Our Staff

Phone: 970-247-7030
Email: arcao@fortlewis.edu

Amy Cao joined the Center of Southwest Studies team in 2018. As Collections Manager, she works hands-on with the museum collections: processing acquisitions, performing preventative conservation, prepping art and objects for storage, research, and exhibition, and everything in between. As NAGPRA Coordinator, Amy facilitates the Center’s and FLC’s NAGPRA projects, serves to fulfill their ethical and legal requirements, and supports the Center’s commitment to an integrated and collaborative approach to working with Indigenous collections and communities. Amy also coordinates academic use of the collections by providing curriculum and research support and training undergraduate student interns in all aspects of collections care and management. Amy has worked in the museum field for over ten years and holds a B.A. in Archaeology and Cultural Anthropology from Wesleyan University in Middletown, CT, and an M.A. in Museum Studies from Southern University at New Orleans.

Phone: 970-382-6951
Email: ghgray@fortlewis.edu

As a Fort Lewis College alumna (‘08), Gretchen Gray returned to the Center of Southwest Studies in 2019. In her role as College Records Manager, Gretchen manages the College’s institutional records and is responsible for maintaining appropriate retention schedules in compliance with legal regulations. She also oversees the transfer of historically significant College records to the Fort Lewis College Archives. As Library Specialist, Gretchen assists in the management of the Delaney Research Library’s special collections, providing access to students, faculty and staff, and other researchers. She also supervises and trains student interns and student workers, as well as community volunteers in all aspects of archival arrangement, processing, and management. Gretchen has worked in the cultural heritage field and archives for more than fifteen years and holds a B.A. in Anthropology and Sociology & Human Services from Fort Lewis College and a M.A. in Cultural Heritage Management with an emphasis in Digital Curation from Johns Hopkins University.

Phone: 970-247-7126
Email: Kendziorski_N@fortlewis.edu

Nik Kendziorski has worked with the Center of Southwest Studies since 2000 and joined the staff full-time in 2006. As Archives Manager, Nik oversees the care and management of archival collections including photographs, manuscripts, newspapers, maps, oral histories, and digital archival materials. Nik connects researchers with the Center’s archival collections, providing access and support to the Fort Lewis College community as well as the general public. He supervises interns, work-study students, and volunteers working hands-on in the archives, and collaborates with faculty from various academic departments to integrate archival materials into coursework. Nik has worked in the public history, museum, and archives field for thirty years and completed a B.A. in History from Kalamazoo College in Kalamazoo, MI, and an M.A. in American Studies from the University of Wyoming.

Phone: 970-382-6923
Email: rmmcgaw@fortlewis.edu

Rachel McGaw has worked as the Administrative Assistant for the Center of Southwest Studies since 2022. Rachel provides behind-the-scenes support for all Center activities and is the primary contact for reserving space for academic and public programs and meetings. She has worked in an administrative capacity off and on for eight years. Rachel holds a B.S. in Human Services with a High-Risk Youth concentration and a B.A. in History from Metropolitan State University of Denver, as well as an M.Ed. in Applied Behavior Analysis from Arizona State University.

Phone: 970-382-6981
Email: ofperea@fortlewis.edu

Olivia Perea joined the Center of Southwest Studies in 2025 and continues as the Mellon Foundation Collections Education and Research Fellow. Playing an important role in advancing the Laboratory of Humanistic Study at Fort Lewis College, Olivia works collaboratively with grant Pls, FLC faculty, and the CSWS staff in implementing object-based learning projects that are grounded in an understanding of objects as interconnected among people, places, history, and knowledge systems. Olivia’s own artistic practice focuses on art, culture, and community engagement, so with the perspective of both an artist and a recent student, Olivia aims to promote deeper engagement with the Center's cultural arts collections, museum space, and archives. A recent alumna (’25), Olivia holds a B.A. in Studio Art, with a Minor in Art History from Fort Lewis College. Learn more about Olivia’s creative practice.

Phone: 970-247-7333
Email: cmscott@fortlewis.edu

Cristie joined the Center of Southwest Studies as Curator of Exhibitions and Educational Outreach in July 2024. In this role, Cristie oversees the day-to-day operations of the museum gallery and works closely with Center staff, fellows, volunteers, and interns to support the teaching and research mission of the college by coordinating public programs, exhibitions, events, tours, and object-based learning opportunities. Cristie grew up in Durango and has nearly 20 years of experience in arts administration, curation, and education, previously serving as executive director of the Durango Arts Center and chair of the Durango Public Arts Commission, among other roles. Before her return to Southwest Colorado, she oversaw the exhibition program at the Idyllwild Arts Foundation (Idyllwild, CA) for six years, organizing over 70 installations and serving as faculty and assistant chair of the academy’s visual arts department. She holds a B.A. in Studio Art from the University of Puget Sound and earned an M.A. in Visual Arts Administration with a concentration in nonprofit management from New York University-Steinhardt School.