News Archive | Department of History

Professor Shields Awarded Middle East Studies Association Undergraduate Education Award

Professor Sarah Shields has been awarded this year’s Middle East Studies Association Undergraduate Education Award. Professor Shield’s teaching about Middle East history has been creative, innovative, student-centered, and diverse. She also has shared both her historical expertise and pedagogical strategies … Continued

Dr. William Ferris to Receive Cora Norman Award from the Mississippi Humanities Council

Congratulations to Professor William Ferris on being honored with the Cora Norman Award from the Mississippi Humanities Council. The award recognizes Ferris’ “distinguished career as a scholar and national leader in the humanities.” Read more about the award on the … Continued

UNC to Honor Henry Owl, First American Indian Student at Carolina and Former History Graduate Student

The Chancellor’s Advisory Committee on Naming University Facilities and Units has decided to rename the Student Affairs building on campus in honor of Henry Owl. Owl was a Cherokee historian and the first American Indian student to enroll at the … Continued

Kimathi Muiruri ’21 named Rhodes Scholar

Kimathi Muiruri ’21, who majored in history and environmental studies, was a Morehead-Cain Scholar, a member of Phi Beta Kappa and is an Honors Carolina laureate. He is the third Tar Heel to be named a Rhodes Scholar this fall. … Continued

Prof. Emerita McNeil Speaker at Stone Memorial Lecture

On November 9th, Professor Emerita Genna Rae McNeil will be the featured speaker at the 29th Annual Sonja Hayne Stone Memorial Lecture. The lecture will be delivered via Zoom. For more information and to register, please go to the Stone … Continued

Graduate Student Alexandra Odom In Carolina Arts & Sciences Magazine

Alexandra Odom won a Graduate School Impact award for her role in a documentary film focusing on the achievement gap between white and Black students in the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools. The Carolina Arts & Sciences Magazine wrote about Odom … Continued

Professor Jay Smith Awarded the Education Law Association’s Steinhilber Award

Professor Jay Smith is one of six historians honored with the Education Law Association’s Steinhilber Award for the best legal brief of the year. Dr. Smith, along with UNC alum Taylor Branch and others, collaborated in writing a Supreme Court amicus … Continued

Five Graduate Students Awarded Fulbright-Hays Doctoral Dissertation Fellowships

Congratulations to five history graduate students on being awarded the Fulbright-Hays Doctoral Dissertation Fellowship. Laura Cox, Arianne Ekinci, Cody Love, Emily Taylor, and Abigail Warchol will use their fellowships to travel to the areas they study and conduct research. You … Continued

Charles Sellers (PhD, 1950) Remembered in New York Times

Charles Sellers, UNC PhD (1950), passed away last week, aged 98. Sellers was the author of The Market Revolution. The New York Times published an obituary of Sellers over the weekend which celebrated him as “a historian whose work on early-19th-century … Continued

Prof. Worthen Writes about Tenure

Professor Molly Worthen recently published a Opinion Guest Essay in the New York Times about the fight over the tenure system, its history, and how it could change. Read her piece, “The Fight Over Tenure is Not Really About Tenure” … Continued

Professor Lloyd Kramer Receives UNC Jefferson Award and Comments on Award’s Meaning and Future

Professor Lloyd Kramer recently received the University’s Thomas Jefferson Award. The award, according to the faculty governance website, “is presented annually to ‘that member of the academic community who through personal influence and performance of duty in teaching, writing, and … Continued

Prof. Emeritus Don Raleigh Wins Awards

Professor Emeritus Don Raleigh received the 2021 recipient of the award for Distinguished Contributions to Slavic, East European and Eurasian Studies from the Association for Slavic, East European, and Eurasian Studies. The citation makes clear his impressive achievements. You can … Continued

William R. Ferris Interviewed in Washington Independent Review of Books

In a recent interview with the Washington Independent Review of Books, Joel R. Williamson Eminent Professor of History William R. Ferris talks civil rights, Black Lives Matter, and finding a one-of-a-kind photo for his new book. You can read the … Continued

New Podcast from Matt Andrews

Matt Andrews has recently launched his new podcast, “American Sport with Matt Andrews.” Each episode explores the sporting events that have defined our culture and changed the course of American history. It will go beyond the sports page telling of … Continued

Letter from the History Department on Hannah-Jones Tenure Case

On behalf of the History Department, Chair of the Department Professor Lisa Lindsay sent the following letter to the UNC Board of Trustees regarding the tenure case of Nikole Hannah-Jones. To read the letter in full, please click here.

