Around the Courtyard

“Around the Courtyard” provides news of history faculty and students. In addition to publications and presentations, it also includes information about the community that makes up the history department.

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Around the Courtyard | Fall 2024

Phi Alpha Theta History Conference

The History Department and Phi Alpha Theta, Sigma Zeta Chapter, are pleased to announce the 12th Annual Phi Alpha Theta History Conference to be held on Saturday, October 26, 2024.

The conference will consist of live panel presentations (15 minutes per presenter) moderated by a chair and a commentator. Panelists will be eligible for prizes in the undergraduate and graduate categories. Papers can be on any area of history or history-adjacent subject matter, although we encourage topics related to presidential politics, in keeping with Texas State's theme for Fall 2024.

Presenters should submit a 250-500-word abstract and a brief (3-5 sentence) biographical abstract to our conference portal no later than 5:00 PM on Friday, October 11, 2024. Presenters will be notified of acceptance by Monday, October 14. Full papers will need to be submitted to the portal by Friday, October 18 at 5:00 PM. Papers should be 8-10 pages, in Microsoft Word or PDF format. Presenters should plan for presentations no longer than 15 minutes. 

Visit the Conference Website for more information.  


Troublesome Women: A History of Witches

Dr. Jessical Pliley, A History of Witches

Join as Dr. Jessica Pliley, Professor of Genders and Sexualities, presents the 5th Annual Halloween Lecture on the History of Witches!

Tuesday, October 29, 2024
6:00 pm
Cibolo Hall Lobby


Bitcoin, China, and Authoritarianism

Bitcoin, China, and Authoritarianism

Join for a conversation with Grant McCarty, co-founder/co-director of the Bitcoin Policy Institute, a non-partisan think tank researching the intersection of cryptocurrency, US public policy interests, financial inclusion, energy, and the future of money. McCarty will be joined in conversation with Dr. Louie Dean Valencia (Digital History) and Dr. Yifan Liu (Finance).

Thursday, October 24, 2024 
11:00 am | The Witliff Collections, 7th Floor, Alkek Library

Free and open to the public. Refreshments to be served.


Dr. Jessica Pliley Published in The Cultural History of Slavery and Trafficking

Dr. Jessica Pliley has a new article published in The Cultural History of Slavery and Trafficking, Vol 5: In the Age of Global Conflict. It is a synthetic essay that covers the global history of sex trafficking in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century.


Dr. Angela Murphy Publishes Book Chapter

Congratulations to Dr. Angela Murphy whose contribution to the Routledge History of Irish America, "Race, Labor, and Slavery in Antebellum Irish America" has been published. 


Dr. Louis Porter wins Shulman Prize

Congratulations to Dr. Louis Porter who co-won the Marshall D. Shulman Prize from the Association for Slavic, East European, and Eurasian Studies (ASEEES) and the Harriman Institute of Columbia University. The prize is awarded to "an outstanding monograph dealing with the international relations, foreign policy, or foreign-policy decision-making of any of the states of the former Soviet Union or Eastern Europe."


History Club | History Speed Dating

History Speed Dating

The History Club will be having its first meeting of the school year Wednesday, September 18, at 7 p.m. in TMH 104.     

The event is "History Speed Dating." Students will assume roles of historical figures and see if they are compatible. The club did a similar event last year that was a success, and students had fun with it

Date/Time | Wednesday, September 18, 2024 | 7:00 pm   
Location | TMH 104


Dr. Juliana Barr | The Woman in Blue

The woman in blue book cover

On Friday September 27, Juliana Barr, Associate Professor of History at Duke University, will give a public lecture entitled "The Woman in Blue: How Native Storytellers Turned a Bilocating Nun into an Expression of Indigenous Geopolitics." The lecture will take place at 1:00 pm in Flowers 230, with a reception to follow the lecture. This event is sponsored by the Center for the Study of the Southwest and the History Department Speakers Fund.

More information can be found on the Event Website


Dr. Romo's Book Shortlisted for the 2023 Award for Best Book on the African Diaspora by a Senior Scholar 

Romo, Selling Black Brazil cover

Dr. Romo's latest book, Selling Black Brazil: Race, Nation, and Visual Culture in Salvador, Bahia, was one of three works shortlisted for the P. Sterling Stuckey Prize for 2023. The prize recognizes exceptional books by senior scholars on the African diaspora and is awarded annually by the Association for the Study of the Worldwide African Diaspora (ASWAD).


Joe Boyd at Texas State

CTMH, Joe Boyd at Texas State

Joe Boyd has been an integral part of music for decades. Playing a quintessential role in the careers of Muddy Waters, Pink Floyd, and Nick Drake, among others; opening the countercultural UFO club in London; and plugging in Bob Dylan's guitar at the Newport Folk Festival are just a few of the accolades that Boyd has earned throughout his career.

