Department News

Date News
August 2009
Dr. Eric Nelson is an Associate Professor of History. Dr. Nelson is a very productive scholar in the field of early modern European history. He has written a monograph, edited several volumes of essays and published many articles in scholarly journals. Dr. Nelson has taught in both the British and American University systems and has published resources for world history instructors. As Provost Fellow, he will lead one of the Learning Communities, pursue his work on the use of pragmatic teaching tools that promote reflective learning outcomes, and participate in the Graduate Assistants and Teaching Assistants mentoring program in the Faculty Center for Teaching and Learning.
June 2009

Dr. William Garrett Piston - "Missourians and the War on the Western Rivers," North & South, 11 (June 2009): 44-53.   This is an excerpt from Portraits of Conflict: A Photographic History of Missouri in the Civil War, which will be released by the University of Arkansas Press in December 2009.
Fall 2009 Dr. William Garrett Piston is on sabbatical for the academic year.
Summer 2009 Dr. Bethany Walker spent the summer of 2009 in the Middle East on a senior National Endowment for the Humanities Grant. During that time she was an invited lecturer to the Urban Process Research Group of the Institute of Advanced Studies at Hebrew University, presented her research at the conference "Material Evidence and Narrative Sources: Interdisciplinary Studies of the History of Islamic Societies" at Ben-Gurion University and the Fellows lecture series at the American Center for Oriental Research in Amman, and facilitated drafting an MOU between Missouri State and Yarmouk University for future student study opportunities in Jordan
May 2009 Dr. Dominic J. Capeci, Jr., Distinguished Professor Emeritus, retired in May 2009 after teaching at the university since 1972.  He will be teaching as Per Course faculty in the Fall Semester 2009. 
April 15-17, 2009 The 51st Annual Missouri Conference on History, held at the University Plaza in Springfield, MO, featured guest speaker, Dr. Virginia Laas, was hosted by Dr. Stephen McIntyre and as president of MCH for 2009, coordinated this event. There were 120 people in attendance.
Fall 2008 Dr. Worth Robert Miller and Dr. John Chuchiak are on sabbatical for the academic year.
Fall 2008 Dr. Brooks Blevins joined the History Department.  He is teaching American History, The Ozarks
Fall 2008 Dr. Bela Bodo joined the History Department.  He is teaching Central and East Central Europe.
Fall 2008 Dr. Bethany Walker joined the History Department.  She is teaching Middle East and Islamic Archaeology. 
Fall 2008 Dr. Hannington Ochwada is with us this year teaching African Civilization.
Fall 2008 Dr. Anara Tabyshalieva is with us this year teaching Asian History.
Spring 2008 Dr. William Piston During Spring Break Professor Piston joined a team of faculty members who visited Beijing and Dalian, China. In Dalian they toured the Missouri State branch campus at Liaoning Normal University. Piston visited classes and met with faculty members, including Ms. Carey Kelley, a recent History M.A. graduate who is teaching U.S. survey courses there.

Piston also delivered an address, "Springfield, Missouri: A History of Land, People, and Ideas," to the student body. The faculty team included Allison Coltharp of the Department of Communications and Linda Moser of the Department of English. They received on-site guidance from Helen Zhuang, a Dalian native who is currently a graduate assistant in Academic Outreach.

Piston also delivered an address, "Springfield, Missouri: A History of Land, People, and Ideas," to the student body. The faculty team included Allison Coltharp of the Department of Communications and Linda Moser of the Department of English. They received on-site guidance from Helen Zhuang, a Dalian native who is currently a graduate assistant in Academic Outreach.

March 2008 Dr. Jamaine Abidogun, a member of the Provost Diversity Outreach Committee, participated as a faculty sponsor at the United States Hispanic Leadership Institute held in Chicago this March. Eighteen Missouri State University students participated at the conference in various panels and symposia in order to develop leadership skills.

This year's Midwest Hispanic Student Leadership Conference (MHSLC) attracted leaders from 60 student organizations representing at least 40 colleges and universities from states including Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, Wisconsin and more.

The MHSLC provides opportunities for advanced leadership skills development, and promotes unity among Hispanic student leaders attending colleges and universities in the Midwest.

The USHLI has developed into one of the most powerful, nationally and internationally recognized Latino organizations in the country by organizing and conducting nonpartisan voter registration and leadership development program in 40 states. This organization has been able to maintain a stable presence in hundreds of communities over the years by promoting empowerment and civic responsibility. The mission of the United States Hispanic Leadership Institute (USHLI) is to fulfill the promises and principles of democracy by empowering minorities and similarly disenfranchised groups and by maximizing civic awareness and participation in the electoral process.

The MSU students who participated in this conference will utilize these skills on our campus to work across student organizations to increase diversity awareness and improve our campus climate.

