The New Netherland Institute (NNI) has announced the appointment of Ms. Deborah Hamer, Ph.D., as Director of the Institute effective November 1st, 2021.
Hamer was a recipient of NNI’s Hendricks Award for the best manuscript on New Netherland and the Dutch world. She has recently been working with Dr. Charles Gehring, Director of the New Netherland Research Center, developing a timeline for 1621-1629. Since receiving her Ph.D. from Columbia, Hamer has been and continues to be a strong advocate for the significance of New Netherland to New York State and colonial American history.
Hamer has close connections and professional relationships with other institutional players, such as the Omohundro Institute and the McNeil Center of Early American History. This past summer she established and convened a new seminar series for NNI to disseminate knowledge about the colony of New Netherland and its intertwined history with indigenous peoples of the Hudson River Valley. Hamer has received numerous awards and fellowships during her career.
Hamer received a Bachelor’s degree from Brandeis University (Summa cum laude with high honors), and her Master’s degree and Ph.D. from Columbia University.
She will have numerous responsibilities as Director of NNI. These responsibilities (at minimum) include NNI operations, fund raising, programs and events, and working with Mike Vande Woude on the opportunity to expand the Dutch American Group (DAG) membership and recruiting guest speakers to participate in our quarterly calls.
She is expected to work with Charles Gehring and other members of the NYS Education Department, Office of Cultural Education (OCE) and the NNI Team to promote, expand, and develop access to resources in OCE, the nation’s largest repository of documents, artifacts and special collections that document New Netherland.
For more information about the New Netherland Institute, visit their website.
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