Please join the Center for Texas Music History as we welcome Joe Boyd to the TXST campus.  For questions or more information, contact Avery Armstrong

Date/Time | Tuesday, October 8, 2024 | 11:00 am        
Location | The Wittliff Collections


From Connecticut to Cash: Why I Wrote About the Man In Black

CTMH, From Connecicut for Cash

Join the Center for Texas Music History for a talk with Dr. Jonathan Silverman about his work on the national and international legacy of Johnny Cash. 

For questions or more information, contact Avery Armstrong

Date/Time | Wednesday, October 2, 2024 | 2:00 pm         
Location | Brazos Hall


Dr. Bryan Glass | Presidents and Pirates

Piracy and Presidents Flyer

Dr. Bryan Glass will be giving a lecture entitled “Presidents and Pirates from George Washington to Google” on September 4, 2024.  This lecture will look at the ways US Presidents have handled the problems of piracy. Special attention will be paid to the Jefferson and Madison administrations and their battles with the Barbary corsairs during the early years of the nineteenth century.

View the lecture

Date/Time | Wednesday, September 4, 2024 | 7:00 - 8:00 pm              
Location | Alkek Teaching Theater 


Dr. Dwight Watson Appears in A&E Documentary 

Congratulations to Dr. Dwight Watson appeared in the A&E documentary, “The Chicano Squad.”  The episodes aired on September 2 and 3, 2024


Dr. Jessica Pliley interviewed in an article about Pittsburgh vice

Dr. Jessica Pliley was quoted in an article that delves into the history of brothel madams and Pittsburgh. 


Dr. Rivaya-Martínez Publishes Essay

Congratulating to Dr. Joaquín Rivaya-Martínez on the publication of his latest essay, "Problematizing the Peoples and Places Without Historiography" in Overlooked Places and Peoples: Indigenous and African Resistance in Colonial Spanish America, 1500-1800, edited by Dana Velasco Murillo and Robert C. Schwaller, 208-226. New York: Routledge, 2024.


Public History Alumni help with foundation document for Blackwell School National Historic Site

Blackwell School National Historic Site Event

In late August, TXST Public History alumni Avery Armstrong and Tori Villarreal had the opportunity to participate in the foundation document workshop for the new Blackwell School National Historic Site in Marfa, TX with the National Park Service. Avery and Tori have both worked extensively on collecting and documenting the histories of local communities throughout the Southwest – from Hays County to far West Texas. The creation of the Blackwell School's foundation document is an essential step in the site's designation as a National Historic Site.


Dr. Murphy Publishes Article on Freedom Purchase

Congratulating to Dr. Angie Murphy on the publication of her latest article, "My Freedom I Derived from God": Jermain Wesley Loguen's Rejection of Freedom Purchase,” Afro-Americans in New York Life and History 44, no. 2 (July 2023): 1-18. 


PAT 1st General Meeting

PAT General Meeting

We will be discussing our upcoming events, as well as holding mid-year elections for open officers. There will be pizza, chips and drinks. All are welcome!

Date | Thursday, September 5, 2024                 
Time | 5:00 - 6:20 pm                 
Location | TMH 101 & Online via Zoom


Join Phi Alpha Theta for their Book ‘n’ Bake Sale!  

PAT Book and Bake Sale

We will have a variety of scholarly books (mainly history) as well as fiction for sale, and cookies, $2 each. All proceeds go towards funding our future events. Please encourage your students to come out and support us!

Date | Tuesday, August 27 and Thursday, August 28, 2024                      
Time | 12:30 - 2:00 pm                       
Location | The Quad


Dr. De la Puente publishes children's book about Machu Picchu, its construction in the 15th century and its rediscovery in the early 20th century

Machu Picchu Childrens Book

Dr. De la Puente has coauthored a profusely illustrated book for children on the construction of Machu Picchu by the Inka in the 15th century and its "rediscovery" by American explorer and Yale professor Hiram Bingham in the early 20th century.

  • Dr. Damiano Publishes Book Chapter

    Congratulations to Dr. Sara Damiano on the publication of her chapter on "Women and Gender" in the Oxford Handbook of the Seven Years War, edited by Trevor Burnard, Emma Hart, and Marie Houllemare.

    The essay adopts an expansive approach to women and gender during the Seven Years War, comparing the war's effects in six places: Britain, New England, West Africa, Jamaica, the North American interior, and Louisiana.


    Dr. Nichols Earns Project Development Grant

    Congratulations to Dr. Casey Nichols who is the recipient of a development grant for her project titled, "Motherhood Menace: Black and Brown Women's Activism as a Politics of Love." This grant comes from a collaboration between The Policy Academies and Russell Sage Foundation. 


