Dr. Turkiya L. Lowe

National Park Service Supervisory Historian and acting Federal Preservation Officer

Dr. Turkiya L. Lowe serves as National Park Service (NPS) Supervisory Historian and acting Federal Preservation Officer, managing the NPS Park History Program in Washington, DC. She holds a doctorate and master’s degree in 20^th century U.S. and African American history from the University of Washington as well as a Bachelor's degree in history from Howard University.

National preservation programs under her administration include: the African American Civil Rights Network, the American World War II Heritage Cities program, the National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act program, and the Maritime Heritage Grant program as well as the NPS’s administrative and oral history programs.

Dr. Lowe served as NPS Southeast Regional (SER) Historian and manager for the SER Cultural Resource Research and Science Branch, and also had the privilege to serve as Acting Superintendent of Cane River Creole National Historical Park. She also worked in the Region’s Office of Interpretation and Education, where she was the Regional Program Manager for the National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom program assisting communities and stewards to tell the stories of Black resistance to enslavement through escape and flight.

During a previous stint in Washington, D.C., Dr. Lowe worked as national Program Manager for the Cultural Resources Diversity Internship Program and a staff reviewer for the National Register of Historic Places and National Historic Landmarks programs. One of her favorite projects was analyzing and assisting with increased nomination and designation of historic sites associated with the histories of people of color and other underrepresented communities through the 2006 Preserve America Summit.

Dr. Lowe consulted as a Principle Investigator on historic preservation projects in collaboration with the NPS Seattle Support Office, investigating the history of civil rights in the Pacific Northwest and identifying historic properties for potential preservation and interpretation efforts.

Dr. Lowe is a native of Savannah, GA and has an extremely energetic son, Eli.