Prof. King’s Book Wins Award

Professor Michelle King’s Culinary Nationalism in Asia (Bloomsbury Academic, 2019), which she edited and contributed a chapter to (“A Cookbook in Search of a Country: Fu Pei-mei and the Conundrum of Chinese Culinary Nationalism”), just won the Association for the … Continued

Prof. Lloyd Kramer’s Reflections For 2021 Graduates

During the History Department’s Zoom Recognition Ceremony for Graduating Seniors on May 16, 2021, Professor Lloyd Kramer delivered remarks on behalf of the faculty. His remarks, “The Enduring Value of Historical Education,” affirmed the importance of a historical education and … Continued

DHL Premiers New Podcast: The Cutting Room Floor

The Digital History Lab at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill presents The Cutting Room Floor – incredibly true stories from the past unearthed by historians, told by historians. Each episode features a guest historian who tells a fascinating … Continued

Professor Sturkey’s Article in The Atlantic Focuses on the Future of Researching Black History

Dr. William Sturkey has penned an insightful article, published in The Atlantic, in which he details the methods he used to unearth the Black history of Hattiesburg, Mississippi, for his book Hattiesburg: An American City in Black and White. Sturkey writes that … Continued

Department Alumnus, Judge Algenon Marbley, featured in New York Times for ruling on policing and tear gas in Ohio

Chief Judge Algenon Marbley, of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio, this week ordered police in Columbus Ohio to cease their use of tear gas, pepper spray, batons and rubber bullets against nonviolent protesters. Read … Continued

Prof. Jim Leloudis Testifies in NC Voter ID Case

Professor Jim Leloudis recently testified in a court case challenging North Carolina’s 2018 Voter I.D. Law. The lawsuit, filed by the Southern Coalition for Social Justice, argues the law suppresses Black voters in the state. Professor Leloudis’s testimony was based … Continued

Prof. Sweet Profiled in Carolina Arts & Sciences Magazine

Professor John Sweet was profiled in the most recent Carolina Arts & Sciences Magazine. As an IAH Fellow, Professor Sweet spoke about his First Year Seminar course, “Seeing History in Everyday Places,” and the GIS project they completed. Read the … Continued

History Major Samuel Zahn named a 2021 Truman Scholar

Congratulations to Sam Zahn for being named a 2021 Truman Scholar. Sam is a major in History and Political Science, a Robertson Scholar, and current student member of the Undergraduate Studies Committee in History. He has dedicated his time on campus … Continued

Feature in the Daily Tar Heel details the Career of Professor Genna Rae McNeil

Professor Genna Rae McNeil will retire from the department this semester. You can read about Dr. McNeil’s remarkable career in the Daily Tar Heel.

Prof. Emeritus Bill Ferris Remembers Roger Mudd, UNC MA 1953 and National Journalist

Professor Emeritus Bill Ferris Remembers Roger Mudd, UNC MA 1953 and National Journalist. The full obituary is below: Roger Mudd (1928-2021) Roger Mudd earned his MA in History at the University of North Carolina in 1953. Carlyle Sitterson was the … Continued

WGEI Statement Concerning the 2020 Murder of Mr. George Floyd and the 2021 Trial of His Killer

The-UNC-Chapel Hill History Department Working Group on Equity and Inclusion has written the following Statement Concerning the 2020 Murder of Mr. George Floyd and the 2021 Trial of His Killer. If you would like to sign the statement, please follow … Continued

UNC History Ranks #11 in Best Graduate Programs

U.S. News and World Report ranked UNC’s History Department as the #11 “Best History Program” in the country! Full list here.