    Dr. De la Puente and The University of Texas Press Receive Grant to Publish Book in Open Access

    Andean Cosmopolitians Book Cover

    Dr. De la Puente and The University of Texas Press received an NEH Fellowships Open Book Program to publish Dr. De la Puente's 2018 book Andean Cosmopolitans: Seeking Justice and Reward at the Spanish Royal Court in open access. The project received the support of an NEH faculty grant back in 2015.


    Public History Alumna Hired at Wittliff Collections

    Congratulations to Public History alumna, Hannah Martin, who has been hired as Metadata Specialist at The Wittliff Collections!  The Wittliff stated that “we are delighted to bring her on board for a 2-year project to provide detailed description of music holdings earmarked for our digital collections. It was her subject knowledge and her background in Public History - including the archives course, that helped her stand out among a very competitive group of candidates.”


    History Alum Hired at National Museum of the Pacific War

    Congratulations to Public History alum, Jared Van Auken,  who has been hired for the Learning and Engagement position at the National Museum of the Pacific War. He will be starting in July.


    Texas State History Department at the Agricultural History Society

    Agricultural Society Event

    Texas State History Department graduate student Katherine Frederick organized a panel "Silk and Strategies" at "Borderlands, Marginal Spaces, & Agriculture In-Between" at the 2024 annual meeting of the Agricultural History Society in Las Cruces, New Mexico. Frederick presented "Silk and Franco-Maronite Relations: Sericulture in Lebanon in the 19th Century," while graduate student Gabriel Odom presented “Herbicides and Tactics: Agricultural Warfare in Vietnam,” and faculty member Elizabeth Bishop presented "“Chahine's ‘Blazing Sun’: An Egyptian Family Story.” Session chair and commentator was Karen-Beth Scholthof, Professor (Emerita) in the Department of Plant Pathology and Microbiology, Texas A&M University.


    Congratulations to Drs. Rivaya and Mellard on Their Recent Promotions

    Congratulating Drs. Joaquín Rivaya-Martínez and Jason Mellard on their recent promotions. Dr. Rivaya-Martinez joins our team of full professors and Dr. Mellard has been promoted to associate professor of practice. 


    Margaret Vaverek Featured on Texas State's Enlighten Me Podcast

    History Department friend and colleague, Margaret Vaverek, was recently interviewed about the history of Texas State on Texas State University's Enlighten Me podcast.  You can hear her on the May 28, 2024 edition titled “Then, Now & NEXT."  Enlighten Me is available on Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.


    Dr. Ron Brown Interviews Texas State President, Dr. Kelly Damphousse

    History Professor, Dr. Ron Brown, recently interviewed Texas State President, Dr. Kelly Damphousse, to learn more about the history and traditions of Texas State over the last 125 years.  The discussion focuses on “TXST has retained its ‘feeling of home; while embracing growth, and why it’s important to commemorate our history.”


    Dr. Jessica Pliley Published in Gender & History

    Congratulations to Dr. Jessica Pliley on the publication of her latest article, “Perpetual banishment: The Transcarceral Crimmigration Case of Mary Masako Akimoto,” in Gender & History


    Remembering Dr. Corey Capers

    Corey Capers

    We are deeply saddened to inform you of the passing of our colleague Dr. Corey Capers (1970-2024). Dr. Capers was a valued member of the history department. He was a talented historian, a passionate teacher, and a caring colleague. He will be deeply missed. His friends and family will be hosting a memorial service for Dr. Capers in the coming weeks, and we will share those details when we have them. Please join us in remembering and honoring Dr. Capers and extending our deepest condolences to his family.

    Corey’s Celebration of Life will take place on Friday, June 21, at 3:00 PM at All Faiths Chapel, 2203 W. 35th Street, Austin. We are working on providing a livestream of the service and will update this posting when more details are available.  

    Also, Corey’s family and friends are creating a slideshow with photos they can crowdsource.  If you have any photos to share please contact Dr. Jeff Helgeson for a link to the Google Drive. 


    History Undergraduate Student Wins Honorable Mention at Research Conference 

    Congratulations to history undergraduate student, Trinity Taylor and her faculty mentor, Dr. Nichols, on winning Honorable Mention at the 18th Annual Undergraduate Research Conference Poster Showcase for her project, “The Sarah Baartman Effect: The Black Body Under the Westernized Gaze.” 


    Remembering Dr. Rana K. Williamson

    Dr. Rana K. Williamson

    We are deeply saddened to learn that History Department alumna, Dr. Rana K. Williamson, passed away at the age of 61 on May 6, 2024. A sixth-generation Texan from the town of Junction, she earned her master's degree in history at then Southwest Texas State University, completing her thesis with Tug Wilson in 1990, “It Gave You Character : The Seven Year Drought of the 1950's : Texas, West Texas and Kimble County.”  She went on to teach as a lecturer in the history department before completing her PhD at Texas Christian University. Her dissertation was published as, When the Catfish had Ticks: Texas Drought History (Eakin Press, 1997). In 2012, she co-authored and independently published three short histories that focused on rural Texas culture. And between 2015 and 2021, she co-wrote and independently published several paranormal mystery novels under the pen name, Juliette Harper.


