As always, its been a busy semester full of exciting campus events, innovative teaching developments, and impressive student achievements. There is of course too much to mention here, but I’d like to highlight the success of UNO’s annual European Studies Conference under Drs. Saltamacchia and Celinscak’s leadership this year. Together, they brought record attendance, top scholarship, and high levels of student engagement to the two-day hybrid event. I was particularly impressed by our graduate students Md Showkot Ali, Ann Haverkost, and Jason Libby who all presented their work at the conference. Please join me in offering a big congratulations to all involved!
I also want to shine a spotlight on some of the important instructional work going on this semester. Students are loving the Public History class our affiliate faculty in Criss Library, Claire Du Laney and Lori Schwartz, are offering in a team-taught format this semester. As we collectively grapple with debates about public holidays, statues, street names, and other commemorations of people or events from the past, our students are learning the tools that will enable them to think more critically about the ways that those issues impact us in Omaha, and beyond. And not only that, but now students are more prepared than ever to go out and do great work in one of Omaha’s museums, public parks, and many other sites!
Dr. Geliga is also helping students get more involved with community partners in Omaha this semester. As part of the TATP Mellon grant (partnering with Dr. Ghosh in the Department of English),
Dr. Geliga’s students are learning about historic violence faced by indigenous women in North America, and violence that continues to this day. The Women's Center for Advancement and Bluebird Cultural Initiative both joined Dr. Geliga’s class this fall, to supplement students’ course work with lessons on trauma-based learning, and information about local efforts to heal from violence and advocate for women.
I am so struck by each of these classes because, like all of our history classes, they remind us of the critical importance of incorporating a humanistic understanding of our world into all that we do. It's sometimes hard to recognize the core value of studying history in a world where it seems like the latest technological advancement drives the reorganization of our economy and society at an astounding pace.
But the hottest new app, program, social media site, or new device can’t propose meaningful solutions to complex problems in a way incorporates thinking about the human condition and the societies we have constructed – at least not yet. It's only with the ability to think critically about our past and present that we can positively shape our future.
My takeaway? Help us recruit more history majors! And please join me in celebrating the hard work, and real-world impact, of all of our faculty and students at UNO!
Featured Faculty News
Dr. Danielle Battisti
Dr. Battisti and her Co-PIs were honored at this year's Research and Creative Activity Awards Ceremony for their "Tell All the Truth Project." They earned special recognition for the most new funding received in Arts & Humanities and for bringing together multiple departments (History, Sociology/Anthropology, and English).
Dr. Mark Boxell
In October, Dr. Boxell presented his research, "Imposing Racial Order upon the Land: Gilded-Age Agrarian Movements in the West" at the 63rd annual Western History Association conference in Los Angeles.
Dr. Charles King
Dr. King was invited to speak at the Society of Biblical Literature (SBL) Conference in San Antonio this month as part of a panel on “Reconsidering Belief in Greek and Roman Religion.” Dr. King has been part of a debate about the role of belief in Roman religious practices since his article "The Organization of Roman Religious Beliefs” was published in 2003.
Dr. Jeanne Reames
Dr. Reames appeared in the History Channel's three-part docuseries, Ancient Empires. Dr. Reames was featured in a segment on Alexander the Great. Check out the trailer!
Dr. Reames was also interviewed by Joe Harris with WOWT about a recent breakthrough in the translation of the Herculaneum scrolls.
Dr. Martina Saltamacchia
On October 22-24, Dr. Saltamacchia attended the annual conference of the National Association for Concurrent Enrollment Programs in St. Louis on behalf of the History Department. Together with Dr. Brett Kyle (UNO Political Science), she presented a session on “Social Studies Training for Concurrent Enrollment Instructors: University of Nebraska at Omaha Programs & Opportunities.” The talk provided an overview of our totally online programs and professional development opportunities for Social Studies instructors nationwide. Dr. Saltamacchia also presented the paper, "Marco Carelli and the Tartar Girls: Freeing Slaves in Medieval Milan?" at the conference
Dr. Clark participated at the annual conference of the Middle East Studies Association (MESA) in Montreal, Canada, from November 2 - 4. He chaired the panel, "Borders and Borderlands: the New Politics of the Middle East" and presented a paper in the panel, “Colonialism and its Discontents in Modern Iran.”