Statement in Solidarity with Carolina’s Asian and Asian American Communities

The Department of History strongly condemns racist violence, intimidation, and discrimination in all forms, including those against Asians and Americans of Asian descent, with whom we stand in solidarity. On March 16, 2021, a white gunman killed eight people—six of … Continued

Dr. William Sturkey’s work with UNC Library’s “On the Books” project reveals the extent of North Carolina’s Jim Crow laws

Read about the inner workings of UNC Library’s “On the Books: Jim Crow and Algorithms of Resistance” – a project that uses text mining and machine learning to identify racist language in legal documents. The History Department’s Dr. William Sturkey … Continued

Dr. William Sturkey Featured in WUNC’s “Tested”

Associate Professor William Sturkey was featured in WUNC’s most recent episode of “Tested,” detailing faculty efforts to change the name of what we currently know as Hamilton Hall. Description of the episode below: J.G. de Roulhac Hamilton’s name has marked … Continued

Nominate Your TA for Outstanding Teaching Award!

Every year, the History Department gives awards to outstanding teaching assistants. Undergraduate nominations are crucial in choosing the recipients. Please tell us why you think your TA deserves a teaching award. The more detail and examples you can provide, the … Continued

2020 Statement on White House Memo Barring Federal Agencies from Race-Related Trainings

Statement on White House Memo Barring Federal Agencies from Race-Related Trainings READ: White House memo barring federal agencies from race-related training sessions “The President, and his Administration, are fully committed to the fair and equal treatment of all individuals within … Continued

Jennifer Parker Wins Manager of the Year

Congratulations to Jennifer Parker on her award for Manager of the Year in the College of Arts & Sciences for outstanding accomplishments in leadership and management! For the full announcement, go here.

Prof. La Serna Writes Piece for Washington Post

Miguel La Serna recently co-authored a “Perspective” piece for the Washington Post with Kia Caldwell, professor of African, African American and Diaspora Studies, about the lack of diverse leadership at UNC and its role in exacerbating the COVID-19 pandemic. They argue … Continued

Bret Devereaux (PhD ’18) Writes Essay Featured in The Atlantic

Bret Devereaux, PhD ’18 and research affiliate, writes on the challenges facing public higher education during the COVID-19 pandemic. He writes “Calling a halt to on-campus operations and going totally online, thereby waiving on-campus fees, was the right, moral choice. … Continued

Prof. Barney on Learning from Lincoln in Crisis

William Barney writes on the History News Network about how we can learn from President Lincoln in this historical moment. He writes “the United States is at a crossroads” and “the path chosen will determine whether contemporary America resumes its … Continued

Prof. Lowery writes piece for Washington Post

Malinda Maynor Lowery recently wrote a “Perspective” piece for the Washington Post about proposed legislation that would limit federal education funding for schools who want to adapt The New York Times “1619 Project” for classroom use. Stating “race and exploitation are … Continued

Pauli Murray Hall: UNC’s Departments of History, Political Science, and Sociology and the Curriculum on Peace, War, and Defense begin the renaming of Hamilton Hall

The History Department, along with Sociology, Political Science, and Peace, War & Defense have started the process of renaming Hamilton Hall. Our motivation for renaming the building is rooted in the history of our University and Professor Hamilton’s role in … Continued

PhD Candidate Alyssa Bowen: We Need an Academic New Deal

PhD Candidate Alyssa Bowen co-wrote an insightful article for The Nation with William Horne, entitled “We Need an Academic New Deal.” In this thoughtful and timely article, Bowen and Horne analyze the current crisis facing higher education and state demands to … Continued

Robert Colby (PhD ’19) Wins the Allan Nevins Prize for Best Dissertation

Robert Colby, who received his PhD from our department last year, recently won the Society of American Historians’ Allan Nevins Prize for Best Dissertation in American History. Dr. Colby’s dissertation, “The Continuance of an Unholy Traffic: Slave Trading in the … Continued

Prof. Leloudis on the History of UNC’s Responses to Pandemics

Jim Leloudis was recently featured in an article for the News and Observer about the history of UNC’s responses to pandemics. Dr. Leloudis explains that UNC reopened doing the 1918 flu pandemic, and shines a light on this history to encourage North … Continued

