Jane Donovan, a lecturer in religious studies in West Virginia Universitys Eberly College of Arts and Sciences, has been elected to a two-year term on the General Commission on Archives and History of the United Methodist Church (GCAH).

Donovan was nominated by a colleague at Drew University, and her election was unanimous.

I am deeply moved and honored. It is a privilege to serve the denomination and to serve the cause of American religious history and historic preservation,Donovan said. Charles Yrigoyen, Jr., General Secretary of GCAH , commented on her election:The Commission will enjoy her enthusiasm and dedication for the history of our church.

The purpose of the GCAH is to promote and care for the historical interest of the United Methodist Church. The Commission maintains archives and a library in which historical records and materials relating to the church are preserved and made available for public and scholarly use. GCAH also supervises regional United Methodist collections around the world.

Donovan is the author of seven books on United Methodist history and the history of Washington, D.C. Her best known work is The Historical Dictionary of Washington, D.C., published in 2003 by Scarecrow Press. She has had numerous articles published in academic journals as well as in the World Book Encyclopedia and The Washington Post . She is currently working on a biography of Henry Foxall (1758-1823), one of the nations earliest defense contractors and Methodist philanthropists.

Donovan graduated from WVU in 1976 with a BA in political science, and recently received the Master of Theological Studies from Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, D.C.

She is also the special assistant to the dean for communications in the Eberly College.

For more information on the General Commission on Archives and History of the United Methodist Church, please visithttp://www.gcah.org.