ALBEMARLE COUNTY, Va. (CBS19 NEWS) -- A new president is coming to Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello.

On Tuesday, the Thomas Jefferson Foundation announced the appointment of Jane Kamensky, Ph.D.

According to a release, she will assume her new role at the nonprofit that owns and operates Jefferson’s historic home on Jan. 15.

“We are thrilled to welcome Dr. Kamensky, who shares our belief that Monticello plays a pivotal role in illuminating the enduring ideals and contributions of Thomas Jefferson and telling the stories of those who built and worked at this incredible World Heritage Site,” said Tobias Dengel, chair of the Thomas Jefferson Foundation Board of Trustees. “Dr. Kamensky brings more than 30 years of deep expertise as a distinguished academic at some of the world’s leading institutions and has displayed a continued commitment to civic education and engagement to bring people together. We are confident that her leadership will continue to promote Monticello as a cornerstone of historical interpretation and impactful dialogue.”

Kamensky is considered an eminent American historian who is uniquely qualified to advance the UNESCO World Heritage Site’s mission.

This includes preserving the site, scholarship and education about it and its history.

“It’s a tremendous honor to have been chosen to lead one of the nation’s most important historical institutions. Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello carries the weight of our past, the challenges of our present, and the enormous potential of our shared future,” Dr. Kamensky said. “Leveraging the expertise of the Foundation’s peerless staff, I am deeply committed to continuing Monticello’s vital work of interweaving rigorous and inspiring lessons from history into the fabric of our modern-day constitutional democracy. As the United States approaches the 250th anniversary of Jefferson’s Declaration of Independence, Monticello stands poised to foster not only understanding, but also renewed commitment, to a future in which the ideals of our founding are fully realized.” 

Kamensky comes to Monticello from Harvard University where she has been serving as the Jonathan Trumball Professor of American History and the Carl and Lily Pforzheimer Foundation Director of the Arthur and Elizabeth Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America at Harvard Radcliffe Institute.

She has also authored multiple books covering four centuries of American history and is a principal investigator for the National Endowment for the Humanities-Department of Education-funded social studies initiative Educating for American Democracy.

Kamensky will succeed interim President Gardiner Hallock, who was appointed following the April departure of Leslie Greene Bowman, who served as the foundation’s president for 15 years.