    A Postcard from the World of Print: Algeria’s Place in the Digital Humanities

    The Digital Orientalist (DO) recently published Dr. Elizabeth Bishop's "A Postcard from the World of Print: Algeria’s Place in the Digital Humanities." The European Association for Digital Humanities considers DO to have a measurable impact "on students' and scholars' everyday workflow," with both "theoretical reflections and practical examples." 


    Dr. Louie Dean Valencia named NEH Distinguished Professor in the Humanities

    Dr. Louie Dean Valencia has been named the NEH Distinguished Professor in the Humanities for 2024-2027, funded by a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities. During his three-year appointment, Dr. Valencia will implement a project which aims to empower faculty and students to engage in ethical humanistic approaches when using digital technology, considering social media, A.I., the climate, and digital currencies. Those interested in participating in the global event, “Night of Ideas,”—bringing together people for a night of dialogues, workshops, music, exhibitions, and film screenings—are encouraged to contact him.


    Graduate Student Awarded Grant

    Congratulations to graduate student, Luiz Francisco Guizzo Gutierrez Osorio, who was awarded the Luso-American Development Foundation Award.  This award will allow Luiz to conduct a month of research at the Portuguese National Archive - Torre do Tombo. 


    12th Annual Phi Alpha Theta History Conference Call for Papers

    The Texas State University Department of History and Phi Alpha Theta, Sigma Zeta Chapter, are pleased to announce our annual conference, to be held Saturday, October 26, 2024.

    The conference will consist of live panel presentations (15 minutes per presenter) moderated by a chair and a commentator. Panelists will be eligible for prizes in the undergraduate and graduate categories. Papers can be on any area of history or history-adjacent subject matter, although we encourage topics related to presidential politics, in keeping with Texas State's theme for Fall 2024.

    For more information and submissions visit the 2024 PAT History Conference website


    Dr. Elizabeth Bishop published in TRAFO – Blog for Transregional Research

    TRAFO, the blog for transregional research of the Forum transregionale Studien (Berlin), published an interview with Dr. Bishop about the article “Arabs at the 6th World Festival of Youth and Students: U.G.E.M.A. in the U.S.S.R., 1957” Maghreb Review, vol. 48, no. 4 (2023, pp. 424-442),.


    Zayna Abdel-Rahim Awarded Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship to Study in Morocco

    Undergraduate student, Zayna Abdel-Rahim, president of the History Department's Model Arab League chapter, was awarded the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship to study in Morocco in the summer of 2024. This is her second State Department scholarship where she will serve as a citizen diplomat, having first done so on the Critical Language Scholarship to Japan in 2023. 


    Daughter, Wife, Quaker, Spy? The Women of Revolutionary Philadelphia | Chester County History Center Talk (virtual)

    This presentation will focus on four women living in Revolutionary-era Philadelphia: Quaker poet and proud “spinster” Hannah Griffitts, Loyalist (and abandoned wife) Grace Growden Galloway, Patriot organizer Esther Reed, and Anna Rawle, the daughter of exiled Loyalists living in London. The Patriot/Loyalist line was fuzzier for women, as most of the methods by which someone would have their loyalties “outed”—taxes paid, oaths made, militia service—were required only of men. Women, however, were also responding to events as members of families, congregations, and communities. There is also often a profound sense, as in Griffitts’ poetry and in the letters of many others, of frustration with their lack of agency: they are affected by the Revolution, but unable to assert much formal power.

    About the Speaker: Shannon E. Duffy received her BA from Emory University, her MA from the University of New Orleans, and her Ph.D. from the University of Maryland. She is currently a Senior Lecturer in Early American History at Texas State University, and writes on issues of personal and community identity formation in the Revolutionary and Early National period.

    Presentation is via Zoom, and will be recorded and available for 7 days for all registered participants.

    Tuesday, April 9th | 7:00pm-8:00pm | Registration Required

    This program is made possible with support from The Haverford Trust Company.


    2024 Phi Alpha Theta Induction Banquet 

    PAT Induction Banquet flyer

    Phi Alpha Theta's 2024 Spring Induction Banquet, will be held Friday, April 26, 6:30-9:30 PM, in the TMH Courtyard. They will be inducting new members, recognizing our graduates, and awarding a number of History department awards for graduate students.

    The Keynote speaker, Dr. Heather Haley of the Naval History and Heritage Command, will speak on "Queer in the Cold War: The Civil-Military Battle over the Lavender Scare." The banquet is $25 per person, or $45 per couple; PAT inductees are free.

    Registration is available on the PAT Website


    Dr. De la Puente receives a Franklin Research Grant from the American Philosophical Society

    De la Puente Example Map Image

    Congratulations to Dr. De la Puente who received the Franklin Research Grant from the American Philosophical Society for international research and fieldwork to be conducted this summer. He will be searching for early-colonial maps and land titles in community archives of the Central Andes. 

