EKU History Program

Today our faculty and students met to honor two professors who are leaving us after the semester ends. Dr. David Blaylock is retiring after over 30 years of service, and Dr. Tim Smit is relocating closer to home. To celebrate them and to wish them well, we gathered outside their class to applaud them as they left their last class lecture.

Needless to say, they were quite surprised! If you see Dr. Smit or Dr Blaylock around, be sure to thank them for all they've done for EKU's students.

On 4/17/24, young scholars participated in this year's Cultural Scholarship Showcase as part of the larger two week long 2024 Scholars Showcase. Students across AFA classes presented research projects relating to African and African American history. Their presentations were informative and reflected hard work done on their part. Well done to the students and faculty who coordinated and participated in this showcase!

Last week we held our 19th annual HerStory Conference, and we heard from the three winners of the Charlotte Schmiddlapp Scholarship. Pictured left to right, Cora Weer, Hayden Faris, and Maegan Mohr, all gave insightful and powerful presentations!. Congratulations, young scholars!

Have you recently written an essay in relation to Asia? Here is some information for how to submit the essay for a chance to earn a cash prize!

Join us for the 19th Annual Herstory Conference!
Presented by Women and Gender Studies, Department of Social Work, and the Department of History, Philosophy, and Religious Studies, the theme for the conference is "Doctoring Gender, Race, and Healthcare". The event will begin at 11:00AM on April 2nd in Keen Johnson's Walnut Hall.
Proof of attendance slips will be available. Please see the attached image for additional information. Hope to see you there!

Attention Students! Please consider taking classes in African and African American studies in the fall of 2024. If you have previously taken one or more AFA classes and have not declared to obtain a minor or certificate in AFA, please consider doing so now by using the new electronic Major Change form found on the Registrar’s website. Form 105 has been included in the new form. You will begin the process by going to Change of Major Custom Login (eku.edu) Under forms you will choose “Change Major”. The form will populate with the student’s information. You will then complete any changes you wish and submit the form electronically. If you have any questions, please contact the director, Dr. Ogechi Anyanwu, by email at [email protected] or by phone at 859-622-1375.

Attend one of our Black History Month events this Wednesday from 11:10-12:00 pm!

Check out how EKU is kicking off Black History Month! We are especially excited about the Panel Discussion on February 15. Some of our faculty and fellow EKU grads will be speaking about the challenges of social movements concerning or led by people of color. Join us!

Excited for our first AFA event of the Fall semester! Come out and say hello!

Calling all social studies educators! HPRS partnered with the Jack Miller Center to bring you relevant and meaningful professional development about the American Constitution. See the flyer for details. Hope to see you there!

Are you interested in a paid internship? LexHistory is looking for an upper-level undergraduate or graduate student to employ as their next paid intern! See below for more details.

Congratulations to all recipients, but especially to our HPRS faculty members Dr. Jay and Dr. Stearn!

Roundtable Series: The (in)compatibility Between Buddhism And Science | Department Of History, Philosophy, And Religious Studies | Eastern Kentucky University Led by Dr. Abraham Vélez de Cea: Popular representations of Buddhism emphasize the humanity and the historicity of the Buddha, his rational and scientific attitude, the ethical and psychological dimension of his teachings, the importance of meditation, the value of personal experience and critical ...

Join us for the 18th Annual Herstory Conference!
Presented by Women and Gender Studies and the Department of History, Philosophy, and Religious Studies, the theme for the conference is "Gender and Spirituality". The event will begin at 11:00AM on April 6th in Keen Johnson's Walnut Hall.
Proof of attendance slips will be available. Please see the attached image for additional information.

Nominate an EKU faculty member who promoted the Black experience in Fall 2022 and Spring 2023! Below is a link to the google form, please sign into Google with your EKU email to access the form and nominate a faculty member!

https://forms.gle/vXdVpVfXTWv3Y1YC6

Are you interested in a paid internship?

Through the Smithsonian Affiliates Leadership for Change program, the Kentucky Historical Society (KHS) has spots for two interns for an eight-week paid summer internship. They welcome students in history, public history, folklore, or the humanities broadly to apply, though they do not wish to limit applicants to those fields and encourage anyone with an interest in history and digital projects to apply.

In this position, the intern(s) will work with the KHS oral history collections and America250KY program to create digital representations/projects based around one oral history collection of their choosing related to women’s history, climate change, or race and social justice. The KHS will pre-select collections for students to choose in each category. An expanded description and information on how to apply is available on the KHS website.

Applications are open through February 22.

Kentucky Historical Society | Adventure Through the Past The Kentucky Historical Society is here to bring Kentucky History to learners and adventurers of all ages. Come explore with us.

Tonight at 7:30PM in O’Donnell Hall inside the Whitlock Building, Dr. William Turner will be presenting a keynote address for Black History Month titled, "The Harlem Renaissance", included in the Chatauqua Lecture Series. Dr. Turner is a sociologist and anthropologist, and the author of the acclaimed book, The Harlan Renaissance: A Memoir of Black Life in Appalachian Coal Towns.

It's time for the annual Charlotte Schmidlapp Essay Contest! If interested, please submit a completed application and proposal to Dr. Lisa Day at [email protected] by noon on March 10th!

An essay contest open to any EKU student is being sponsored by Asian Studies. The contest asks students to submit a substantial paper, 5 pages or more, on any topic concerned with The Middle East, South Asia, Central Asia, East Asia, or Southeast Asia originally written for a class held during the 2021-2022 academic year or Fall semester 2022.

