Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

UMD Department of History @umdhistory.bsky.social · 6d

Mark your calendars! Dr. Robyn Muncy is joining the Distinguished Scholar-Teacher Lecture Series with a talk entitled "Government at the Grassroots: Feminists and the State Spark the Battered Women's Movement, 1970s"

RSVP here: docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...

UMD Department of History @umdhistory.bsky.social · 6d

Paul Landau was interviewed for Ep.142 of "Africa Past and Present"! Listen to him discuss his book, "Spear: Mandela and the Revolutionaries," and antiapartheid violence, Mandela’s Communism, and Cold War intelligence intrigues here: afripod.aodl.org/fullPodcast/...

Afripod

afripod.aodl.org

UMD Department of History @umdhistory.bsky.social · 7d

Our own alum, Jonathan White M.A. '03, Ph.D. '08 and Lucas Morel recently published “Measuring the Man: The Writings of Frederick Douglass on Abraham Lincoln,” which recounts Frederick Douglass' journey from criticism to respect of Abraham Lincoln. Read more here! today.umd.edu/how-frederic...

How Frederick Douglass Changed His Mind About Lincoln | Maryland Today

Alum’s New Book Finds Fresh Nuance in Relationship That Helped End Slavery

today.umd.edu

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UMD Department of History @umdhistory.bsky.social · 12d

Students in Michael Ross's HIST454: Constitutional History class had the amazing opportunity to visit the Supreme Court for the Griswold Prize lecture by Gerald Magliocca! Justice Sotomayor was the host for the evening.

UMD Department of History @umdhistory.bsky.social · 13d

Richard Bell appeared on WYPR on September 24th to discuss his upcoming book, "The American Revolution and the Fate of the World." Take a listen, or keep reading, here!
www.wypr.org/show/on-the-...

Richard Bell's 'The American Revolution and the Fate of the World'

Author and historian Richard Bell's latest book talks about why the American Revolution was actually a global conflict.

www.wypr.org

UMD Department of History @umdhistory.bsky.social · 14d

Last week, Robert Chiles and Robyn Muncy were both honored at the university's Faculty and Staff Convocation! Please join us in congratulating Dr. Chiles for his Provost's Excellence Award, and Dr. Muncy for her Distinguished Scholar-Teacher Award!

UMD Department of History @umdhistory.bsky.social · 27d

Curious where a history degree can take you? Hear from Rachel Jessee (UMD ’22, History and Government & Politics) in this Q&A, “From UMD to Capitol Hill: How a History Degree Helps Shape a Political Career.” history.umd.edu/news/umd-cap...

From UMD to Capitol Hill: How a History Degree Helps Shape a Political Career | Department of History

history.umd.edu

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UMD Department of History @umdhistory.bsky.social · Sep 3

Dr. Richard Bell's article, "The Underappreciated True Story of the Brash Prussian Military Officer Who Whipped the Patriots Into Shape at Valley Forge," was just published in Smithsonian Magazine! Follow the link below to continue reading. www.smithsonianmag.com/history/unde...

The Underappreciated True Story of the Brash Prussian Military Officer Who Whipped the Patriots Into Shape at Valley Forge

Most Americans think of George Washington's winter encampment as brutal and deadly. But Friedrich von Steuben, an out-of-work military veteran from Europe, turned it into a fruitful training ground

www.smithsonianmag.com

UMD Department of History @umdhistory.bsky.social · Sep 2

The UMD First Year Book committee has selected the U.S. Constitution as this year’s book!

Join our own Holly Brewer and Michael Ross in "We the Terps: Why the Constitution Matters." For more information and for the day's schedule of events, follow this link! fyb.umd.edu/events.html

Events | UMD FYB 2025

fyb.umd.edu

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UMD Department of History @umdhistory.bsky.social · Aug 21

In honor of Jane Austen's 250th birthday, Dr. Julie Taddeo and other Regency era scholars were featured in The Conversation UK's "Jane Austen Fight Club." Continue reading to learn who Dr. Taddeo chose as her ultimate Jane Austen heroine! theconversation.com/who-was-jane...

Who was Jane Austen’s best heroine? These experts think they know

We’re pitting her much-loved heroines against each other in a battle of wit, charm and sass

theconversation.com

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UMD Department of History @umdhistory.bsky.social · Jul 2

Exciting news! Robyn Muncy and Sonya Michel appeared in a new PBS documentary, "Caregiving" which premiered on June 24, 2025. It draws attention to the crisis the US currently faces in providing care for children, the elderly, and the disabled. Stream "Caregiving" here! www.pbs.org/show/caregiv...