Dr. Harl Dalstrom, Emeritus
Since 2004, Dr. Dalstrom has served on the board of the Prospect Hill Cemetery Historical Site Development Foundation, the governing body of Prospect Hill Cemetery. He is also revising a number of past papers for publication.
Featured Student News
Griffin Saunders
Over the summer, one of our outstanding undergraduate students, Griffin Saunders, held an internship at the Durham Western Heritage Museum. He worked on several projects with experts in Public History. Working with the Durham staff was Griffin’s favorite part of his time at the museum. They provided him with invaluable professional advice and experiences that went a long way toward his training as an historian.
Griffin participated in archiving, research, and cataloging materials.
One of the projects he assisted with was cataloging a recent artifact acquisition. He said, “it was fascinating to examine relics.”
He also explained since the Durham Museum has multiple exhibits based on the history of Nebraska and the Omaha area, he learned something new about the city every week. Griffin said his time at the Durham cemented his desire to work within the field of Public History.
Md Showkot Ali
M.A. student and graduate assistant, Showkot, recently received a GRACA grant from UNO's Office of Research and Creative Activity. The grant funded his portfolio project, "From Advocacy to Action: Senator Kennedy's Impact on Halting U.S. Arms Aid to Pakistan During Bangladesh Liberation War," in which Showkot plans to examine former Senator Ted Kennedy's impact on U.S. foreign policy toward Bangladesh in the 1970s.
Over the summer, he travelled to Bangladesh to collect archival documents and oral histories for his project. While researching at the University of Dhaka, he delivered a lecture on how American History professors
teach and conduct historical research. Showkot (left) also earned the “First Class First” award for his Master of Arts result at University of Dhaka. He secured the highest cumulative GPA among his classmates for his MA in Islamic Art, Architecture and Archeology at University of Dhaka, Dhaka. (Dean of Arts, Dr. Abdul Basir, right)
Mike Kelley
Graduate student Mike Kelley received a Graduate Research and Creative Activity (GRACA) award to fund his portfolio project, "The Tomahawk Buried Underneath the Mississippi: Reacting to the 1825 Treaty of Prairie du Chien." Mike’s experience as director at Iowa and Sac & Fox Mission Museum in Highland, Kansas inspired him to find ways to transmit his excitement and passion for Native American History topics to his future students. To that end, he plans to create a "Reacting to the Past" (RTTP) role-playing simulation centered around the 1825 Treaty of Prairie du Chien. This treaty created the framework for removal of the tribes from around the Great Lakes but is generally treated as a footnote in most texts.
Nate Ostdiek
Undergraduate History minor Nate Ostdiek attended the U.S. Air Force Academy's annual Academy Assembly. Sponsored by the U.S. Air Force Academy and Columbia University’s American Assembly, the assembly took place from the 6th-8th of November. The 65th Academy Assembly followed the theme, "The Dragon Roars Back: China’s Return to the World Stage," and focused on the changing dynamics in the Indo-Pacific region, understanding the PRC’s mindset, the history and future of Taiwan, emerging technologies, and China’s economy.
History Club
M.A. student and graduate assistant, TreyganRussell, started a History Club this fall! The club meets once a month to connect undergraduate and graduate members with one another outside of class. Treygan says, "This club allows us to bond as a community of young scholars both socially and academically in a way that will benefit our networking and relationships in and out of the classroom." The next meeting is December 13th at 5:30PM in the Digital History Room,
ASH 287 E/F. Join the club here or reach out to Treygan with questions.
Monthly Lunch & Learns
Our monthly "Lunch & Learns" were back for the Fall Semester! Hosted by the History Graduate Program and Dual Enrollment, students learned about funding opportunities on campus, Writing Center resources, and Career Services at UNO this semester. Keep your eye out for our spring offerings!
Congratulations
Congratulations to our Fall 2023 graduating M.A. students!
Ann Haverkost
James Hunter
Anne O'Neill
Cole Stormberg
Featured Alumni News
Nicholas Tuma (M.A. 23')
We checked in with our recent graduate, Nicholas Tuma. Nick started an internship with the Nebraska National Guard Museum in Seward, Nebraska as a student, and continues to work with the group. He said his work inspired his thesis, and provided exposure to various research mediums such as documents, interviews, and artifacts. He reflected on his time in the graduate program saying several things stuck out to him. "The individual attention I received from each of my professors, and the variety of course options available allowed me to broaden my horizons in the field of history and refine my research methods."
Nick travelled to France in 2022 to complete supplemental research for his thesis.
