Leslie Madsen

Associate Director for Educational Development, Center for Teaching and Learning

Specializations

Public History

Education

Ph.D., Cultural Studies, University of California, Davis
M.A., Cultural Studies, University of California, Davis
M.A., English/Creative Writing, University of California, Davis
B.A., English, Grinnell College

Dr. Leslie Madsen joined the Department of History in 2010. She came to Boise State with a broad background including work in American, museum, and technocultural studies, culminating with a Ph.D. in Cultural Studies from the University of California, Davis.

In general, her work investigates how amateurs and laypeople come to understand history and science. Her research interests are twofold: She writes about the various ways women natural scientists, primarily in California and especially botanists, democratized the understanding and practice of science. She also investigates why people subscribe to certain historical myths, such as the belief that there were large numbers of black Confederate soldiers fighting in the Civil War, and how misunderstandings about the past circulate on the Internet.

In addition to being an associate professor of history, Dr. Madsen is an associate director of the Center for Teaching and Learning, where she works with a team of instructional designers, testing center managers, and others to improve the design, development, and assessment of learning on campus—and especially its intersection with digital technologies.

Contact

Office: RFH313
Phone: (208) 426-1700
Email: lmadsen@boisestate.edu
Spring 2023 Office Hours: by appointment

To read more about Dr. Madsen, her work or her research, click on her Scholarworks or Academia pagea below:
Scholarworks
Academia