Department of History and American Studies

Interested in the relationship between the environment and socio-economic development? See below for info on a fully-funded summer program for undergraduates focusing on fieldwork in China and supported by the National Science Foundation and the University of Pittsburgh. All undergrads (including those beyond the U. of Pittsburgh) are eligible to apply, with juniors and non-graduating seniors strongly encouraged. Deadline: Feb 15, 2012.

The Asian Studies Center at the University of Pittsburgh, the National Science Foundation, the Center for Historical Environment and Socioeconomic Development of Northwest China at Shaanxi Normal University and the Northwest Socioeconomic Development Research Center of Northwest University announce the call for applications for the 2012 NSF Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) program entitled “Negotiations and Impacts: Water Policy Across China’s Loess Plateau.” This unique program in social science research will be conducted in Pittsburgh, PA, and in Shaanxi and Shanxi provinces, China in the summer of 2012. Twelve highly-qualified undergraduates and a team of faculty mentors will undertake collaborative research on how economic development and societal change is impacting China’s already precarious environmental position across the Yellow River Loess Plateau. The six-week program will be conducted between June 12 and July 22, 2012.

The program’s primary objective is to mentor students through the complete process of designing a research agenda and performing primary research in the social sciences at an international field site. It includes a unique combination of close mentoring, student/faculty teamwork, multidisciplinary research, and international field experience. Student participation will be encouraged from all fields of the social sciences, including sociology, anthropology, geography, environmental studies, economics, political science, Asian studies, history, and land/resource management. Juniors and non-graduating seniors are particularly encouraged to apply. Graduate students are not eligible. Applicants are limited to U.S. citizens and permanent residents.

Faculty mentors include Pierre Landry, Roberta Soltz, and James Cook of the University of Pittsburgh.

Costs of participation (travel, room, board), including the payment of a significant research stipend, will be paid by the program. Student participants are only responsible for their travel to/from the University of Pittsburgh and passport/visa fees.

Deadline for applications is February 15, 2012. Additional information and application forms can be found at http://www.ucis.pitt.edu/asc/academics/china-nsf/index.html.

The University of Pittsburgh is an affirmative action, equal opportunity institution.

Our History and American Studies Symposium will be held this Friday, 12/9, with sessions from 9 am to 2 pm. For an updated schedule of presentations see this previous post (minor adjustments have been made since its first appearance.) As always, refreshments will be served and we look forward to seeing you there!

Our schedule for the History and American Studies Symposium is now available. Students will share their research completed for senior thesis this past fall semester. The event consists of panels held from 9 am – 3 pm on Friday, December 9th. See below for the full schedule. Refreshments will be served.

History and American Studies Symposium

Fall 2011
University of Mary Washington – Department of History and American Studies
Locations: Monroe Hall, Rooms 210, 211, 111
December 9, 2011

SESSION ONE. 9 AM.  Topics in United States History
Room 210
Moderator: Dr. Will Mackintosh

“Religious and Environmental Tools of Agency: Western Women and the Underground Railroad” – Rachel Luehrs

“The 1939-1940 New York World’s Fair: Typical American Families Build Tomorrow” – Debbi Shepard

“The Atomic Age, 1945-1960: Transformation from Euphoria to Fear in American Culture” – Alex Mankarios

SESSION TWO. 9 AM. Histories of Race and Gender in American Mass Media
Room 211
Moderator: Dr. Nabil Al-Tikriti

“Barefoot and Pregnant: The Evolving Gender Roles of American Women Between 1936 and 1972 as Reflected in Advertisements in Life Magazine” – Nicole Steck

“Cultural Representation: The National Association of the Advancement of Colored People’s Protest of The Amos ‘n’ Andy Show” – Michelle Martz

“Mighty Morphin Power Rangers and Racism: The Presence of Racism in Media Culture in the 1990s” – Eugene Hamrick
 

SESSION THREE. 9 AM.  Selected Papers in Military History
Room 111
Moderator: Dr. Porter Blakemore

