Bend woman appointed to Oregon Heritage Commission

Laura Ferguson of Bend has been appointed by Governor Kate Brown to a four-year term on the Oregon Heritage Commission.

Ferguson is the Curator of Western History at the High Desert Museum in Bend. She holds a B.S. from Oregon State University and an M.A. and Ph.D. in History from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.

While earning her Ph.D., Ferguson worked with the University of California, Berkeley’s Teaching American History program, which supported history education in K-12 classrooms.

She also served as a visiting assistant professor at Whitman College, where she taught classes on U.S. history and the history of the American West. While at Whitman, she served as the faculty adviser to the student-led American Indian Association and collaborated with colleagues across the campus to improve both the management of and access to the college’s history, natural history, and art collections.

“It’s an honor to be appointed to the Oregon Heritage Commission. I look forward to helping foster a deeper appreciation of our state’s history, so that Oregonians have a better understanding of our current society and an awareness of their own role in shaping the future,” noted Ferguson about her appointment.

“We are excited to have someone with strong background in Western history and education,” said Kuri Gill, interim Heritage Commission Coordinator. “To have representation from Central Oregon is a valuable bonus.”

The Heritage Commission is comprised of nine people representing Oregon’s heritage and geographical diversity. There are also nine advisory representatives from state agencies and statewide organizations.

The mission of the Heritage Commission is to secure, sustain, and enhance Oregon’s heritage by ensuring coordination of heritage initiatives by public and private organizations; advocacy on its behalf; education of the public about its extent and value; and promotion and celebration of its diversity. For more information, contact interim coordinator Kuri Gill at 503-986-0685 or Kuri.Gill@oregon.gov or visit the Commission’s website at http://www.oregon.gov/OPRD/hcd/pages/index.aspx