Fall 2008

Dr. John F. Chuchiak, IV and Worth Robert Miller have been awarded sabbaticals for the 2008-2009 academic year.
September 2008

Dr. Worth Robert Miller will coordinate the Thirtieth Mid-America Conference on History, which will be held at the DoubleTree Hotel (Kearney and Glenstone) on September 25-27, 2008.  Featured speakers will be Charles P. Roland, University of Kentucky, “Billy Yank, Johnny Reb, and GI Joe,” John E. Bodner, Indiana University, “The American Remembrance of World War II,” and Richard Breitman, American University, “Advocate for the Doomed: James G. McDonald, Nazi Germany, and American Refugee Policy.”  For More information please go to http://history.missouristate.edu/MACH%202008.htm
May 2008

Dr. Worth Robert Miller’s article, “Building a Populist Coalition in Texas, 1892-1896,” will appear in the May, 2008, edition of the Journal of Southern History.  His co-author, Stacy G. Ulbig, was formerly a member of the MSU Political Science Department
March 2007 Dr. John F. Chuchiak has been selected as the first CHPA Dean’s Fellow in Public Relations.  His responsibilities will include maintaining the CHPA website, compiling two college newsletters a year, and being responsible for the second floor display cases and CHPA bulletin board.  In order for CHPA to attain the appropriate recognition in a variety of situations, he will need to receive departmental information for press releases and can be contacted via the CHPA email address:   CHPA @ missouristate.edu
April 2007 Christopher Gordon, Archivist, Missouri Historical Society, was named History Alumnus of the Year 2007 by Phi Alpha Theta students at a dinner in his honor.
January 2007 Dr. Eric Nelson was selected as a Cameron Fellow at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland.  Comments 

During his time as Cameron Fellow at the Centre for Reformation Studies at the University of Saint Andrews, Scotland, Dr. Eric Nelson (HST) gave two major invited lectures. The first invited lecture "Piety in the Parish: Mapping the Sacred Landscape of Rural France 1500-1700" was presented the Saint Andrews Reformation Studies Institute in May 2007. It examined the interaction between the evolution of church furnishings and the ritual landscape of the Blaisois. The second invited lecture, entitled "Rural Parishes in their Landscapes: Parish Proces-sions in the Blaisois 1500-1700," was presented to the Graduate School at the University of York, England. This paper focused on the evolution of rural parish processional life in the Loire valley over two centuries.

He also gave a paper at the meeting of The Society for the Study of French History which focused on the impact of Catholic Renewal reform efforts on two specific traditions of processional life in the Blaisois.

December 2006 Dr. James N. Giglio, Distinguished Professor Emeritus, retired in December 2006 after teaching at the university since 1968.  He will be teaching as Per Course faculty in the Spring Semester 2007
June 2006 Ms. Margie von der Heide, Administrative Secretary, graduated with a class of 24 Missouri State University employees from the USA (University Staff Ambassadors) Program on June 7, 2006.  http://www.missouristate.edu/USA/
May 2006 Travis Seay received the Best Graduate Essay Award which includes a gift of $250 for 2005-2006.  Congratulations Travis.
May 2006 Dr. Wayne C. Bartee, Professor Emeritus, retired in May 2006 after teaching at the university since 1967.  Dr. Bartee received his bachelor's degree from Missouri State College in 1958.  He will be teaching as Per Course faculty in the Spring Smester 2007.
April 2006 Dr. David Gutzke, publication of, "Pubs and Progressives: Reinventing the Public House in England, 1896-1960"
April 2006 Judge Paul Spenden was named History Alumnus of the Year 2006 by Phi Alpha Theta students at a dinner in his honor.
February 2006 Travis Seay, Graduate Assistant, was awarded a $200.00 Travel Award from the Graduate College.
January 2006 Dr. James N. Giglio, announced  the second edition, revised, "The Presidency of John F. Kennedy."
July 2005 Ms. Margie von der Heide, History Department, Administrative Secretary, accepted into the University Staff Ambassadors Program for 2005-2006. 
June 2005 Dr. Craig Alan Smith, publication of, "Failing Justice: Charles Evans Whittaker on the Supreme Court"
January 2005 Ms. Jean Thomas, History Department Administrative Clerk, was awarded the 2005 Excellence in Community Service Award. This award is given annually to two Missouri StateU staff members in recognition of their service to the community through volunteerism.  Jean was honored at the annual January Service Award celebration.  This award includes a $1,200 cash award. Congratulations Jean for all of your work particularly to the Red Cross.
 

