Marc Lorenc

Background

About Marc Lorenc

As a public anthropologist, I use the lens of culture to understand how people make sense of the world around them. Using an on the ground, mixed method approach that centers ethnography and participant observation, I draw from a vast anthropological literature that explores what it means to be human. I specifically get excited at the prospect of sitting across from someone and listening to their stories and experiences, drawing insights from multiple strands of evidence. My empathetic approach to qualitative research allows me to place a finger on the pulse, communicating insights to others in a manner that excites and provokes them to think about a challenge differently and to act accordingly with this new knowledge. I take pride in centering and translating the experiences of people into actionable insights, seeing myself as a champion of their concerns. I use this approach in my community archaeology project where I explore the intersection of materiality, memory, and meritocracy at the Dr. James Still Historic Office and Homestead in Medford, NJ. There I partnered with local and descendant community members in a multi-year project, using archaeology as a tool for understanding how meritocracy shapes and influences our engagement with material culture and each other. I am currently working as the Chief Public Historian at the New Jersey Historical Commission. In this role, I am working closely with colleagues from the public humanities, organizations from the private and non-profit sector, and members of the public, to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States through New Jersey’s official 250th initiative, RevolutionNJ.