Abby Whitaker is a Ph.D. candidate in History. In her dissertation, “Sesame Street and the Making of Fuzzy Liberalism,” she argues that out of the fractious 1960s, the creators of Sesame Street created a new civic center—a televised classroom—in which they imagined a new phase of liberalism called “fuzzy liberalism.” Her work reveals how fuzzy liberalism successfully became a template for a broader liberal politics and how that politics persists today. 

Abby approaches Sesame Street as a political historian with a deep interest in the connections between political culture and cultural production. Her other research interests include urban, political, and cultural history in recent U.S. history.

Abby received her B.A. in History and Anthropology from the University of Florida. Her research has been supported by grants from the Philadelphia Foundation and Temple University's Public Policy Lab. Abby has taught several courses for the history department and is currently an assistant editor for Diplomatic History.

Faculty Advisor: Bryant Simon
Website | Curriculum Vitae