Terri E. Lindquester was accredited in the Southeast Region of the United States in September 2019.  Terri is a former Associate Professor of Mathematics at Rhodes College in Memphis.  She also served as Chair of the Department of Mathematics and was the Associate Dean of Academic Affairs while at Rhodes.  She was previously an Associate Fellow of the Institute of Combinatorics, a reviewer for grant proposals for the National Science Foundation and served as President of the Rhodes Phi Beta Kappa Chapter.  She holds a B.S. degree and Ph.D. in mathematics from Emory University. 

What motivated you to pursue accreditation?

I have always been awestruck by the passage of time and the history it leaves behind in its fascinating, carved-out path.  Even as a child I searched around my small town for antique collectibles and asked questions about people from the past.  The preservation of history through the discovery and analysis of old records particularly interests me.  I have been pursuing genealogy for about 20 years now, and I felt that accreditation with ICAPGen^SM would help me become better at finding, interpreting, and preserving historical records.  I want to more clearly understand my family’s role in their snippet of history.

What are some challenging or unique aspects to researching in your area of accreditation?

Many records in the Southeastern states were destroyed or have been stored indefinitely in spaces where conditions are odious. There are several small towns and communities that do not have the resources to keep or restore historical documents.  Disorganization of some records makes them very difficult to find, and often sections or issues of records are missing.  For many years, large areas in the Southern United States were primarily agrarian, populated by farmers who did not keep precise records or who could not make the long trip to the courthouse to register an important event.  Much analysis is needed with these records to establish family relationships.

What advice do you have for those pursuing accreditation?

Study the advice provided by the professionals on the ICAPGen^SM website and utilize their videos and other resources offered that support the accreditation process.  It is a long road, but building streamlined study guides and practicing testing in a strictly timed environment helps a great deal.

What research projects are you involved with now or have planned for the future?

My most immediate goal is to return to my own family history and use what I have learned from the accreditation process to reexamine and extend my work for those family lines.  I also want to refine my organization methods for the records and books in my collection.  (As Mary E.V. Hill, AG^®, stated on her website, “Genealogy is fun when you can find things!”)

I am currently working for the American History Company conducting genealogical research to help the United States Army locate family members of our soldiers from past conflicts who are still considered unaccounted-for.  It is very rewarding work and an honor for me to be involved in this extensive, ongoing project of the United States Army. There is a quote attributed to Winston Churchill that resonates with me. Scholars have debated his actual words, but it is commonly stated as, “The further backward you can look, the further forward you can see.”