    The APS is on Twitter @AmPhilSociety, on Facebook @AmericanPhilosophicalSociety, and on Instagram @AmPhilSociety.


    History Students Win Awards from the Center for the Study of the Southwest

    CSSW Undergrad Conf

    The CSSW recently held an undergraduate research conference in which two history majors participated. Halle Dobbs, a History and Education major, presented her paper on the assimilation of Japanese in L.A. during the 1920s and 1930s. Idaly Soto, History major and Southwestern Studies minor, presented her paper on the process of confirming Spanish and Mexican land grants after the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. Halle won the 2nd place prize and Idaly the 3rd.

     From left to right: Martha Izaguirre, Gabriela Moreno, Halle Dobbs, Adriana Montoya, Manny Hernandez, and Idaly Soto.  


    Dr. De la Puente featured in "History's Greatest Mysteries

    Dr. De la Puente was recently featured in “History's Greatest Mysteries” latest episode, on "The Mystery of Machu Picchu"." 


    Dr. De la Puente publishes study of Native commoner women and land in colonial Peru

    José Carlos de la Puente Luna (2024) Customs apart: rethinking inheritance and competing land claims among Native commoner women in colonial Andean villages, Colonial Latin American Review, 33:1, 79-104, DOI: 10.1080/10609164.2024.2311607 


    Alliance for Texas History Founded

    A new Alliance for Texas History has been founded. The Association is for “diverse groups of academic and avocational historians, local organizations and institutions, educators and public historians, archives and libraries, and anyone from the public interested in the pursuit of Texas history.  Dr. Frank de la Teja, Regents’ Professor Emeritus and University Distinguished Professor Emeritus of History, is a founding member of the Alliance for History.   


    Jo Snider Featured in San Marcos Record

    Our former faculty member, and great supporter of the department, Jo Snider, was recently featured the San Marcos Record. She’ll be giving a Women’s History Month talk March 8, 2024 at 10:00 a.m. at the San Marcos Public Library. I thought those of you who know Jo would especially like to see this piece. 


    2024 Phi Alpha Theta Induction Banquet

    PAT Induction Banquest

    Save the Date: Texas State Phi Alpha Theta, Sigma Zeta Chapter 2024 Awards Ceremony & Induction Banquet: Friday, April 26, 6:30-9:00 PM, TMH Courtyard. 

    Keynote Speaker: Dr. Heather Haley, Historian, Navel History and Heritage Command: “Queer in the Cold War: The Civil-Military Battle over the Lavender Scare.”

    Please RSVP by Monday, April 22, 2024


    Daughter, Wife, Quaker, Spy? The Women of Revolutionary Philadelphia

    Dr. Shannon Duffy has been invited to give a  Zoom talk on Tuesday April 9, 2024 at 7:00 pm for Chester County History Center. 

    This presentation will focus on four women living in Revolutionary-era Philadelphia: Quaker poet and proud “spinster” Hannah Griffitts, Loyalist (and abandoned wife) Grace Growden Galloway, Patriot organizer Esther Reed, and Anna Rawle, the daughter of exiled Loyalists living in London. The Patriot/Loyalist line was fuzzier for women, as most of the methods by which someone would have their loyalties “outed”—taxes paid, oaths made, militia service—were required only of men. Women, however, were also responding to events as members of families, congregations, and communities. There is also often a profound sense, as in Griffitts’ poetry and in the letters of many others, of frustration with their lack of agency: they are affected by the Revolution, but unable to assert much formal power. 


    Celebrating Women’s History Month! BREAKING THE NEWS Post Film Q&A              
    Film Director Chelsea Hernandez & Dr. Jessica Pliley, Director of Women’s and Gender Studies at TXST

    Breaking The News Movie Event Poster

    Synopsis: Who decides which stories get told? A scrappy group of fearless women and LGBTQ+ journalists buck the white male-dominated status quo, banding together to launch The 19th*, a digital news startup aiming to combat misinformation. A story of an America in flux, and the voices often left out of the narrative, the documentary Breaking the News shows change doesn’t come easy. RT: 99min

    Complimentary Beer & Pizza from the great folks at Pie Society & Middleton Brewing starting at 6:30 pm.

    Film Start: 7:00 pm 

    The Price Center               
    222 W. San Anotonio, ST.                
    San Marcos, TX 78666

    Seating is Limited! | Get Advanced Tickets

    Official Trailer


    Center for Texas Music History | Book Talk: Welcome 2 Houston

    Welcome to Houston Book Talk

    Join the Center for Texas Music History on March 25, 2024 from 12:30-2:00 pm in Brazos Hall for an exciting book talk that will explore the complex relationship between place, identity, and music in Houston’s hip hop culture. In Welcome 2 Houston, Langston Collin Wilkins uses interviews with local rap artists, producers, and managers to inform an exploration of how artists, audiences, music, and place interact to create a heritage that musicians negotiate in a variety of ways.


