Nicole Willard
Senior Director Univ Library
About
Nicole Willard is the senior director of the UCO Max Chambers Library. She has been directing the Archives and Special Collections since 1995 and took on directing library advancement and communications in 2011. She has also managed assessment for the library since 1998. In her role, Willard designs and develops policies and programming for the library. Serving as part of the leadership team, she works to develop and plan library capital projects. She seeks outreach opportunities to collaborate with community leaders and institutions beneficial to the library.
Willard's service to the community includes two terms on the Oklahoma Historical Records Advisory Board, serving as an Oklahoma Quality Examiner and serving on the executive committee of the Oklahoma Archivists Association. She currently serves as chairperson of the Oklahoma State Archives and Records Commission.
Education and Certifications
M.A., History, 1994, University of Central Oklahoma
B.A., History, Geography Minor, 1992, University of Central Oklahoma
C.A., Certified Archivist, 2008, recertified in 2013 and 2018
Academy of Certified Archivists
Professional and Community Involvement
- Oklahoma State Archives and Records Commission, Chairperson since 2018
- Oklahoma Archivist Association, executive committee since 2016
- Native American Faculty and Staff Association executive committee since 2017
- Served two terms on the Oklahoma Historical Records Advisory Board
- Served as an Oklahoma Quality Examiner
Classes Taught
HIST 4900/5900 Archival Administration
HIST 4900/5910 Exhibits in Archives and Special Collections
HIST 4910/5910 Oral History, Theory and Practice
HIST 4910/5910 Digital Storytelling, Capturing Lives, Creating Community
HIST 1483 - History of the United States to 1877
HIST 1493 - History of the United States Since 1877
GEO 1103 - Introduction To Geography
GEO 2303 - Regional Geography of the World
GEO 3113 - Introduction To Geographic Information System
Honors and Awards
Received the Annual Exceptional Performance Award for outstanding contribution to the University in the areas of impact, effectiveness, innovation, and significance in 2017.
Research, Published Work, and Scholarly Activities
Museum and Cultural Politics: A Case Study of African Cultural Objects and Western Narratives, University Museums and Collections as Cultural Hubs: The Future of Tradition, ICOM Conference, Kyoto, Japan, Sept. 1-7, 2019.
Advancing University Collections Without a Museum, Audacious Ideas: University Museums and Collections As Change-Agents for a Better World, International Council of Museums for University Museums and Collections Annual Conference, University of Miami, FL. June 21-24, 2018.
History of the College of Education and Professional Studies, editor, University of Central Oklahoma, 2016.
History of the Graduate College, editor, University of Central Oklahoma, 2016.
Teaching with the Sidney Bray WWII Collection, Oklahoma Social Studies Conference, Norman, OK. Oct. 23, 2015.
History of UCO@125, Gallery Talk, Melton Gallery, UCO, Edmond, OK. March 11, 2015.
A Step Back in Time Archives Photo Exhibit, Curator, Melton Gallery, UCO, Edmond, OK. Opening, Feb. 2, 2015.
Sidney Bray WWII Special Collection at UCO, Ponca City Genealogical Society, Ponca City, OK. Nov. 3, 2014.
Best Archival Practices, guest speaker Curatorial Practices Class, UCO, Feb. 20, 2014.
Genealogy Resource at UCO’s Max Chambers Library, Oklahoma Genealogical Society. OKC, April 6, 2014.
Genealogy Recourses, UCO Archives & Special Collections, Lawton Genealogical Society, Nov. 4, 2013.
Organizing your Family Archives, Sapulpa Public Library, Jan 25, 2013.
Archival Collections: Preservation and Outreach, for the Oklahoma Museum Association Annual Conference, Shawnee, OK. 2012.
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