Tamar Evangelestia-Dougherty

Tamar Evangelestia-Dougherty ’03MS ’23HD is the inaugural Director of the Smithsonian Libraries and Archives. In this role, she oversees a collection of nearly three million library volumes and over 44,000 cubic feet of archival materials chronicling the history of the Smithsonian. 

In 2023, Evangelestia-Dougherty received an Honorary Doctorate from Simmons. When she delivered her commencement address at Simmons 2023 graduate ceremony, Evangelestia-Dougherty discoursed on the importance of archival traces for librarians and non-librarians alike: “Working in archives involves acts of preservation.... Librarians and archivists facilitate discoveries of collections for researchers by creating finding aids. We serve as a guide to the making of history and collective memory. Archives embody evidence. And like all living beings, you will leave something behind that is evidence of your existence."