History Department

2011-2012 Scholarship Award Winners

 Helen Cavanagh History Award

Sara Miner

Kevin Schrop

Helen Cavanagh History Award for Best American Thesis

Dominic Garzonio

Helen Cavanagh History Award for Best Global Thesis

Vanda Rajcan

Lucy Lucile Tasher Senior Scholarship

Brock Bodine

Sidney Comstock

Kassie Kallner

Brett Russler

Gleynafa R. Ray Scholarship

Joseph Drover

John Giglio

William Howard Scholarship

Becca Kijek

Caleb Rowe

James Todd Wilborn Scholarship

Tyler Arnieri

Kyle C. Sessions Honors Scholarship in History

Rachel Aberle

Mark Wyman Scholarship in History

Simon Rodriguez

David Shanahan

Darrel A. Sutter Award

Emilie Burkiewicz

Thomas Igyarto

Phi Alpha Theta Inductees

Michael Carnahan

Ianthe Belisle Dempsey

Tammy Hansen

Joseph Eugene Joria

Stephen Koehl

Christopher R. Koelle

Alex M. Sabo

Trevor Weidner

We are pleased to announce that Dr. Ron Gifford, Assistant Chair, has been elected to serve on the College of Arts and Sciences Council as the Administrative/Professional representative and Abby Barnes, Senior History-Social Sciences Education Majaor has been eleced as a student representative.

The College of Arts and Sciences Council is elected to advise and assist the Dean of the college in determining the College policies, establishing procedures with the College and conducting the annual evaluation of the Dean in consultation with the Provost.

The council is composed of the Dean of the College, nine members of the College faculty, one administrative/professional representative, one civil service representative, one non-tenure track faculty representative, one civil service representative, one non-tenure track faculty representative and six students from among the declared majors of the College departments.

Dr. Ron Gifford

Abby Barnes

             Congratulations to both of them!

The 2012 Graduate Research Symposium, a university-wide showcase of student research, scholarship, and creative achievement, was held Friday, April 13 from 9:00-11:00 a.m. in the Bone Student Center.  More than 150 posters were presented in 22 disciplines.

Our own Seth Isaacson presented his research on “Saganosh: The ‘Englishman’ George Davenport and Opportunism on the Iowa-Illinois frontier”.  If you would like to see Seth’s poster, stop by the department office, Schroeder 301 where it is on display through Friday, April 20.  Well done Seth!

Your History Department was well represented at the Illinois State University College of Arts and Sciences 2011-2012 Dean’s Spring Address and Awards Ceremony held April 4, 2012 in the Bone Student Center receiving 30% of the awards given out at the event.

Six members of the History Department Faculty and Staff were recognized by the College of Arts and Sciences for their outstanding work:  Alan Lessoff received the Outstanding College Researcher Award, Richard Hughes received the Outstanding College Teaching Award, Roger Biles was awarded the Janice Witherspoon Neuleib Award for Outstanding Scholarly Achievement, Dr. Ron Gifford was named the Outstanding Administrative Professional Staff Member, Georgia Tsouvala received the University Service Initiative Award and Linda Spencer received Honorable Mention for the Scott M. Elliott Award for Outstanding Staff-Civil Service.

and is featuring two of our very own:  Richard Hughes and Patrice Olsen

The Illinois Capitol Forum on America’s Future is a civic education initiative offering high school students opportunity to deliberate international policy issues and debate the course of U.S. foreign policy in a public arena.  Now in its pilot year, the Illinois Capitol Forum focuses on citizen advocacy and human rights issues and on ways of extending students’ involvement in these issues beyond the social studies classroom.

Prior to attending the Forum, students from eight schools examined case studies concerning freedom of expression, right to health, international justice, rights of children and military intervention for human rights.  These schools chose delegates to represent them at the Forum.

The delegates will deliberate these case studies, meet with various guest experts, engage in a human rights simulation, and design a final outreach project to be completed by students in their classrooms.

Guest Experts

Richard Hughes, Associate Professor of History, Illinois State University

Maryam Judar, Community Lawyer, Citizen Advocacy Center

Greg Koos, Executive Director, McLean County Museum of History

Patrice Olsen, Associate Professor of History, Illinois State University

Kathren Sammis, Lecturer, School of Communication, Illinois State University

The Illinois Capitol Forum on America’s Future is presented in partnership with The Choices Program at Brown University, Illinois State University, and the Robert R. McCormick Foundation.

Forum participation is limited to those who were invited or pre-registered.