Dr. Audrey Thorstad
Dr. Audrey Thorstad joined the HMML team in 2024 as a Programming Associate. She began as the Director of Programming in July 2025. She completed her BA at the College of Saint Scholastica in 2010. She received her MA in 2011 and her PhD in History in 2015, both from the University of Leeds, England.
In her role at HMML, Thorstad supports the development and execution of scholarly and public programs. She manages visiting scholar services and all fellowship programs, including the Heckman Stipend, Swenson Family Fellowship, and the Nicky B. Carpenter Fellowship. She works with Dumbarton Oaks to host the co-sponsored summer language program held at HMML every summer. Thorstad also works behind the scenes on many of HMML’s events, including the HMML Journeys, the annual Winter Lecture Series, and in-person and online exhibitions. She enjoys collaborating closely with students and faculty at CSB+SJU, including supervising student interns who gain valuable experience while working at HMML.
Prior to arriving at HMML, Thorstad worked at the University of North Texas as an assistant professor in early modern history, receiving tenure in 2023. Before that, she was a lecturer in medieval and early modern history at Bangor University in Wales from 2016 until 2020. Her book, The Culture of Castles in Tudor England and Wales, was published by Boydell Press in 2019. From 2016 until 2020, she sat on the Board of Trustees for The Castle Studies Trust, and since 2020, she has sat on their grant assessment board, which funds projects all around the world.
What she enjoys most about her work: “The best part of this job is getting people excited about the past and its relationship with our present. The collections at HMML allow us to explore a whole new world, one which speaks to us today if we are willing to listen.”
Stories by Dr. Audrey Thorstad