To enter papers must be electronically sent in either PDF or MS Word format to [email protected] with the subject line 'Asian Studies Essay Contest'. Include in your e-mail your name, paper title, course you wrote the paper for, semester and year you took the course, the instructor’s name, and your current class rank (junior, senior, etc.).

Entry deadline March 22, 2023 by 6:00 PM

There will be two monetary prizes: one for first place and one for second place. This is an opportunity for students to gain a wider audience for their work. It would also enhance applications for further study, or a CV/résumé. For more information contact:
David Blaylock, History, Philosophy, and Religious Studies at [email protected]

Interested in working for the National Park Service?

Mill Springs Battlefield National Monument is currently hiring! The position is Community Volunteer Ambassador and is focused on helping the park build their volunteer program as well as the individual's professional development. The job comes with $500 for professional development, as well as an education award at the end of the term. It is a 50-week position that is paid through a stipend, and housing is not provided by the park. At the end of the term, the individual will receive a special hiring authority that will make them eligible to apply to permanent jobs that are not open to the public for 2 years.

Click the link for more information and to apply!

CVA Listings & How to Apply | Become a Community Volunteer Ambassador The Community Volunteer Ambassadors program invites you to review the opportunities within the NPS, and APPLY TODAY!

If you are a current student in good academic standing who has taken one or more AFA courses, we encourage you to become a course embedded consultant for AFA! Please see the linked listing for more information about this position.

Subject-Area Course-Embedded Consultant - AFA (Student/Temp/Part-Time) - Richmond Campus, Kentucky, United States Title: Subject-Area Course-Embedded Consultant - AFA (Student/Temp/Part-Time) Position Type: Student Search Type: External - minimum 7 days Department: 20R000 - Office of the Provost Division: 2R0000 - Academic Affairs Position Location: Richmond Campus Driver Classification: Non-Driver FLSA: Exempt...

Join us in Library 128 on Thursday, October 20th at 5:00PM for the Asian Studies Open House! Come speak to faculty about the Asian Studies minor and certificate while you enjoy free snacks and drinks. We hope to see you there!

EKU African and African American Studies (AFA) seeks a high-achieving student to intern for the AFA Center for Africana Engagement! There are multiple internship spots available. Please contact Dr. Ogechi Anyanwu ([email protected]) with questions or for additional details.

Apply here: https://jobs.eku.edu/postings/21172

African & African American Studies EKU African and African American Studies (AFA) seeks a high-achieving student to intern for the AFA Center for Africana Engagement. The intern will be responsible for:Helping to design flyers and organize events for AFA and the Center for Africana Engagement, and advertise events on campus via socia...

Today's AFA discussion, "Memories and Stories of Diversity Experiences," featured three new EKU faculty, Drs. Patrick Litanga, Yinglin Ma, and Daniel Joseph. Welcome, and thank you for taking the time to share your stories with us! Thank you to the new Dean of CLASS, Dr. Mercy Cannon, for attending and speaking, and thank you to the four student moderators: Kimberlea Mckenzie, Marlie Blake, Charles Seals, and James Tinsley.

Welcome back, History, Philosophy, and Religious Studies Majors! Celebrate the start of the semester with us at our ice cream social with the Department of Government!

*Update* Due to weather, the social was postponed until September 12th at 2:30PM between the Keith building and Beckham Hall.

It may be three months since graduation, but we will certainly never forget these graduates! Thank you to each of you for being a part of this program, and good luck on all of your endeavors!

Dr. Wood will be teaching "The People of London & Their Histories" again this winter! Don't miss out on this study abroad opportunity and exploration of London!

Save the Date! #1 New York Times bestselling author Ruta Sepetys will be speaking at Eastern Kentucky University Libraries on October 5th. Sepetys is a crossover novelist who writes for both students and adults, and is well known for her work giving voice to underrepresented history and those who have experienced it. She has presented at NATO, the European Parliament, the U.S. Capitol, the Library of Congress, and Embassies worldwide. We are SO excited to have her join us at the Library and hope you plan to attend, as well!

The KHS Learning Team is hiring! The Museum Programs Coordinator for Student Programs will focus on growing Kentucky’s chapter of National History Day and work with other members of the Learning Team to offer museum tours, outreach, programs, and special events. Check out the link below for more information about the position and how to apply. Submissions are due by Monday, August 29th.

https://history.ky.gov/about/careers

Careers | About | Kentucky Historical Society The Kentucky Historical Society offers diverse and unique career opportunities. We give history lovers an opportunity to do important work with people, schools, and organizations.

Congratulations, Dr. Bowes! We wish you the best in your new role as Associate Dean of CLASS!

The College of Letters, Arts, and Social Sciences welcomes Dr. John Bowes who officially assumed his new role as associate dean of CLASS on July 1.

“Dr. Bowes’s wisdom, experience, and leadership qualities make him an outstanding Associate Dean. I’m glad to have him as a partner as we carry out the vision and mission of CLASS,” said Dean Cannon. Associate Dean Bowes is a familiar face in Roark, having served as Interim Dean of CLASS during the 2021-2022 academic year. A historian by discipline, he joined the faculty at EKU in August 2006 and served as chair of the Department of History, Philosophy, and Religious Studies from 2018-2021. Dr. Bowes earned his Ph.D. at the University of California-Los Angeles and spent two years as a post-doctoral fellow at Dartmouth College before accepting a faculty position at EKU. He has written five books on different aspects of Native American history and will continue to teach courses in that subject.

His time away from campus is devoted to his wife Sarah and their two daughters, Callie and Reese. Among the family’s passions are traveling to national parks and playing/watching soccer. You are invited to stop by Roark 107 to talk EKU, history, and/or soccer any time.