On 1 July 2026, I graduated from the University of Strathclyde with a PhD in History with Genealogical Studies. My thesis, Who Counts as an Ancestor? Technological Advancement, Documentary Evidence, and Changing Genealogical Standards in American Lineage Societies, 1970 – 2020, is finished, deposited, and (a fact I am still adjusting to) no longer something I am doing. It is something I did. I have written a great deal about other people's lives. It feels strange to turn the

RootsTech 2026 is just around the corner, and I have been deep in preparation for my two sessions. Today, I want to pull back the curtain a little and share why these topics, lineage societies and oral history, are so close to my heart, and give you a taste of what to expect if you join me in Salt Lake City (or online!) next month. Behind the Session: Lineage Societies I will be honest: when I first looked into joining a lineage society years ago, I found the process intimida