    Prof. De la Puente to give a talk at Cambridge University's Centre of Latin American Studies

    de la Puente Land deed image

    Dr. De la Puente will be presenting new research related to his book-in-progress. This talk will present the first comprehensive analysis of a series of land deeds prepared by the Laraos of Yauyos, Peru, during the First General Land Inspection to secure title to farm- and pastureland. 


    Margaret Vaverek Published in The Journal of South Texas

    Congratulating Margaret Vaverek, whom most of you know as our colleague in Alkek Library and an alum of the department, on the publication of her co-authored article, “A Wound Too Deep to Show: A Preliminary Study of the Legacy of Falcon International Dam,” in The Journal of South Texas


    Dr. Bishop Published in the Journal of Central and Eastern European African Studies

    Congratulations to Dr. Elizabeth Bishop, whose essay on digital humanities sources in the Egyptian context, “Egypt’s Geopolitical Alignment via the Digital Humanities,” was published by the Journal of Central and Eastern European African Studies 3, no. 2 (2023). 


    History Club with Dr. Alexandra Montero Peters

    The History Club will host Dr. Alexandra Montero Peters, who will be discussing "Naming a Manuscript's Mystery Women: New Evidence of Muslim-Christian Exchange in the 13th Century." 

    Pizza will be served! 

    Wednesday, March 6, 2024 | 7:00 pm                   
    TMH 104


    State of Black Students Event

    State of Black Studies at UT & TXST

    Join Dr. Kevin Foster (Associate Chair of the African and African Diaspora Studies Department at The University of Texas at Austin) and Dr. Dwonna Goldstone (Director of the TXST African American Studies Program) as they discuss Black Studies at UT & TXST.

    Saturday, February 24, 2024 | 1:00 - 2:30 pm                   
    Cephas House                   
    217 W. MLK Drive                   
    San Marcos, Texas 78666


    "Transition as Struggle and Care" - A Faculty Senate University Lecturer Series Event

    Transition as Struggle and Care

    Speaker: Shuli Branson                     
    Time and Place: Thursday, February 29th, 6:30 - 8:00 PM, Flowers Hall 230

    Building on Black feminist and Indigenous thought, as well as their experiences as an educator and organizer, Shuli Branson proposes trans feminism as a daily practice that prepares for our collective liberation.

    Shuli Branson is a transfemme teacher, organizer, scholar, and translator. Her recent works include Practical Anarchism: A Daily Guide, Gay Liberation after May ’68, and Surviving the Future: Abolitionist Queer Strategies.


    The Importance of Black Storytelling: Texas State’s African American Read-In

    Black Storytelling

    Come celebrate Black Storytelling with Texas State and San Marcos High School faculty. You can read silently, aloud, or in small groups. Bring your favorite book, poem, magazine, or online material written by Black authors. We will have food, drinks, and extra reading material. All are welcome!

    Tuesday, February 27, 2024                        
    4:00 - 6:00 PM | LBJ Student Center Ballroom

    Black Storytelling Registration 


    Phi Alpha Theta Fellowship Workshop | Thursday, February 15, 2024

    PAT Fellowhip Funding Workshop

    Join Dr. Brian Smith, External Funding Coordinator for the Graduate School, and Ms. Cathlin Noonan, Research Coordinator for the IDEA Center, to lean about funding opportunities for graduate and undergraduate students like you.  

    At the workshop, staff and faculty who have extensive experience overseeing funding opportunities will discuss how to go about applying for research money. We hope to see you all there!

    Thursday, February 15, 2024                       
    5:30 PM | TMH 104


    Center for Texas Music History Collaboration with KUTX

    CTMH Collaboration with KUTX

    In April, the Center for Texas Music History entered an ongoing collaboration with Austin's public radio stations KUTX and KUT to produce This Week in Texas Music History, a series of weekly shorts that appear on-air and are archived online. 


    Witness to War

    Witness to War

    Join The Wittliff for a presentation by Dr. Michael Miller about the 1914 invasion and occupation of Veracruz by the United States and the Witness to War exhibition at The Wittliff.

    Dr. Michael Nelson Miller is a retired professor of Mexican cultural history at Texas State University. He holds a Ph.D. from Texas A&M University. He has also taught at Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary and the University of Texas Permian Basin.

    Wednesday, February 7, 2024 | 11:00 am                          
    The Wittliff Collections

    Registration | Witness to War


    Phi Alpha Theta History Honors Society: First General Meeting | Thursday, February 8, 2024

    PAT First General Meeting

    Please join PAT for our first general meeting of the year, where we will accept nominations (including self-nominations) for new officers for the 2023-2024. PAT is a history honors society open to upper-level undergraduates and graduate students, but many of our events are open to any students with an interest in history. We will be discussing our calendar for the upcoming semester, and brainstorming for possible Spring 24 events. There will be pizza and snacks. All are welcome. There will be a Zoom option for anyone interested who can't attend in person--email Dr. Shannon Duffy, History Dept. to get on the PAT general mailing list to get the link. 