Prof. Malinda Maynor Lowery Featured on WUNC

Our very own Malinda Maynor Lowery, Professor of History and Director of the Center for the Study of the American South, was recently featured on WUNC’s The State of Things, hosted by Frank Stasio. She discusses Henry Berry Lowrie and the … Continued

Dr. King Awarded Prize by the Journal of Women’s History

Dr. Michelle King’s article “Margaret Sanger in Translation: Gender, Class, and Birth Control in 1920s China” was awarded the bi-annual “best article” prize by the Journal of Women’s History for the period 2017-2018. The announcement came out yesterday. You can see … Continued

Prof. Sturkey’s Lecture Featured on C-SPAN

C-SPAN has released a broadcast of Prof. William Sturkey’s lecture entitled “Expanding Rights in the 1960s and ’70s.” The lecture, which was part of Dr. Sturkey’s course on American History since 1865, looks at women’s liberation and the gay rights … Continued

John “Rocky” Rhodes (PhD ’16) Promoted to Lieutenant Colonel

John “Rocky” Rhodes, who received his PhD from the Department of History in 2016, received his promotion to Lieutenant Colonel in a ceremony at Fort Belvoir, Virginia. In Rocky’s dissertation, “Agents of Empire: The Frontier U.S. Army and the Transition … Continued

Prof. Turk’s Course on Women at UNC Featured in the DTH

Prof. Katherine Turk’s HIST179H course entitled “Women in the History of UNC-Chapel Hill,” was recently featured in the Daily Tar Heel. Prof. Turk’s course explores the history of women’s experiences at UNC since its founding. Students in the class engage in hands-on … Continued

CFP: The Konrad Jarausch Essay Prize for Advanced Graduate Students

The North Carolina German Studies Seminar and Workshop Series is proud to announce the second annual Konrad Jarausch Essay Prize Competition for Advanced Graduate Students. In recognition of the longstanding commitment to graduate education of Konrad H. Jarausch, who is … Continued

Profs. Jackson & Sturkey Featured in DTH Article on “Life Changing Classes at UNC”

Prof. Jerma Jackson’s 398 section is hailed in the Daily Tar Heel for inspiring an undergrad who wants to be a history teacher. Of Jerma, the student says: “She really does genuinely get to know you and wants to help you … Continued

Bill & Marcie Ferris Receive the 2019 William F. Little Distinguished Service Award

Bill and Marcie Ferris received the 2019 William F. Little Distinguished Service Award, recognizing faculty, staff and volunteers who have served the College through their outstanding leadership above and beyond the duties of their position, in the tradition of Bill … Continued

Congratulation to Cemil Aydin!

Cemil Aydin’s The Idea of the Muslim World: A Global Intellectual History has been long-listed (that is, in the top 10) for the 2019 International Convention of Asia Scholars Book Prize in Social Sciences. Additionally, his book on the Political History … Continued

Prof. Andrews designated “Best Professor” in the Daily Tar Heel

Congratulations to Matt Andrews, who for the third time has been designated “Best Professor” by the Daily Tar Heel in their 2019 list of “Carolina’s Finest.” According to UNC students, Prof. Andrews is “not only the best professor but he … Continued

Dr. Brundage: Pulitzer Prize Finalist

Fitz Brundage was recently named a finalist for the 2019 Pulitzer Prize in History, for his 2018 publication Civilizing Torture: An American Tradition (Belknap Press of Harvard University Press). The prize committee described Dr. Brundage’s work as “a morally engaging investigation of torture … Continued

DTH Interview with Caroline Newhall on Black POWs in the Confederacy

PhD candidate Caroline Newhall was featured in a recent interview with the Daily Tar Heel ahead of her public “Tell about the South” talk next Wednesday, April 17, hosted by the Center for the Study of the American South. In the … Continued

Prof. Kramer appointed as interim Chair of the Faculty

Prof. Lloyd Kramer will serve in this role from May 8, 2019, when Prof. Leslie Parise steps down, until June 30, 2020, when he will be succeeded by the candidate who wins the next election a year from now. A … Continued

