2017 British Institute Instructors
2017 British Institute Instructors
Dr. Maurice Gleeson, MB
Dr. Maurice Gleeson, MB, is a medical doctor turned avid genetic genealogist who specializes in educating the family historian on the science, testing and application of DNA. He is based in London, UK, and coordinates several surname projects and the Ireland mtDNA project.
Amy Harris, PhD, AG
A native of Ogden, Utah, Amy Harris is an associate professor of history at Brigham Young University. After receiving a BA in family history from BYU, she completed an MA in history at American University and a PhD in British history from the University of California, Berkeley. Her research interests center on families, women, and gender in early modern Britain. Her first book, Siblinghood and Social Relations in Georgian England: Share and Share Alike (2012), explored sibling relationships and their connections to political and social ideas of equality. In 2015, she published Family Life in England and America, 1690-1820, a four-volume, co-edited collection of transcribed and annotated primary sources. She has presented at NGS, FGS, and RootsTech. Professor Harris teaches genealogical methodology and history courses. She currently serves as the director for the Family History Program at BYU.
Bruce Durie, BSc (Hons), PhD, OMLJ, FSAScot, FCollT, FIGRS, FHEA, QG
Bruce Durie is one of Scotland’s best known and respected genealogists, recently elected to the prestigious Académie Internationale de Généalogie (the only member from Scotland). He founded the much-acclaimed post-graduate program in Genealogical Studies at the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow, which he headed for six years as Course Director, until 2011. Now a Fellow at Strathclyde, he is developing a full-time one-year Masters and a Doctoral programme in Genealogical Studies. He also teaches courses on Genealogy, Documents and Heraldry at the University of Edinburgh.
Bruce is perhaps best known for his BBC radio series, Digging Up Your Roots (eighth season in 2014), and A House with A Past, and he has authored 30 books, including the best-selling Scottish Genealogy now in its 3rd edition. He is Shennachie (Genealogist and Historian) to the Chief of Durie. His background is in medicine and neuropharmacology, as well as holding an additional doctoral degree in history. More info at www.brucedurie.co.uk and books at www.brucedurie.co.uk/books/
Fiona Fitzsimons, BA, MA
Trinity College Dublin
Since 1996 Fiona has led the Irish Family History Centre (Eneclann) research team, setting a benchmark in family history research in Ireland and internationally.
The team has completed over 15,000 individual commissions, ranging from private family history research to TV and film. Research credits include Who Do You Think You Are; Faces of American and Finding our Roots.
Since 2012 Fiona has returned to her roots as an educator, with the popular Summer Talks series (2012-2016); and the monthly Expert Workshop for CPD, both in the National Library of Ireland. In 2016, Fiona developed an 8-week Genealogy Course for Fingal County Library; and a series of workshops for school students, in line with the national curriculum (10-18 years).
She is a columnist for History Ireland, and a feature writer for Irish Lives Remembered online magazine.