Danielle Wirsansky

Why FSU?

I chose FSU because of the strength of its History Department and the opportunity to work with faculty who could support my interests in modern Europe, World War II, and the Holocaust. Since coming to FSU, I have been able to conduct research internationally, teach my own courses, mentor undergraduate researchers, and develop public history projects that bring scholarship beyond the classroom. Those opportunities have shaped me into the historian, educator, and public scholar I hoped to become.

Motivation to pursue a graduate degree

I pursued a graduate degree because I wanted to understand history more deeply and contribute original research that could reach both academic and public audiences

Importance and/or impact of research and work

My dissertation examines women who served as agents in Britain’s Special Operations Executive during World War II, with a particular focus on how gender shaped their recruitment, training, fieldwork, capture, and postwar evaluation. Drawing on extensive archival research in Britain, Israel, Germany, and Austria, I study how these women operated within military and intelligence systems that were never fully designed for them. This research is important because it challenges traditional, male-centered narratives of warfare and intelligence while showing how gender could shape both opportunity and vulnerability in wartime. It also helps recover the experiences of women whose contributions were extraordinary but have too often been simplified or overlooked.

Who has been influential in your graduate journey?

The faculty mentors I have worked with at FSU have been the greatest influence on my graduate studies, particularly in encouraging me to think ambitiously about what my work as a historian can look like. Their support has helped me pursue international archival research, fellowships, teaching, and public history projects that I might not have imagined when I began graduate school. Just as importantly, those experiences have taught me that scholarship can reach far beyond the dissertation and connect with students, communities, and public audiences. 

Career aspirations

My goal is to build a career as a historian and university professor specializing in modern European history, World War II, and the Holocaust. I hope to combine research and teaching with public history, mentorship, and theatre-based projects that make historical scholarship accessible to audiences beyond the university. Ultimately, I want a career in which academic research and creative public engagement continually inform one another.

Advice for anyone considering graduate school

Choose a graduate program not only for the degree, but for the mentors, resources, and opportunities that will help you grow into the scholar and professional you want to become. Be willing to pursue opportunities beyond your original plan—fellowships, teaching, research travel, leadership, and public-facing work can shape your career in unexpected ways. Most importantly, build a community of mentors and peers who will challenge you, support you, and remind you why your work matters. 

Accomplishments during graduate career

I am especially proud to have been selected as a Fulbright Scholar and P.E.O. Scholar, to receive FSU’s Graduate Student Research and Creativity Award in the Arts and Humanities, and to see my original musical, *The Secrets We Keep*, produced Off-Broadway while pursuing my Ph.D. The Graduate Student Research and Creativity Award was particularly meaningful because it recognized my work using theatre to engage with Holocaust history and affirmed that my creative and scholarly work can strengthen one another. Together, these accomplishments have shown me that being a historian does not have to mean choosing between research, teaching, public history, and creative storytelling.

Graduate Student Research and Creativity Award in the Arts and Humanities, Florida State University (2026)

Martin-Vegue Fellowship, Florida State University (2026)

P.E.O. Scholar Award, $25,000 (2025–2026)

Fulbright Research Award, Israel, $13,000 (2024–2025)

Elie Wiesel Social Action Fellowship (2023–2024)

Walbolt Dissertation Fellowship, Florida State University (2023)

Greatest Generation Graduate Fellowship, Baumgarten and Gibbons Foundation/Florida State University (2021)

Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program Materials Grants, Florida State University, $2,500 (2022–2026)

Russell F. Weigley Graduate Student Travel Grant, Society for Military History, $1,000 (2024)

Ermine M. Owenby Travel Awards, Florida State University College of Arts and Sciences, $500 each (2021, 2024)

Oral History Research Grant, Florida State University, $1,100 (2023)

Florida State University Congress of Graduate Students Travel Grant, $200 (2021)

Outstanding Teaching Assistant Award nominee, Florida State University (2024)

Best New Play or Musical, *The Secrets We Keep*, BroadwayWorld Tallahassee Awards (2024)

LGBTQ+ Award, *Hock-Cock-a-Mook Islands*, Orlando Fringe Splash Awards (2023)

Best Play and Best Direction of a Play, *Sitting Still*, BroadwayWorld Tallahassee Awards (2022)

Organizations you are part of at FSU

History Graduate Student Association — President (2025–2026), Vice President (2023–2024), Communications Officer (2016–2018)

White Mouse Productions — Finance Director (2023–Present), Managing Director (2022–2023), Marketing Director (2021–2022)

Rosenstrasse Foundation at FSU — Treasurer (2025-Present)

Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program (UROP) — Research Mentor (2016–Present)

Women, Gender, & Sexuality Studies Essay Contest Coordination Committee (2026–Present)

Florida State University History Department — Social Media Assistant (2022–2026)

Hobbies outside academics

In my spare time, I love writing and producing theatre, photography, traveling, and exploring
historic sites and museums. I also enjoy reading, seeing live performances, and finding creative
ways to bring together my interests in history and storytelling—even when I am technically
supposed to be taking a break from work