Chief of Staff/Clerk of BOV/Vice President of Strategy
Academic Degrees
Jeff McClurken’s research interests include the history of the Civil War, veterans, families, the Pinkertons, mental institutions, the 19th-century American South, and the digital humanities. Along with his sought-after classes in digital identity and digital history, Dr. McClurken serves as chief of staff to the University’s president.
He is recipient of the 2014 Outstanding Faculty Award in the area of teaching with technology from the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia, the highest award the state gives higher education faculty. Dr. McClurken has taught classes in varied U.S. history topics, including Civil War and Reconstruction, American technology and culture, women’s history, and history and film. He is the digital history projects review editor for the Journal of American History, and has served as special assistant to the provost for Teaching, Technology, and Innovation, as well as special advisor to the president. In addition, he was awarded UMW's J. Christopher "Topher" Bill service award in 2012 in recognition of outstanding faculty service.
He has been interviewed by Virginia Public Radio’s With Good Reason, he has blogged for the Chronicle of Higher Education about teaching and technology, and his class lectures have been featured on C-SPAN. His book, "Take Care of the Living: Reconstructing the Confederate Veteran Family in Virginia," was nominated for both the Library of Virginia Literary Award and the Jefferson Davis Award of the Museum of the Confederacy. He also has been recognized by The Princeton Review as one of The Best 300 Professors.