Meyer Weinshel, Ph.D.

Experience

• 

  University of Minnesota

  Sept 2014 - Dec 2020

  Instructor & Researcher - Germanic Languages, Literatures, and Cultures

  Department of German, Nordic, Slavic & Dutch (UMN College of Liberal Arts)- Taught cohort- and independently-designed university coursework at all levels (general education and major/minor coursework) in German language and literature/culture- Successfully wrote numerous research grants (130k total)- Published articles for academic and public audiences- Engaged public speaker for a variety of different audiences and in a variety of settings- Paid extreme attention to detail - Met short- and long-term deadlines in team-based workplaces Show less

• 

  National Yiddish Book Center

  Jun 2020 - Jul 2020

  Teaching Assistant - Steiner Yiddish Summer Program

  Yiddish Book Center - Yiddish Language Institute-Collaboratively delivered educational programming in an online, 7-week, high-intensity setting - Assisted director of language institute & other course instructors in administrative tasks- Supervised beginner students' projects (e.g., homework) and provided constructive feedback- Proofread and copy-edited program materials for wider use

• 

  The Ohio State University

  Jan 2021 - May 2021

  Visiting Lecturer of Yiddish Studies

  Department of Germanic Languages and Literatures (College of Arts and Sciences)- Remotely coordinated, designed, and taught all levels of OSU's Yiddish and Ashkenazic Studies curriculum- Evaluated student performance and outcomes according to departmental and college-wide standards- Advocated for further diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility in higher education through accessible course design and student mentorship

• 

  University of Minnesota

  May 2021 - now

  UMN Center for Austrian Studies (Institute for Global Studies Research Hub; College of Liberal Arts)Responsible with Center Director for all administrative (i.e., programmatic, budgetary, and logistical) decision making for the Center, including: - Supervising other Center staff- Expand Center's robust network of affiliated scholars, artists, and other professionals- Host Center guests including visiting scholars and graduate fellows- Communicate with university fiscal and UMN Foundation representatives to maintain Center's relations with governmental (e.g., Austrian), NGO, and individual donors in both Europe and the United States- Produce donor/impact reports for stakeholders, including annual reports for stakeholders- Organize Center conferences and symposia for academic and community audiences- Serve as lead editor of various scholarly and public-facing publications- Create and administer Center prize competitions and scholarships, including the CAS dissertation, book, and subvention prizes, as well as graduate research fellowships Show less UMN Center for Austrian Studies (Institute for Global Studies Research Hub; College of Liberal Arts)- Organize Center events and conferences with university and external partners - Oversee the timely completion of all Center-related projects, including publications- Write copy for webpages, and implement new web updates - Liaise with affiliated centers and university administration on policy initiatives - Coordinate programming for Center's visiting scholars and graduate fellows Show less UMN Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies (Institute for Global Studies Research Hub; College of Liberal Arts)- Initially hired to run educational outreach, and later led the center’s collections management initiatives to identify, organize, and preserve historically-significant items with other partners on campus (including UMN Libraries Archives and Special Collections) - Created discoverability pathways for Center's archival materials through new keyword search options and subject guides on center’s collections portal- Redesigned front end of Center's collections website and utilized available database infrastructure to promote more equitable on-site and web access (for educational and public usage)- Fielded research questions, supervised undergraduate student staff, and mentored graduate student research projects- Developed various companion websites and online exhibitions--using archival materials and other primary sources while leading teams of student staff; topics included DPs ("Displaced Persons") following World War II, the Spanish Civil War, among others. - Reviewed grant, project, course, and exhibition proposals that incorporated Center collections- Team-planned workshops for K12 and university educators - Co-organized guest lecture series with institutional partners- Promoted the Center's mission, resources, and events via news sources and social media, including published op-eds Show less UMN Human Rights Program (Institute for Global Studies Research Hub; College of Liberal Arts)- Supervised project interns and student staff (including graduate and undergraduate student curatorial interns) with other project partners in the design of the Fall 2023 exhibition, “The Global Reach of Local Activism: Minnesota Human Rights Stories.”- Provide early curation of newly-accessioned collections that formed the basis of a new archive - including drafting of collections-level descriptions- Shape curricular and educational programming for the archives project- Identify and write long-term grant proposals with project partners- Produced the feasibility study in Summer 2021 for the creation of the Minnesota Human Rights Archive (i.e. completed preliminary research for project development--investigate scope of existing collections, external funding opportunities, etc.)- Wrote seed grants and budgets that funded project development- Synthesize information for various stakeholders at and outside of the University of Minnesota Show less

  • Associate Director

    Aug 2023 - now

  • Head of Publications, Programs, and Research

    Sept 2022 - Jul 2023

  • Collections Curation and Outreach Lead

    Aug 2020 - Jul 2023

  • Co-Principal Investigator - Minnesota Human Rights Archive Project

    May 2021 - Sept 2022