Caregiving

A documentary revealing America’s caregiving crisis through intimate stories and expert insight.

www.pbs.org

UMD Department of History @umdhistory.bsky.social · Jun 20

Brooke worked with the journal & attended the conference for two years, impressing the journal editors to create an award for students who exhibit a consistent, long-term record of exemplary service to the field of New York history, called the "Excelsior Scholar Honors," first awarded to Brooke.

UMD Department of History @umdhistory.bsky.social · Jun 20

Undergrad Brooke Timmins was an intern with & worked for Rob Chiles on the New York History journal and the annual New York State History Conference. Her internship was administered through the Department's internship program, supervised by Julie Taddeo.

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UMD Department of History @umdhistory.bsky.social · Jun 9

Spring 2025 UMD Department of History Newsletter
pub.marq.com/a80990a7-041...

Spring2025Newsletter

pub.marq.com

UMD Department of History @umdhistory.bsky.social · May 22

The Dept of History is saddened by the death of George Hardy Callcott, a faculty member from 1956-1994. He wrote two histories of UMD and served as Vice-Chancellor for Academic Affairs. George was a Distinguished Scholar-Teacher & received the President's Medal.

history.umd.edu/news/memoriu...

In Memorium George H. Calcott | Department of History

history.umd.edu

UMD Department of History @umdhistory.bsky.social · May 22

Ryan Carr, History Minor, is a Senior Marshall for UMD's Commencement ceremony. He is a member of several campus groups and organizations & held internships with the Montgomery County Council, the Maryland General Assembly, and TerpsVote.
today.umd.edu/70-graduates...

70 Graduates Honored as Senior Marshals

High-Achieving Students to Lead Classmates Into Commencement

today.umd.edu

UMD Department of History @umdhistory.bsky.social · May 19

Dept of Hist PhD student Leah Rasmussen is awarded a 2025-6 Joseph Bradley & Christine Ruane Research Grant in Russian Studies from the Association for Slavic, East European, & Eurasian Studies to support dissertation research for “Canvases of Red: Painting Kazakh, Kyrgyz, and Soviet, 1917-91.”

UMD Department of History @umdhistory.bsky.social · May 12

Jamie Myre, 2nd year HiLS student, has a summer internship at Smithsonian’s Museum of African American History and Culture as the publications intern for the Center for the Study of African American Religious Life. She will design and produce a journal for the Center and the gODTalk film series.

UMD Department of History @umdhistory.bsky.social · May 12

History Honors student Holland Schmitz received a travel grant to present a paper at the New York History Conference at the New York State Museum, Albany, NY. Honors student Taylor Mason was also awarded a travel grant and will be on the same panel at the New York History Conference.

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UMD Department of History @umdhistory.bsky.social · May 12

Congratulations to graduating History Honors student, James Schmidtlein, who has been awarded a Winston Family Honors Best Student Paper Award, for his Honors thesis, “Christians in a Pagan World: Understanding the Construction of Early Christian Identity from a Pagan Past and Custom."

UMD Department of History @umdhistory.bsky.social · May 12

Holland Schmitz, History Honors has received 3 awards for their Honors work: Library Award for Undergraduate Research, Winston Family Honors Best Student Paper Award, and Hoosier Clio Award for the best Honors thesis written by this year's cohort.
history.umd.edu/news/holland...

UMD Department of History @umdhistory.bsky.social · May 12

The Department of History came close to a sweep of undergraduate Library Research Awards, with three out of four awarded to History students. Sylvia Cotten, Taylor Mason, and Holland Schmitz are the winners.

history.umd.edu/news/three-d...

Three Department of History Undergrads Win Research Awards | Department of History

history.umd.edu

UMD Department of History @umdhistory.bsky.social · May 9

History Honors graduating seniors made their showcase presentations today. Congratulations on work well done!

UMD Department of History @umdhistory.bsky.social · Apr 21

Dept of History Alum Debbie J. Goldman won the David Montgomery Award from the Organization of American Historians and the Labor and Working Class History Association for the Best Book in Labor History published in 2024.
history.umd.edu/news/debbie-...

Debbie Goldman Wins OAH Award

Department of History Alum Debbie J. Goldman (PhD Advisor Julie Greene) has won the David Montgomery Award from the Organization of American Historians and the Labor and Working Class History Associat...

history.umd.edu

UMD Department of History @umdhistory.bsky.social · Apr 21

Robyn Muncy has been selected to receive the 2025 Winston Family Honors Faculty Award from the UMD Honors College.

Robyn's "dedication to fostering intellectual curiosity and critical thinking had a profound impact on many of our students.”

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