Sara Bon-Harper

Sara Bon-Harper has been Executive Director at James Monroe’s Highland since September 2012. The research she has directed in that time has transformed the interpretation of the property, and contributes to a new understanding of James Monroe. Ms. Bon-Harper previously served as Archaeological Research Manager at Monticello, and has conducted archaeological research and trained students in Europe and North America. She has lectured and written on a variety of themes, including the analysis of archaeological data, landscapes of slavery, and the construction of historic narratives. She serves on the State Review Board for the Virginia Department of Historic Resources, and on the board of the Presidential Precinct, and is also a Research Professor of Anthropology at William & Mary. Ms. Bon-Harper earned a Ph.D. in Anthropology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a B.A. in Anthropology and Classics from the University of Arizona.