Michelle G. Magalong, PhD is a scholar-activist committed to elevating the stories of underrepresented peoples and places through historic preservation, planning, and policy. Dr. Magalong is an Assistant Professor in the Historic Preservation program at the University of Maryland's School of Architecture. Planning and Preservation, where she previously served as a Presidential Postdoctoral Fellow. She is affiliate faculty in Asian American Studies, American Studies, Center for Global Migration Studies, and Urban Studies and Planning. She served as President and Executive Director for Asian and Pacific Islander Americans in Historic Preservation and now serves on its board of directors. Dr. Magalong served on the Experts Advisory Committee for the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation (ACHP), and currently serves on the board of directors for the National Alliance of Preservation Commissions (NAPC), and the editorial board for The Public Historian, the journal for the National Council on Public History. She received her BA in Ethnic Studies, and Urban Studies and Planning at University of California, San Diego (UCSD), and MA and PhD in Urban Planning at University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). Michelle worked in preserving historical Asian American neighborhoods and sites including Historic Filipinotown, Little Tokyo, and Thai Town in Los Angeles, and Little Manila in Stockton, California. She has served on advisory boards including for the National Park Service, State of California, and City of Los Angeles on their respective theme studies and context statements on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. She served on the board of directors for California Humanities. Michelle is a featured speaker at national conferences on historic preservation, advocacy, and the nonprofit sector, and was named "40 Under 40: People Saving Places" by the National Trust for Historic Preservation in 2018. Dr. Magalong was awarded the Distinguished Alumna Award by the Pilipino Alumni Association of UCLA in 2022 and the Outstanding Teaching award from the University of Maryland's School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation in 2024.