Contributors

Default contributor headshot
Host

Connie Doebele

Connie Doebele (pronounced (DEB-lee) spent 25 years at C-SPAN television as a senior executive producer. She has produced the network's signature book program "Booknotes."  In addition, she was the originating producer for C-SPAN's Book TV.

 Over the years, she also produced the network's morning show "Washington Journal" in addition to its international coverage and its programming about the Supreme Court.

 In 2011, she produced a documentary about the Library of Congress.

 Connie also spent many years in front of the camera moderating C-SPAN's call-in programs and book interviews.

 She retired to Harrisburg in 2021 after four years at Purdue University as Managing Director of the Center for C-SPAN Scholarship & Engagement 

Guests

Default contributor headshot
Guest

Andrea Bakewell Lowery, Executive Director, Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission


 Andrea Bakewell Lowery, a preservationist with more than 20 years of experience, has served at the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission (PHMC) most recently as chief of the agency's Division of Architecture and Preservation. She  spearheaded the agency's master planning initiatives.

Lowery's portfolio includes managing the renovation and expansion of the Pennsylvania Lumber Museum, rehabilitation of historic structures at Old Economy Village, and refurbishment of The State Museum of Pennsylvania for its 50th anniversary, culminating in its placement in the National Register of Historic Places. 

Lowery brings broad experience to the agency's diverse programs, having worked in both the private and public sectors as a preservation architect, architectural historian, and state preservation specialist.  

Default contributor headshot
Guest

Andrew R. Murphy

Andrew Murphy

Professor; Department Chair

murphyan@umich.edu

Education/Degree:

B.A. University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill (1989)
M.A. University of Wisconsin-Madison (1991)
Ph.D. University of Wisconsin-Madison (1996)

About

Andrew Murphy became Political Science department chair at Michigan in July 2024.

Murphy's research takes up the intersections between politics and religion in both historical and contemporary contexts. He explores the emergence of religious liberty and liberty of conscience in early modern England and America, and the ongoing ramifications of these debates as they continue to unsettle American politics. He is the author of Toleration: A Very Short Introduction (Oxford, 2025), which canvasses the history, development, and contemporary global status of toleration as both a concept and a contested legal practice. 




Default contributor headshot
Guest

Matt Gault, Director of Education, Fort Ligonier

Matt Gault was named Fort Ligonier’s Director of Education and Living History in 2025 after acting as the Director of Education since May of 2020. Matt’s career began at Fort Ligonier as a college intern while enrolled at the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown. Upon graduation, he was selected to join Fort Ligonier’s Education Department as the Assistant Director of Education in 2014. 

 Matt leads the development and production of Fort Ligonier’s educational initiatives including exciting educational and living history programs for students and visitors from all across the globe. Matt is also known for his riveting portrayal of a young George Washington and will go to great lengths to increase awareness about French and Indian War history. Matt resides in Greensburg, Pennsylvania with his family.