American Revolution. She’s currently working on a biography of historian Barbara Tuchman. Specht currently serves on the Blue Ridge Parkway 75th Inc. board, which is coordinating the events of the Parkway’s 75th Anniversary. She also serves on the Blowing Rock Art and History Museum Board of Trustees. Specht is married to Ricky Burns, a native Belizean and finish carpenter. They live in Deep Gap with their son Nelson and enjoy gardening and travel.