Laura Ivanov conducts individual, names-based research and reference for families of Holocaust survivors and victims using the International Tracing Service (ITS) collection, as well as the Museum’s archival collections at the USHMM. Through years of research, it became clear to Laura that many Romanian Holocaust victims are underrepresented in the ITS collection, due to the scope and collection process of the ITS archive. During her EHRI fellowship, Laura will explore avenues for names-based research at the Elie Wiesel National Institute for the Study of the Holocaust in Romania and other archival institutions in Romania. Her goal is to seek out resources that provide complementary information to the ITS digital collection and understand how that material is best accessed. This ensures future researchers of Romanian names-based Holocaust records will have an advantage with assisting those attempting to trace their relatives.

Laura received her Bachelor’s degree in German Language and Area Studies from American University in Washington, D.C. She has worked at the USHMM since 2010, first taking part in a multi-institutional project to index the files of the “IRO Care and Maintenance Program,” a subcollection of the International Tracing Service (ITS) database. She has completed over 2,000 onsite and remote research cases, collaborated across institutions on the creation of ITS training materials and supplemental guides, and served as the keynote speaker for the 2016 American Names Society Conference.