The LEAPH Team

Dr. Jakob Burnham is a Clinical Assistant Professor of History and Director of the Lab for Engaged, Applied, and Public Humanities (LEAPH) at the University of North Texas. He received his Ph.D. from Georgetown University in May 2024, after joining UNT in the Fall 2023. As the Director of LEAPH, Dr. Burnham promotes and champions public-facing, interdisciplinary research and teaching. Leading faculty working groups housed in LEAPH, he furthers his colleagues and university students to apply humanities methods to societal challenges, cultivate scholarship accessibly, and actively engage the public. His work at LEAPH also supports applied curriculum development. In particular, he fosters innovative pedagogy that endeavors to prepare students for the future workforce by work-integrated learning opportunities in their courses. 

Dr. Greta Swain, Director of Internships and Digital Humanities, is an historian of early America who specializes in digital and public history. She received her PhD from George Mason University in 2023. She has over fifteen years of experience making the humanities engaging and accessible to the public through her work at several history centers, parks and museums. As LEAPH’s Director of Internships, Dr. Swain facilitates applied learning opportunities for humanities students and helps them translate the field-specific knowledge they have acquired in the classroom into relevant and meaningful experiences in the workforce. She also directs the digital humanities at LEAPH, overseeing the Lab’s A/V Studio, leading Digital Humanities skills workshops, coordinating Digital Humanities curriculum efforts and supervising the Digital Humanities Certificate. Finally, Dr. Swain heads LEAPH’s collaborative faculty and student public research projects relating to local and campus history.