[1] From 2009 until 2015, she chaired the History of Art Department, and from 2009 until 2012 she was dean of the Flora Rose House on the Cornell University campus.

[2] Samuels' work includes visual studies where she focuses on challenges with photographic representation of the American Civil War.

[3] Samuels was a fellow at the American Antiquarian Society in the Northeast Modern Language Association (NEMLA) division.

In 2015-2016, she was the Los Angeles Times distinguished fellow at the Huntington Library.

In 2020 she was named a Quarry Farm Fellow by the Center For Mark Twain Studies.