Leadership
Dr. Katherine Mary Faull
Founding Executive Director, Institute for Moravian History and World Heritage
Dr. Katherine Mary Faull brings a deep and sustained engagement with Moravian studies to her role as the founding Executive Director of the Institute for Moravian History and World Heritage at É«½äÖ±²¥. A distinguished scholar with over three decades of research and teaching experience, Dr. Faull has established herself as a leading global authority on Moravian history, theology, and cultural heritage.
Dr. Faull comes to É«½äÖ±²¥ from Bucknell University, where she served as Professor of German and Humanities and Associate Provost for Local and Global Engagement. Her scholarly contributions to Moravian studies include groundbreaking books such as Moravian Women's Memoirs: Their Related Lives 1750-1820 (Syracuse University Press), Speaking to Body and Soul: Instructions for the Moravian Choir Helpers 1785-86 (Penn State University Press), and Cultures at the Susquehanna Confluence: The Diaries of the Moravian Mission to the Iroquois Confederacy 1745-55 (Penn State University Press).
As a pioneer in digital humanities approaches to historical materials, Dr. Faull created a collaborative international project that digitizes, transcribes, and analyzes Moravian memoirs from the 18th and 19th centuries. This innovative work has made Moravian heritage accessible to global audiences while advancing scholarly understanding of these unique autobiographical texts.
Dr. Faull's international research experience includes work at Moravian archives in Bethlehem, PA; London; Herrnhut, Germany; and Fulneck, Yorkshire. She has served on the Board of Directors for the Moravian Archives in Bethlehem since 2010 and was a Visiting Scholar at the Center for Moravian Studies at Moravian Theological Seminary. Her expertise in historical preservation and cultural heritage is further demonstrated by her appointment to the John Smith Historic Trail Advisory Board by the White House and her work with the National Parks Service and Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR), which contributed to the designation of the Susquehanna River as a National Historic Trail. These connections between academic research and public heritage designation reflect her ability to bridge scholarly work with broader cultural recognition initiatives.
Dr Faull has an exceptional track record of securing external funding, including multiple grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities totalling over $200,000, as well as substantial support from the Mellon Foundation, Geisinger Foundation, Degenstein Foundation, the Conservation Fund, and the John Ben Snow Foundation. Her ability to build successful funding partnerships across institutional and disciplinary boundaries has supported innovative research, community engagement initiatives, and digital humanities projects throughout her career. This expertise in attracting diverse funding sources will be instrumental in building the Institute's programs and partnerships.
Dr. Faull holds a Ph.D. in German Literature from Princeton University, an M.A. from King's College, University of London, and a B.A. (Hons.) in German/Russian from King's College, University of London. She is fluent in English and German with proficiency in several other languages.
As Executive Director, Dr. Faull will lead the Institute's strategic vision, develop academic and public programs, foster international collaborations with Moravian Church Settlement sites, and establish the Institute as a global center for Moravian studies and World Heritage research.