    Thursday, February 8, 2024                                
    5:00-6:20 PM | TMH 101 and Online via Zoom 


    Phi Alpha Theta Book 'n' Bake Sale | February 14 & 15, 2024

    PAT Book and Bake Sale

    Phi Alpha Theta History Honors Society Valentine’s Day Book ‘n’ Bake Sale

    Come by our booth to buy a book & a snack!                               
    Scholarly & popular books available. 

    Only $2 for cookie or book!

    February 14 & 15, 2024                                
    10:00 AM - 1:00 PM | The Quad 


    Dr. Alana de Hinojosa Publishes New Article

    Congratulations to Dr. Alana de Hinojosa, who will be joining us in the fall, on the publication of her article, “'El Chamizal is Ours Forever:’ Rumor, Time, and the Law in El Paso’s Settler Society” in the peer-reviewed, Human Geography Journal Environment and Planning D: Society and Space.


    The West Side Sound Oral History Project

    West Side Sound Oral History Project

    The West Side Sound Oral History Project is a collaboration between two Mexican American Studies professors from UTSA, two music historians and DJs, and the local community. By focusing on the West Side Sound, a genre of music that draws from conjunto music, R&B, doo wop and other Black musical genres, and by inviting the community to share their stories, this project showcases the contributions made to music and U.S. history by Black and Chicana/o/x communities.

    Monday, February 19, 2024                                 
    Brazos Hall | 12:30 pm

    More Information                                  
     


    Congratulations to Dr Yazid Zahda (Dr. Bishop Ph.D. Student)

    Dr. Yazid Zahda, Dr. Bishop PhD student

    Dr Elizabeth Bishop, with Professor Douglas Porpora (Drexel University), Dr Rima Hammami (Birzeit University), Professor Dina Mattar (SOAS University of London), and Dr Jeff Handmaker (International Institute of Social Studies) served as the full doctoral committee for Yazid Zahda's PhD thesis, "Palestine: A case of Neoliberalization. The Nature and Implications of Palestinian National Development Plans; 1994-2023" at the International Institute of Social Studies in the Hague (Netherlands). Yazid Zahda's dissertation supervisors are Professor Karin Arts and Dr Karim Kniou.


    French Vice in Texas: Migration, Trafficking, and Indecent Work in the Early Twentieth Century                                 
    Dr. Elisa Camiscioli | Binghamton University

    French vice in Texas

    This presentation recasts the moral panic of “trafficking” as a key moment in migration history. By exploring three case studies of French migrants in Texas, Dr. Camiscioli shows how the victims and villains of the first international campaign against trafficking should be understood as entrepreneurial migrants instead. A saloon-owner in Beaumont, a pimp in El Paso, and a brothel madame in Galveston serve as examples of successful migrants to the United States, and also targets of migration control. We discuss migrants’ ambitions, the intersections of licit and illicit work, and the policing of prostitution and pimping in the early twentieth century.

    Thursday, February 15, 2024                                  
    Flowers Hall 230 | 11:00 am

    Registration Required 


    Dr. Sachs appears on Media-eval Podcast to talk about Napoleon

    Congratulations to Dr. Miranda Sachs who was recently invited to speak about the new Napoleon film on the podcast Media-eval: A Medieval Pop Culture Podcast.


    Dr. Louie Dean Valencia interviewed in The Chronicle of Higher Education 

    Dr. Louie Dean Valencia discussed the impact of celebrity in university classes and why celebrities associate themselves with universities in an article in The Chronicle of Higher Education.


    Study in America | Philadelphia in a Time of Revolution | Summer II,  2024                                    
    Directed by Dr. Shannon E. Duffy

    Study in America Philidelphia Flyer

    After a 4-week course of study, which will comprise most of the coursework for one of two courses we will travel to Philadelphia, to visit numerous historical museums, attend scholarly talks, and participate in historical tours of the city. Our itinerary includes tours of Independence Hall National Park, the National Constitution Center, the Museum of the American Revolution, the Liberty Bell, the Betsy Ross home, Elfreth’s Alley, the Eastern State Penitentiary, the Reading Terminal, and the Grim Philly Dark Tourism Tour.

    Contact Dr. Shannon Duffy with any questions.                                   
    Apply Online


    Careers in Public History                                      
    With Alicia Juillet, Curator, NY Mets Hall of Fame and Museum

    Careers in Public History event

    Explore careers in public history with Alicia Juillet, curator of the Mets Hall of Fame and Museum with the New York Mets baseball team.

