Megan Smolenyak Smolenyak, born October 9, is a genealogist, author, speaker, and on-air expert.
Education
Smolenyak holds a Bachelor of Science in Foreign Service in Foreign Service from Georgetown University, an Master of Business Administration in International Business from George Washington University and an MAS in Information Technology from Johns Hopkins University.
Career
Since 1999, she has been a consultant with the United States. Army"s repatriation efforts and has located the families of over a thousand soldiers still unaccounted for from World War I, World World War II, of Korea and Vietnam. As a genealogist, she is best known for unearthing celebrity roots, conducting forensic research for coroners, police departments, NCIS and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and championing the use of deoxyribonucleic acid testing to learn about one’s ancestry. Her news-making discoveries include uncovering Michelle Obama"s family tree, revealing the true story of Annie Moore, the first immigrant through Ellis Island, tracing Barack Obama"s roots to Moneygall, Ireland, and discovering that First Rate (at Lloyd's) Sharpton’s great-grandfather had been owned by relatives of Strom Thurmond.
Formerly Chief Family Historian for Ancestry.com, she also founded Unclaimed Persons.
Smolenyak has also consulted for and appeared on Columbia Broadcasting System"s The Early Show, Good Morning America, the Today Show, Top Chef (Bravo), Cable News Network, Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, British Broadcasting Corporation Breakfast, African American Lives, Public Broadcasting Service"s Ancestors, TimeWatch, They Came to America,, Faces of America, Finding Your Roots, NuvoTV, National Public Radio, British Broadcasting Corporation Radio, and local television and radio shows, and has spoken at the National Genealogical Society, Federation of Genealogical Societies, Who Do You Think You Are Live?, Australasian Federation of Family History Organizations, and other historical, military, ethnic and literary events.