Rate My Professor Gabriele Gottlieb

Gabriele Gottlieb, Associate Professor of History at Grand Valley State University, specializes in the fields of Colonial America, the American Revolution, and crime and punishment. Her research explores themes of capital punishment and social control in early America, as evidenced by her Ph.D. dissertation, "Theater of Death: Capital Punishment in Early America, 1750-1800," completed at the University of Pittsburgh in 2005. She also holds an M.A. in History from the University of Pittsburgh (1998) and the equivalent of a B.A. from Augsburg University, Germany (1995). During her graduate studies, Gottlieb received a fellowship from the Library Company of Philadelphia to support her dissertation research on capital punishment.

In her teaching at Grand Valley State University, Gottlieb offers courses that delve into key periods and themes of American history. These include HST 103: American Civilizations, HST 205: U.S. until 1877, HST 301: Colonial America, HST 325: History of American Sports, HST 374: Revolution in the Americas, HST 376: History of Witches, and HST 495: Capstone. Beyond the History department, she teaches "Human Traffic and Trafficking" for the Human Rights program and "Show Me the Money" in the Frederik Meijer Honors College. Her pedagogical approach integrates her research interests with broader interdisciplinary themes, fostering student engagement with historical analysis and contemporary issues.

Gottlieb actively contributes to the academic community at GVSU through service roles, including membership on the Faculty Advisory Board of the Grand Valley Journal of History and previous chair of the General Education Subcommittee. She has mentored students in the Ronald E. McNair Scholars Program, guiding research on topics such as "Men of the Fur Trade, ca. 1620-1770s." Her public engagement includes delivering lectures on revolutionary history, such as "Voices of the Revolution: Washington and the Stories Around Him" at Mount Vernon. Through these activities, Gottlieb enriches the study of History at Grand Valley State University.