Sarah Shields Inducted into the Frank Porter Graham Society

Sarah Shields has been chosen for membership in the Frank Porter Graham Honor Society. FPGHS recognizes outstanding service provided to the University and community by graduate and professional students enrolled at UNC at Chapel Hill, as well as faculty and … Continued

William Sturkey’s Book Reviewed in the New York Times

William Sturkey’s recent publication, Hattiesburg: An American City in Black and White (Harvard University Press, 2019), is the subject of a review by Jennifer Szalai in the New York Times. Slazai praises Prof. Sturkey’s “cleareyed and meticulous book” for his ability to balance “the … Continued

William Ferris Interviewed by Bomb Magazine

William Ferris has been featured in an interview in Bomb regarding his 2018 Grammy award-winning collection Voices of Mississippi. In this interview, Ferris reflects upon his career as a documentarian of the American South. Read the interview here.

Liz Lundeen Receives UNC Graduate School’s Impact Award

Liz Lundeen received the UNC Graduate School’s Impact Award, an annual honor for graduate students whose research “contribute to a better future for people and communities in North Carolina.” Congratulations, Liz! Read more about her research and the award here.

Bill Ferris Wins Two Grammy Awards

William Ferris, the Joel R. Williamson eminent professor emeritus of history, won two Grammy Awards last Sunday in Los Angeles. His box set “Voices of Mississippi” won best historical album and best album notes. The four-disc set features dozens of … Continued

Dr. Lloyd Kramer is awarded the 2018 Johnson Prize

Dr. Lloyd Kramer is the 2018 recipient of the George H. Johnson Prize for Distinguished Achievement by an IAH Fellow. Click here to read more about this prize and Dr. Kramer’s involvement in the Institute for the Arts and Humanities.

Bill Ferris: Grammy Nominee

Congratulations to Bill Ferris, whose Voices from Mississippi album has been nominated for 2019 Grammy awards for best historical album and best album notes. Kudos Bill!

Lisa Lindsay receives 2018 Herskovits Prize

Congratulations to Lisa Lindsay, who received the 2018 Herskovits Prize last night for Atlantic Bonds. The prize is awarded annually by the African Studies Association for the most important scholarly work in African studies.

Dr. Jarausch’s book listed on the Smithsonian Magazine’s Best History Books of 2018

Dr. Konrad Jarausch’s book Broken Lives: How Ordinary Germans Experienced the 20th Century was recently included in Smithsonian Magazine‘s “Best History Books of 2018” list. Congratulations, Dr. Jarausch!

‘Unlikely’ subject pairings lead to deep learning at Carolina

This semester, Prof. Brett Whalen teamed up with Prof. Chris Clemens (Senior Associate Dean for Natural Sciences) to teach “Time and the Medieval Cosmos” as part of the University’s Quality Enhancement Plan. The course was recently featured in an article … Continued

William Sturkey – Recipient of the UNC Diversity Award

William Sturkey is one of only two recipients in the Faculty Category among a faculty of 3,500+ to receive the UNC Diversity Award. The Diversity Award recognizes significant contribution, time and effort of Carolina community members towards advancing an inclusive … Continued

Guggenheim Fellowship awarded to Dr. Kathleen DuVal

We are very pleased to announce that Dr. Kathleen DuVal has been awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship. As a Guggenheim Fellow, she will be writing a book on American Indian dominance in the centuries before 1850. She continues the tradition of UNC … Continued

Matt Andrews goes 2 for 2

Matt Andrews goes 2 for 2 in The Daily Tar Heel “Best” Categories. UNC students named his course “History of the Olympics” (HIST 220) the Best UNC Class and Dr. Andrews was named Best Professor. Read more about his thoughts … Continued

Dr. Don Reid and Dr. Daniel Sherman are Special Issue Editors for French Historical Studies volume 41, number 2 (April 2018)

A colloquium held in 2017 in which authors of essays written about May 1986: New Approaches, New Perspectives discussing each other’s work was crucial in the making of this French Historical Studies Special Issue. Some of the attendees liked the … Continued