Born and raised in the suburbs of St. Louis, Doug Genens moved west to complete his PhD in history at the University of California, Santa Barbara. While in graduate school, Doug wrote a dissertation examining anti-poverty and economic development policy in rural America in the 20th century. After a brief stint in Boston, he returned home to Missouri and joined the State Historical Society as an Oral Historian in January 2023. In his free time, Doug enjoys riding his bike and watching movies with his wife and two cats.