 From 1981-2000, she was the Director of the Center for Twentieth Century Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, where she also taught in the Department of English and interdisciplinary program in Modern Studies.From 1995-2001, she was also the President of the Consortium of Humanities Centers and Institutes and continues today to serve on its International Advisory Board.From 2000-2005, she served as Chair of the National Advisory Board of Imagining America, which is a network of scholars and leaders of cultural institutions who work to foster the development of campus-community partnerships.