History Department News and Research

Lee succeeds Devashish Mitra as chair of the Economics Department, while Takeda follows Susan Branson as chair of the History Department.

Brian Brege, Sarah Hamersma, Yüksel Sezgin and Ying Shi will hold the title for three years. 

In anticipation of America’s Semiquincentennial on July 4, 2026, Carol Faulkner, senior associate dean and professor of history professor, shares her insights on the historical themes of the document, our evolving understanding of that period of U.S. history and what she is looking forward to in this anniversary year of commemorations.

The chapter, co-authored by Professor of History Albrecht Diem, was published in “The Many Worlds of Otmar: St. Gall and European Monasticism from the 7th to the 9th Century.”

The chapter, written by Professor of History Albrecht Diem, was published in “The Many Worlds of Otmar: St. Gall and European Monasticism from the 7th to the 9th Century.”

Morales, a double major in history and anthropology, is one of only 20 students nationwide to receive this prestigious award, which supports exceptional undergraduates in their pursuit of graduate studies in the arts, humanities and social sciences.

Modern Venice is “an amusement park,” according to Professor Emeritus of History Dennis Romano, who recently wrote a book on the city. He predicts that the wedding and its attendant publicity will likely just drive more tourists to the city. 

The situation is escalating in ways we have not seen before, says Professor of History Osamah Khalil. With Israeli airstrikes, rising tensions in Gaza, and now a strong U.S. military response, the risks are higher than ever. He warns Iran may try to disrupt global oil supply chains, which could have a domino effect. “If that’s the case, we could very rapidly see the global economy collapse.”

Professor of History Andrew Wender Cohen says a reasonable approach would be to maintain tariffs on used items but at lower rates that would be commensurate with the risk posed to domestic manufacturing.

The Southeastern Council of Latin American Studies presents the award at its annual meeting. 

Margaret Susan Thompson, professor of history and political science, says she doubts Leo will renounce his U.S. citizenship. “I think he wants to stress that he is the pope of the universal Catholic Church,” Thompson says, “and not an American holding that position.”

“The director [of the new aid group] has already resigned and there's an interim director in place. And the director who resigned said it was because the attempts to deliver aid could not be done so with a humanitarian purpose, and that shouldn't be surprising. The United Nations is the only major organization on the ground, as well as several other NGOs, that can provide the necessary aid,” says Osamah Khalil, chair of the International Relations Undergraduate Program.

The meeting between Trump and al-Sharaa “represents a remarkable shift in U.S. policy toward al-Qaeda and its affiliates. More than 23 years after the 9/11 attacks and the declaration of the Global War on Terror, the United States is developing relations with a former leader of the organization who now declares himself a moderate,” says Osamah Khalil, professor of history.

“Social media can be a minefield for divisive commentary, so I imagine he’ll use it sparingly, perhaps for simple, pastoral messages (and yes, delivered on the official pope account) like holiday greetings, but not for anything controversial,” says Margaret Susan Thompson, professor of history and political science.

Maxwell student Abigail Fitzpatrick, received the Wortman Scholarship from the History Department. Funding for the scholarship has been generously provided by Marlene Stein Wortman ’58 B.A. (Hist). Fitzpatrick will use the funding to conduct archival research in Los Angeles for her distinction thesis.