Please tell us more about where you are now. We'd love to feature you in our next newsletter!
This year, Drs. Saltamacchia and Celinscak co-chaired the 48th annual European Studies Conference at UNO's Community Engagement Center on October 5th - 6th. In 25 interdisciplinary sessions, the conference welcomed over 150 speakers and participants hailing from the United States, Canada, Russia, Finland, Italy, Germany, the United Kingdom, Portugal, and Greece. The Sam & Frances Fried Holocaust & Genocide Academy sponsored
keynote speaker, Dr. Tomaz Jardim, Associate Professor of History at Toronto Metropolitan University whose talk was titled, "Ilse Koch on Trial."
Graduate Student Presenters at the Conference:
Md Showkot Ali,
"How Hitler's Auxiliary Forces Committed Genocide"
Ann Haverkost,
"An Iconographic Analysis of Classical and Early Hellenistic Macedonian Tombstones"
Jason Libby,
"The Failure of the Third Crusade"
Samuel Bak Museum - The Learning Center
On October 19th, Dr. Danielle Battisti took part in the SBMLC Exhibition "Flight and Hope" Lecture Series, with a talk on Jewish immigration to the United States from Displaced Persons Camps after World War II.
Panel Discussion
The Omaha Public Library’s (OPL) “Omaha Reads” book for 2023 was “Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants.” As part of this program, OPL hosted a panel discussion Sunday, September 24th. Dr. Susana Grajales Geliga was part of that interdisciplinary panel of professors who shared their personal
stories and explored the many themes of "Braiding Sweetgrass."
Medieval Renaissance Studies: Encountering the Past
Director of the Medieval Renaissance Studies Program, Dr. Martina Saltamacchia, hosted "Encountering the Past" on September 12th outside the Milo Bail Student Center. This free event promoted the Medieval Renaissance Studies minor with the participation of The Society for Creative Anachronism.
Society for Creative Anachronism members demo medieval battle gear and style.
The Sam & Frances Fried Holocaust & Genocide Academy
In addition to sponsoring Dr. Tomaz Jardim (above), the Fried Academy co-sponsored the following events this fall:
2023 Kristallnacht Commemoration: The State of Holocaust Education in the U.S. Today
The Evian Conference and the Refugee Crisis: 85 Years Later
The Fried Academy is also sponsoring the Journal of History's upcoming special issue on genocide. Drs. Mark Celinscak and Danielle Battisti serve as editor and associate editor of the journal, respectively.
The Academy hired History graduate student, Jessica Botts to assist with the "Visual Storytelling and Graphic Art in Genocide and Human Rights Education" project. The project will produce graphic art, documentary films, museum exhibitions, gallery installations, and youth-appropriate educational materials that will reach broad, global audiences and help teach future generations about genocide, trauma, and human rights.
Save the date!
Richard Dean Winchell Lecture
Speaker: Dr. Jan Grabowski, University of Ottawa. Dr. Grabowski specializes in Jewish-Polish relations in German-occupied Poland during World War II. He recently received the 2022 SSHRC Impact Award for his research on the Holocaust.
Title of Presentation: Producing a ‘Usable’ Past: Holocaust Distortion and New Threats to the Memory of the Holocaust
Description: Unlike Holocaust deniers, people, institutions, and states engaging in Holocaust distortion do not deny the factuality of the Jewish catastrophe. They simply deny that their people, their ethnic group, or their nation, had anything to do with the event. Using the massive resources of the state, they falsify the historical narrative in order to make it compatible with various national myths. This talk will focus on Poland, a place where great majority of the victims of the Holocaust has been put to death and a place where Holocaust distortion has become a quasi-official policy of the state.
Date/Time: March 26, 7:00 PM
Location: UNO's Barbara Weitz Community Engagement Center
Keep an eye on our website for updates and registration opportunities!
Blast From the Past
Can you guess the event and year of our "Blast From the Past?" Do you see any familiar faces? Want to submit your own photo/s for the next "Blast From the Past" feature? Contact us via email!
Watch for our Spring Newsletter
We enjoy hearing from you! Let us know what you're doing and how we can keep in touch.
We are so grateful for the generous support of our friends and extended community members, thank you! If you'd like to learn more, please email us or visit the University of Nebraska Foundation website.
.jpg?upscale=true&width=200&upscale=true&name=150302_DanielleBattisti_001a%20(1).jpg)