American Expeditions intoRussiain the First World War – Charles Patterson

“‘Morale is a Women’s Issue’: The Defining Role of USO Dance Halls on Female Identity in World War II” – Moira Rose Barr

SESSION FOUR. 10 AM. Of the Twilight Zone and American Zombies in a Cold-War Era
Room 210
Moderator: Dr. Krystyn Moon

“’There’s a signpost up ahead’:  American Post-War Themes in The Twilight Zone’s Time Travel Narratives” – Erin Bethel

“They’re Coming to Get You,America: The Popularity of Zombie Films and American Paranoia During the Cold War and the War on Terror” – Cameron Carroll

SESSION FIVE. 11 AM. U.S. Cultural History: Of Camel Cigarettes, Tinseltown, and Burnished Bodies
Room 210
Moderator: Dr. Jess Rigelhaupt

“Getting Burned: Camel Cigarette Advertisements, 1945-1964” – Lauren Bennett

HollywoodRemade – Kelly Mirales

“Bodybuilding: Sandow to Schwarzenegger” – Kristopher Stanford

 
SESSION SIX. 11 AM.  China’s Boxer Uprising of 1900: Events and Effects
Room 211
Moderator: Dr. Susan Fernsebner

“Chinaand the West: Christianity and the Complex Relations of Missionaries and Imperial Power” – Ken Rineholt

“When Confucius Met Darwin:  Education Reform in the Late Qing Dynasty” – Lee Siegrist

SESSION SEVEN. 1 PM. Heroic Women and Well-Dressed Despots as History and Myth
Room 210
Moderator: Dr. Jason Sellers

“I Am Ready for My Close-Up, Mr. Zunling: The Many Faces of the Empress Dowager in Qing Court Photography” – Caitlin Murphy

“‘A Girl, Too, Can Bring Glory to Her Home’: Mulan Joins the Army and the Intersection of Tradition and Modernity in Republican China” – Alice Wagner 

“Naked Cartwheels: The Legacy and Memory of Pocahontas” – Heather Thompson

SESSION EIGHT. 1 PM. Recovery in Europe after the Second World War
Room 211
Moderator: Dr. Allyson Poska

“The Collaborative Relationship of James Rorimer and Rose Valland, and the Recovery of the Neuschwanstein Art Repository Following the Second World War” – Caleigh Ross

“The Joint Distribution Committee: Lending a Helping Hand to Jews in Displaced Persons Camps in Germany, 1945-1957” – Abbey Vinik

SESSION NINE. 1 PM. Topics in U.S. History
Room 111
Moderator: Dr. Matt Johnson

“SmallTown, Big Fight” – Megan Schweers

“A Neighborhood Story:Middle Eastand the Redevelopment of GhettoAmerica” – Jason James

“Is it Time to Upgrade?: The Technological ‘Participation Gap’ and Fairfax County Public Schools” – Dana Cazan

SESSION TEN. 2 PM. Selected Topics: The Ancient and Medieval World
Room 210
Moderator: Dr. Bruce O’Brien

“Hellenistic Women: Expansion of Greek Values and Increased Agency” – Laura Donahue

“Women in Anglo-Saxon Law” – David Noel

“The Peloponnesian War: A History of Failed Politics” – A. J. Lawrence

SESSION ELEVEN. 2 PM. Topics in United States History
Room 211
Moderator: Dr. Steven Harris

“ThePetersburgCampaign: A. P. Hill and the Third Corps Forgotten Battle” – William Timmons

“‘That Costed an Arm and a Leg’: How the Minie Ball Affected the Veterans of the Civil War” – Cassie Peters

Mongol Invasions – Patrick Kramer

Interested in going to law school and pursuing careers in law? Want to meet UMW alums who are currently successes in the field?  Two events on the theme are scheduled for this Thursday (11/10). See below for more.

