Flashback! Phi Alpha Theta at UAH Hosts Alabama Regional Meeting

Throwback Thursday is a time to post fondly about past events, perhaps with a nicely faded photo with no need of filter. Here at the Department of History, everyday is worthy of taking a throwback to the past. It's kind of our thing. So, let's go back to April and take a look at the 2015 Phi Alpha Theta Alabama Regional Meeting, hosted by UAH's Phi Alpha Theta chapter, Tau Omega.

UAH History Students outside Morton Hall
(photobomb courtesy of Dr. Gandila)

After James Xiques and John O'Brien - alumni of the department - won awards for best papers at the 2013 and 2014 Alabama regional meetings, respectively, it seemed fitting for UAH to host the 2015 meeting. Under the leadership of former faculty adviser, Dr. Evan Ragland, the conference got under way. With several students and faculty in attendance from different colleges in Alabama, and even some from Georgia, the meeting was a success. Students mingled over coffee and breakfast in the morning, had a delightful lunch outside of Morton Hall, and also attended a lecture by the department's Dr. John Kvach, who spoke on the Civil War and promoted the Public History Program at UAH. And, most importantly, there were the presentation sessions, including some moderated by UAH history faculty, among them Dr. Andrei Gandila, Dr. Molly Johnson, Dr. Nicole Pacino, Dr. Thomas Reidy, and Dr. Ragland.

Students' presentations focused on several different subjects, areas, and times, ranging from the ancient world to the twentieth-century in the United States. Such variation was welcome, and this was not lost on presenters from UAH. Presentations from the department's undergraduate students included:

• Rachel Byrd, "Too Much Coffee, Too Little Bread: the Revolution of a Hangry People"
• Ashley Coates, "Prudery and Prostitution: Sexual Conservatism in Roman Religion"
• Matthew Johnson, "We Light a Fire: Credulity and Consequence"
• Aaron McNully, "An Unintentional Institution: An Analysis of the Impact of Gregory the Great's Ecclesiology on the Consolidation of Western Papal Power in the Early Middle Ages"
• Daniel Munn, "Propaganda and Public Works in the Augustan Age"
• Nicole Westrope, "Did Philosophy Exist Outside of Europe?"

Graduate student presentations included:

• Lorraine Anderson, "The Midwife's Tale: How Laurel Thatcher Ulrich Unveiled the Previously Unknown World of Post-Revolutionary War Women in Rural America"
• Whitney Andrews, "Racism, Manhood, and Femininity in the Alabama Suffrage Debate: 1915-1920"
• Kelly Fisk Hamlin, " 'This is Rocket City, U.S.A., Let Freedom Begin Here:' The Civil Rights Movement in Huntsville, Alabama"
• Joshua Riddle, "The Criteria of William Gilbert's Experimental Method"

When we're not researching and writing, we're eating.

As well as presenting, UAH students won awards. Matthew Johnson and Daniel Munn won presentation awards among all students presenting, and Ashley Coates, Kelly Fisk Hamlin, and Joshua Riddle won internal paper prizes.

The conference was a success and a boon to all involved. We were so pleased to see so many history students attend, especially the department's own. We are especially proud of their hard work, dedication, and accomplishments.

 

Students Conduct Archaeology on Redstone Arsenal

History students enrolled in the Cultural Resource Management/History 320 course this semester have the unique opportunity to participate in archaeological work on Redstone Arsenal. Surprisingly, the Arsenal consists of 972 archaeological sites across its 38,000 acres. Students learn about a wide range of archaeological specialities, such as lithic technologies (stone tools), prehistoric ceramics, battlefield archaeology, geomorphology, and cave archaeology. The students are currently excavating an antebellum homestead close to Gate 9. 

To read more about the course and the students' insights, visit Redstone Rocket UAH Archaeology.

Dr. Pacino featured in the Journal of Women's History

Dr. Pacino's new article is featured in the Spring 2015 publication of the Journal of Women's History. Dr. Pacino's article is entitled "Creating Madres Campesinas: Revolutionary Motherhood and the Gendered Politics of Nation Building in 1950s Bolivia."

You can read the article at Creating Madres Campesinas.

Dr. Kvach explains the history and symbolism of the Confederate flag

In an article featured on the Humboldt Journal, Dr. Kvach explains the different symbolisms of the Confederate flag to Canadians. Dr. Kvach stresses the importance of recognizing that two distinct histories of the Confederate flag exist.

Visit Confederate Flag Controversy to read more about the history of the Confederate flag, its symbolism, and the Confederate flag's growing popularity in Canada.

Unique double major earns recognition for unprecedented achievements

Erin Looney, a UAH graduate and double major in history and mechanical engineering, earned the Highest Academic Achievement Award from both the College of Engineering and the College of Liberal Arts. Erin accepted her prestigious awards at the May commencement ceremony this year.

Congratulations, Erin! The History Department is proud to have you as a graduate!

To learn more about Erin and her achievements, visit UAH Unique Double Major.

Dr. Gandila Earns Recognition of the American Numismatic Society

Congratulations to Dr. Gandila for earning the recognition of the American Numismatic Society for his work examining Byzantium coinage! Dr. Gandila spent his summer at the American Numismatic Society in New York working on a new book project about the circulation of early Byzantine coins, entitled Money in a Pre-Modern Economy: Coin Circulation in the Eastern Mediterranean, c. 500-650. 

A short interview profiling Dr. Gandila's research can be found at Pocket Change: The Blog of the American Numismatic Society.