    Before joining the Mets, Alicia worked with the Detroit Red Wings, the Detroit Tigers and Little Caesars. She also interned at the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto, ON. She holds a BA in history and museum studies and a MS in Information, with an Archives and Museums focus, from the University of Michigan.

    Wednesday, January 31, 2024 | 5:00 pm (CDT)                                     
    Online via Zoom | Registration Required 

    Registration Closed


    Recording Women in the Early Modern Atlantic World | Call for Papers

    With support from Texas State University and the University of Texas at Austin, conveners Caylin Carbonell, Sara Damiano, and Julie Hardwick invite participation in a workshop on “Recording Women in the Early Modern Atlantic World.” This in-person workshop will take place in the Austin, TX, area on September 26-28, 2024. The workshop’s goal is publication of a Journal of Women’s History special issue, to be guest edited by Sara Damiano and Caylin Carbonell.  

    For more information, see the Call for Proposals website. The proposal deadline is March 1, 2024. 


    Dr. Elizabeth Bishop Authors "Niels Bohr Library & Archives as a Source for Histories of Egypt’s Science Diplomacy"

    Several multilateral organizations consider science diplomacy to be increasingly important in international policy-making and diplomacy; the recent UN Summer Academy Trend Talk featured Maricela Muñoz on how the Geneva Science and Diplomacy Anticipator (GESDA) brings together different communities, including academic, diplomatic, impact, and citizens. Dr. Bishop authored a piece in the latest issue of the History Newsletter published by the the American Institute of Physics, Niels Bohr Library & Archives (vol. 55, no. 2, 2023), published a brief research report: "Niels Bohr Library & Archives as a Source for Histories of Egypt’s Science Diplomacy." 


    Reds in Blue: UNESCO, World Governance, and the Soviet Internationalist Imagination

    Reds in Blue, Book Cover

    Dr. Louis Porter will be joined in conversation with Dr. Rósa Magnúsdóttir, Professor of History at the University of Iceland, for a conversation about his recent book, Reds in Blue: UNESCO, World Governance, and the Soviet Internationalist Imagination.

    Thursday, January 25, 2024 | Online via Zoom                                            
    12:00 pm Central Time

    Registration Closed 


    Dr. Valencia's latest publication in the series Routledge Studies in Fascism and the Far Right

    The Politics of Replacement: Demographic Fears, Conspiracy Theories, and Race Wars

    Dr. Louie Dean Valencia has co-authored the chapter "European Histories, Australian Anxieties: The Christchurch Killer in Context" in the edited volume The Politics of Replacement: Demographic Fears, Conspiracy Theories, and Race Wars, edited by Sarah Bracke and Luis Manuel Hernández Aguilar, part of the series Routledge Studies in Fascism and the Far Right.


    Dr. Joaquín Rivaya-Martínez Publishes New Article

    Congratualtions to Dr. Joaquín Rivaya-Martínez on the publication of his latest article, “La quiebra de las relaciones hispano-comanches durante la insurgencia.” In Procesos históricos del noreste ante la colonización hispana y la independencia de México (Siglos XVI al XIX), edited by Gustavo González Flores, 229-271. Saltillo: Universidad Autónoma de Coahuila.  


    History Faculty Awarded Research Enhancement Program Awards

    Congratulations to Drs. Ruby Oram and Joaquín Rivaya-Martínez, who have both been awarded Research Enhancement Program Awards in the 2024 cycle.

    • Ruby Oram, “Gender, Welfare, and the First State Prisons for Women, 1870-1910”
    • Joaquín Rivaya-Martínez, “Comanche Rock Art: A Heretofore Neglected Indigenous Source on Comanche History”

    Many thanks to the Research Committee, everyone who submitted proposals, and all who supported our applicants this year. Dr. Renold, chair of the Research Committee, indicated that the number of proposals increased significantly, and the competition was especially intense this time around.


    Indigenous Borderlands: A Book Celebration and Dialogue

    Indigenous Borderlands: A Book Celebration and Dialogue

    Renowned ethnohistorians Cynthia Radding, Erick Langer, and our own Joaquín Rivaya-Martínez will discuss the contributions and potential impact of the edited collection Indigenous Borderlands: Native Agency, Resilience and Power in the Americas (University of Oklahoma Press, 2023). This work is the culmination of a project whose first step was a symposium held at Texas State University under the sponsorship of the Center for the Study of the Southwest and the Department of History in 2018. The book brings together selected national and international scholars whose research engages with past and present Native communities across the Western Hemisphere. Indigenous people, who often occupy a marginal space in the scholarship on the history of the Americas, are the protagonists of this far-reaching revisionary work, in which pervasive myths of European domination and Indigenous submission receive an overdue corrective.

    Thursday, January 25, 2024 | 2:00 pm                                               
    Flowers Hall 230 & Online via Zoom                                              
    Advanced Registration