November 10, 2011
4:00pm – 5:00pm
Red Room-Woodard Campus Center
Info Session: William and Mary Law School
Description:
Join an admissions representative and a current student (also a UMW alumnus!) from The College of William and Mary-Marshall Wythe School of Law for an information session in the Red Room.  They will be giving information about the program as well as answering questions.  Sponsored by Career Services, this event is open to all students interested in law school.  Registration not required.  More information on Employ·An·Eagle.

November 10, 2011
7:00pm – 8:30pm
Lee Hall 411
Event Name:  Legal Eagle Alumni Career Panel
Description:
Join several UMW alumni who have pursued legal careers after graduation at this career panel.  Lawyers, a corporate VP, a policy maker, a current law school student, and more will be telling their stories and answering questions about their UMW experiences, law school preparation, life after law school and their career path. Sponsored by Career Services and Alumni Relations, this event is open to all students interested in law school. Registration not required.  More information on Employ·An·Eagle.

A reminder: this Saturday, November 12, 2011, from 1 – 5 pm in Dodd Auditorium, FAMCC, NPS and UMW
will present Years of Anguish: A Nation Goes to War, featuring acclaimed
historians Gary Gallagher and Peter Carmichael.    Dr. Jeff McClurken from
the University of Mary Washington will moderate.

This public event will look at the Civil War war through a national, state,
and local lens.  Dr. Gallagher will present, “Devoted to Union,” a look at
how many Americans opted to embrace war rather than see the work of the
founding fathers destroyed by secession.  Dr. Carmichael will look at
Virginia’s decent into war–specifically how the generation of 1861
understood the war and why they fought.

See below for more information, including instructions on registration for this free event.

A Nation Goes to War will also examine how the Fredericksburg region
responded to the onset of war.  Using the voices of those who were here,
National Park Service historian John Hennessy will look at how the
Fredericksburg region mobilized, and how war washed over the area in
1861–an exciting interlude for local citizens that would become stark
contrast to the horror yet to come.

Dr. Gary Gallagher is the John L. Nau III Professor in the History of the
American Civil War at the University of Virginia.  Dr. Gallagher is one of
the leading historians of the Civil War. His books include The Confederate
War, Lee and His Generals in War and Memory, and Stephen Dodson Ramseur:
Lee’s Gallant General. He has coauthored and edited several works on
individual battles and campaigns and has published over 100 articles in
scholarly journals and popular historical magazines.  Dr. Gallagher has
received many awards for his research and writing, including the Laney
Prize for the best book on the Civil War, the William Woods Hassler Award
for contributions to Civil War studies, and the Fletcher Pratt Award for
the best nonfiction book on the Civil War.

Dr. Peter Carmichael is the Director of the Civil War Institute and Robert
C. Fluhrer, Professor of Civil War Studies at Gettysburg. He received his
Ph.D. from Pennsylvania State University and was a professor of history at
West Virginia University specializing in Civil War studies before joining
the faculty of Gettysburg College.  Dr. Carmichael’s most recent book is
The Last Generation: Young Virginians in Peace, War, and Reunion and he is
currently working on a book project in which, Black Rebels, will explore
the experience of slaves who served Confederate soldiers.

A book signing will follow immediately in the reception hall of Dodd
Auditorium.  Books may be purchased during the forum, or prior to the event
at the Museum Store, 215 William Street.  This event will be in the
University of Mary Washington’s Dodd Auditorium and is FREE to the public.
Pre-registration is not required, but is requested.  Register on-line at
www.famcc.org, or 540-371-3037 ext. 400.

For more information on this event please visit www.famcc.org or contact
Sara Poore at spoore@famcc.org, John Hennessy at John_Hennessy@nps.gov, or
Jeff McClurken at jmcclurk@umw.edu.  Register on-line at www.famcc.org.
The mission of the Fredericksburg Area Museum and Cultural Center is to
collect, interpret and present the history of the Fredericksburg region and
community.

The Fredericksburg Area Museum and Cultural Center, the National Park
Service, and the University of Mary Washington are pleased to announce the
second program in the Years of Anguish Sesquicentennial speakers’ forum.
On November 12, 2011, from 1 – 5 pm in Dodd Auditorium, FAMCC, NPS and UMW
will present Years of Anguish: A Nation Goes to War, featuring acclaimed
historians Gary Gallagher and Peter Carmichael.    Dr. Jeff McClurken from
the University of Mary Washington will moderate.

