Michelle Jackson-Beckett is Curator of Rare Books at the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum Library in New York. Her research focuses on modern Central European and US cultural history, with a specialisation in the built environment and design archives. She holds a PhD in Design History from Bard Graduate Center, an MA in Design History from the Cooper Hewitt National Design Museum, and a BA in German Language & Literature from Saint Joseph's University. She has lectured widely on design and architectural history, and previously held positions at the University of Applied Arts Vienna, Parsons School of Design, the Rhode Island School of Design, and Columbia University in the City of New York.