Valerie Albicker
Mellon Coordinator
Center of the American West

I am an organizer of people and events. From 2017-2019, I worked with the Peace Corp in the Education and Youth Development sector. My service was in rural Thailand. In this role I worked with school officials, community members and students (ages 5 to 25). I provided professional development to teachers, taught English, and organized programs that promoted life skills and interactive learning models.

Prior to my that, I worked in the Department of Art and Art History (for over 16 years) as an organizer of programs, events and outreach efforts. A highlight of my tenure was developing a summer writing and art program (“Tell Your Story”). This five-year project, was a collaborative effort between Casey Middle School, the School of Education and the Art Department. It was designed as a creative retreat for middle school students to explore a cornucopia of art and writing experiences that fostered new ways of thinking by creating. Our process allowed students to take risks outside of the classroom and also provided first generation students the chance to gain confidence and life experience by being part of a college campus for an extended period of time.

I currently serve as the Mellon Coordinator at the Center of the American West. In this role I assist with recruiting, promoting and  implementing programs and events that foster professional development for scholars, who are current graduate students or recent graduates who are interested in entering the field of applied history.