Following on our wildly successful inaugural entry of Years of Anguish,
November’s program will again look at the war through a national, state,
and local lens.  Dr. Gallagher will present, “Devoted to Union,” a look at
how many Americans opted to embrace war rather than see the work of the
founding fathers destroyed by secession.  Dr. Carmichael will look at
Virginia’s decent into war–specifically how the generation of 1861
understood the war and why they fought.

A Nation Goes to War will also examine how the Fredericksburg region
responded to the onset of war.  Using the voices of those who were here,
National Park Service historian John Hennessy will look at how the
Fredericksburg region mobilized, and how war washed over the area in
1861–an exciting interlude for local citizens that would become stark
contrast to the horror yet to come.

Dr. Gary Gallagher is the John L. Nau III Professor in the History of the
American Civil War at the University of Virginia.  Dr. Gallagher is one of
the leading historians of the Civil War. His books include The Confederate
War, Lee and His Generals in War and Memory, and Stephen Dodson Ramseur:
Lee’s Gallant General. He has coauthored and edited several works on
individual battles and campaigns and has published over 100 articles in
scholarly journals and popular historical magazines.  Dr. Gallagher has
received many awards for his research and writing, including the Laney
Prize for the best book on the Civil War, the William Woods Hassler Award
for contributions to Civil War studies, and the Fletcher Pratt Award for
the best nonfiction book on the Civil War.

Dr. Peter Carmichael is the Director of the Civil War Institute and Robert
C. Fluhrer, Professor of Civil War Studies at Gettysburg. He received his
Ph.D. from Pennsylvania State University and was a professor of history at
West Virginia University specializing in Civil War studies before joining
the faculty of Gettysburg College.  Dr. Carmichael’s most recent book is
The Last Generation: Young Virginians in Peace, War, and Reunion and he is
currently working on a book project in which, Black Rebels, will explore
the experience of slaves who served Confederate soldiers.

A book signing will follow immediately in the reception hall of Dodd
Auditorium.  Books may be purchased during the forum, or prior to the event
at the Museum Store, 215 William Street.  This event will be in the
University of Mary Washington’s Dodd Auditorium and is FREE to the public.
Pre-registration is not required, but is requested.  Register on-line at
www.famcc.org, or 540-371-3037 ext. 400.

For more information on this event please visit www.famcc.org or contact
Sara Poore at spoore@famcc.org, John Hennessy at John_Hennessy@nps.gov, or
Jeff McClurken at jmcclurk@umw.edu.  Register on-line at www.famcc.org.
The mission of the Fredericksburg Area Museum and Cultural Center is to
collect, interpret and present the history of the Fredericksburg region and
community.

The Women’s and Gender Studies Program, Career Services, and the Office of Community Service invite you to learn about the volunteer and internship opportunities (both undergrad and postgrad) available in our community and in the DC area for those interested in working with women and women’s issues. See below for time and location.

Working with Women in our Community and Beyond

Tonight (11/1) at 7 pm

Lee Hall 412

On November 1, The Women’s and Gender Studies Program, Career Services, and the Office of Community Service invite you to learn about the volunteer and internship opportunities (both undergrad and postgrad) available in our community and in the DC area for those interested in working with women and women’s issues. See below for time and date.

Working with Women in our Community and Beyond

7 pm, November 1st

Lee Hall 412

On this coming Wednesday, October 26th, Dr. Michelle Newton-Francis will share her research and lead a discussion on ”Not Winging it at Hooters: Conventions for Producing a Cultural Object of Sexual Fantasy.” Dr. Newton-Francis is an assistant professor of Sociology at American University.

Date / time: Wednesday, 10/26, 12-1 pm

Location: Lee Hall 414

This talk is sponsored by the Women’s and Gender Studies Program.