Grace Shaffer is a PhD Student in the Van Hunnick History Department at the University of Southern California. Her research interests include the persecution of Queer and Trans individuals in fascist Italy and Nazi Germany, memorials and memorialization dedicated to LGBT+ victims of fascism, comparative fascism studies, and postal history. Her recent article, co-authored alongside Dr. Gibbs and Dr. Jeff Eargle (UofSC), discusses the ways in which Holocaust-era letters can be used as teaching materials in the classroom. She has written public history pieces for several venues, including the Pink Triangle Legacies Project and the Synagogues of the South Project.

Grace served as Research Assistant with the Zucker/Goldberg Center from 2022-2024. She graduated from the College of Charleston with a BA in History in 2023.

Most Recent Article:

“Tear Open All the Gates and Save Us as Quickly as Possible”: Localizing History and Teaching Inquiry with Holocaust-Era Letters.” With Chad S.A. Gibbs and Jeffrey C. Eargle. Social Education (September 2025).