Dr. Elena Osokina has received a phone call from our Congressman, informing her that she has won the NEH scholarship for which she applied.  This will free her from teaching for one year to finish her book. Congratulations, Elena. It is a very prestigious award and a distinguished honor for her and for our department as well.
July 2004 Congressman Blunt announced that Dr. Marc Cooper has been awarded a second Teaching American History grant funded at $987,000 over three years.
May 2004 Michele Lansdown, History Department Graduate Student, has accepted an associate editorship with the journal, Southern Historian. The Southern Historian is an annual journal published by the University of Alabama.  Their web-page is at http://www.osm.ua.edu/historian
May 2004 Dr. Elena Osokina. The Dean’s Office is pleased to announce the names of the first two winners of the CHPA Grant Writing Competition.  Dr. Osokina is one of the winners.
April 2004 Dr. Jamaine Abidogun has received a one-year Fulbright Award to work in Nigeria. She will teach one class and do research on Women and Education in Africa.
April 2004 Dr. James Giglio will be on sabbatical for the academic year 2004-2005
April 2004 Dr. David Gutzke will be on sabbatical for the Spring Semester 2005
February 29 Rusty Aton was featured in the News Leader today regarding his research and recently completed Thesis on minor league baseball in Springfield, MO.  A copy of his thesis "It Comes and it Goes: The History of Professional Baseball in Springfield, Missouri, 1887-1950" is available at the Springfield Public Library Center at 4653 S. Campbell Ave.
February 27, Dr. Bert Park was named History Alumnus of the Year 2004 by Phi Alpha Theta students at a dinner in his honor.
January 2004 Dr. Andrew Lewis and Dr. Elena Osokina were each awarded a 2004 University Summer Faculty Fellowship of $5000.  
December Dr. Larry Gragg, who in 2001 received the first Missouri StateU History Department Annual Alumni Award, was named Distinguished Teaching Professor of History at the University of Missouri at Rolla in December 2003.  See also October 1 below and our Newsletter 2003, Alumni Forum.  
November Graduate Assistant Greg Katzin was awarded  $500 for Graduate Thesis Research Funding
July 1 Prof. Michael Sheng replaces Prof. Marc Cooper as head of the History department.
June 30 Prof. Andy Lewis was awarded a Foundation Award in Research and Prof. Bob Miller was awarded a University Research Award.
May 5 History BSEd major, Abigail Hagy, won the Missouri State Boyce Public Affairs Award for her demonstrated record of service, leadership and qualities consistent with the goals of the public affairs mission.
May 2 Associate Prof. Meredith Adams is retiring after 38 years of service to the department.
May 2 Sarah Overstreet published a column about the return of Felix, Assistant Professor Kate Hamerton's cat. Kate and Felix will be on leave next year.
April 29 Prof. Marc Cooper received AHEEP year 2 funds of $216,372.
April 28 Lecturer Kathy Mason announced that she will be leaving Missouri State for a tenure-track position at Findlay College, and that Michigan State University Press will be publishing her book on environmental history.
April 21 Dean Lorene Stone announced that Prof. Michael Sheng will become Department Head replacing Prof. Marc Cooper on July 1, 2003. Cooper is stepping down after completing two three-year terms.
March 24 Prof. Andy Lewis received a Franklyn Grant from the Amer. Philosophical Society to continue work on the MSS of Bernard Itier in France this summer.
March 7 Lynn Morrow was named History Alumnus of the Year by Phi Alpha Theta students at a dinner in his honor.
March 1 Professor Wayne Bartee published a column in the Springfield News-Leader concerning George Washington.
January 27 Debating the Kennedy Presidency by Prof. James Giglio and Stephen Rabe appeared in print.
January 17, 2003 Prof. Dominic Capeci, Jr. was selected as a University Fellow in Research.
December 28 Professors Wayne and Alice Bartee announced the birth of a granddaughter, Shields Fleetwood Bartee.
December 11 Grad student Rusty Aton won a $500 fellowship from the Graduate College to support his thesis research.
December 11 Jean Thomas to begin work as department receptionist starting January 2.
November 7 Assistant professor Jamaine Abidogun received a grant as co-principal investigator from the Campus Compact, Communities and Universities to Enhance Learning Through Technology” program. The Award is in the amount of $20,000.00.
October 22 Philosophy major Angela Dorrough published a complimentary article on History courses in the Southwest Standard. The instructor for Dorrough's section of HST 102 is associate professor Ahmed Ibrahim.
October 15 Department secretary, Margie von der Heide won a $100 gift certificate for offering the winning name "Rackensack" for the faculty/staff coffee lounge.
October 15 Articles by new assistant professor John Chuchiak appeared this month in Ethnohistory and JEMH.
October 9 Long time department receptionist Lyn Young will be leaving at the end of December.
October 9 Articles by lecturer Kathy Mason appeared this month in The Historian and the Journal of South Dakota History.
October 1 Department's Teaching American History program enters its second year. Prof. Marc Cooper is the project director and La Reva Newcomer is assistant project director. Prof. George Hummasti is teaching the Internet course this semester.
October 1 Larry Gragg, (MA 1973) who earned a Ph.D. and has enjoyed a successful career on the history faculty of the University of Missouri-Rolla, has won this year’s Presidential Award for Outstanding Teaching presented by the University of Missouri and covering all four of its campuses.  His book manuscript on the English in Barbados has been accepted by Oxford University Press.
September 27 Holly Bowdidge Stone (MA 1995) was sworn into the Missouri Bar.
September Search for assistant professor of Russian history approved. First consideration begins November 1.
Fall 2002 Prof. Bill Piston is on sabbatical working on the Civil War in Missouri.
May, 2002 Prof. Jim Giglio elected Faculty Senate chair elect.