Cathy Gorn
Presidential Sites Summit Speaker
Dr. Cathy Gorn is executive director of National History Day and adjunct professor of history at the University of Maryland at College Park.
Dr. Gorn joined National History Day in 1982 when the organization was in its infancy as a national endeavor. She became executive director in 1995 and fundamentally shaped the evolution of National History Day from a series of contests to a full-fledged, highly acclaimed, international academic program.
In her extensive interactions with educators, leaders in business and education, the media, historic agencies and parents, Dr. Gorn addresses issues such as teacher development, education standards, primary source research, institutional outreach and best practices.
Dr. Gorn has made numerous presentations on history education at forums for historians and teachers, contributed to and served as editor for more than 30 curriculum guides and projects and directed more than two dozen national teacher and student institutes.
Dr. Gorn serves on the White House Historical Association Board of Directors and the National Capitol Radio & Television Museum, and just rotated off of the Presidential Advisors Committee for the National WWII Museum.
Dr. Gorn received her B.A. from Kent State University in 1982, and her M.A. (1984) and Ph.D. (1992) in history from Case Western Reserve University. In 2007, she earned a certificate in not-for-profit management from the Columbia University Graduate School of Business.
