Around the Courtyard | 2021

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  • 2021 News Archive

    • Congratulations to Dr. Elizabeth Bishop who has been offered a position as "Editor for North African Studies" by Daigengna Duoer and Dr. James Harry Morris of Digital Orientalist. In her role, Dr. Bishop will be responsible for four contributions to the Digital Orientalist (ISSN: 2772-8374). Digital Orientalist also convenes a Virtual Workshop and Conference each year.

       

      Congratulations to Dr. Casey Nichols on the publication of her article, “‘The Magna Carta to Liberate Our Cities’: African Americans, Mexican Americans, and the Model Cities Program in Los Angeles,” in the Pacific Historical Review. As the journal of the Pacific Coast Branch of the American Historical Association, the PHR is one of the top-ranked journals for research about the western U.S. It is wonderful to see her research published in this venue.

      Dr. Angie Murphy was featured on Deep Dive with Bradley Biggers on KWVH – Wimberley Valley Radio in August in a four part interview on 19th Century African American History, the Fugitive Slave Law, and her recent book The Jerry Rescue.

      Also, Afro-Americans in New York Life and History has published a reprint of her article, “It outlaws me, and I outlaw it!”: Resistance to the Fugitive Slave Law in Syracuse, New York,” Afro-Americans in New York Life and History  (42:1).

      Congratulations to Dr. Jose Carlos on the publication of his new article, “Of Widows, Furrows, and Seed: New Perspectives on Land and the Colonial Andean Commons,” in the Hispanic American Historical Review.

      Congratulations to Dr. Sara Damiano on the publication of her annotated bibliography on "Women and the Law" for Oxford Bibliographies in Atlantic History.

      This state-of-the-field publication is a wonderful achievement and an indication of the respect Dr. Damiano has earned in her field.

      Congratulations to Dr. José Carlos de la Puente on the publication of his most recent article, "Of Widows, Furrows, and Seed: New Perspectives on Land and the Colonial Andean Commons," published in The Hispanic American Historical Review 101 (3):375-407

      Congratulations to Public History Graduate Student, Isabel Gonzalez, who has been chosen as one several Texas State students to represent the Texas State History department on the Texas Young Leaders Advocacy Council of the National Parks Conservation Association.

      Congratulations to Dr. Jessica Pliley on the publication of her latest book, co-edited with Genevieve LeBaron and David Blight, Fighting Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking: History and Contemporary Policy, with Cambridge University Press.

      Congratulations to Dr. Ruby Oram who has published an article, “A Superior Kind of Working Woman: The Contested Meaning of Vocational Education for Girls in Progressive Era Chicago” in the prominent Journal of the Gilded Age and Progressive Era.

      Congratulations to Dr. Elizabeth Bishop who has been admitted into the John N. Gardner Institute for Excellence in Undergraduate Education's High-Impact Online Teaching and Learning Practices for History Faculty, in partnership with the American Historical Association.

      In Spring 2020, four grad students—Kyla Campbell, Ron Adams, Jake Drumgoole, and Patrick Basset—in Dr. Duffy’s HIST 5361 worked to pick items for research and virtual exhibits for the University Archives titled Interpreting History: Students Explore the Archives. The exhibit is now available through the University Archives website.  Congratulations to Kyla, Ron, Jake, and Patrick, and many thanks to both Shannon and Kris Toma for their wonderful work on this.

      Drs. Coleman, Ritter, and Damiano hosted a New Books Conversation Series to discuss their new books out this Spring. 

      The History Department was pleased to virtually host Dr. Paul Crego as he spoke on Kairos: An Icon of the Annunciation at St. Catherine's Monastery on Mt Sinai/Egypt. 

      Congratulations to public history graduate students, Amber Leigh Hullum and Railey Tassin, who are winning much-deserved recognition for their work uncovering the history of the Manhattan Club, Austin's first gay-friendly public space.

      In recognition of our newest federal holiday commemorating Juneteenth, the History Department encourages you to read this summary of the importance of this holiday from the College of Liberal Arts. You will also find a list of local commemorations and other related events.

      Also, don’t miss this video with Dr. Dwonna Goldstone discussing the history and contemporary significance of Juneteenth.

      Congratulations to Mr. Dan Utley who has a new photography exhibit, Texas History Along the Way, hosted by University Archives!  The exhibit documents his travels through Central Texas historic places.

      Dr. Elizabeth Bishop will be presenting her work on the cinema of Egyptian Yussef Chahine at "Frozen Conflicts in Eurasia: Origins, Status and Outlook." This workshop is a part of this year’s Summer Research Laboratory (SRL) in Russian, East European, and Eurasian Studies at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. This workshop is made possible by funding from the Department of State’s Program for the Study of Eastern Europe and the Independent States of the Former Soviet Union (Title VIII).

      Congratulations to Dr. Jessica Pliley who was recently featured in an article published in Inside Higher Education about high school dropouts who became university professors.

      Additionally, her article on historiographical trends in the field of trafficking and migration research was featured in the Summer 2021 newsletter of the Immigration of Ethnic History society.

      Congratulating Dr. Sarah Coleman on the publication of her piece in the Washington Post today regarding President Biden’s order allowing undocumented students to access pandemic relief funding.

      Congratulations to Center for Texas Music History Director, Dr. Jason Mellard, on the publication of his new essay, "Roots of the Ballad Tree: Visions of Kerrville in Historical Context," which appears in photographer David Johnson's book, It Can Be This Way Always: Images from the Kerrville Folk Festival, published by the University of Texas Press.

      Dr. Dwight Watson shared his expertise with ABC affiliate KTRK-TV Houston on the history of racism and the limits of reform in the Houston Police Department, including the formation of the "Chicano Squad" in the HPD in the late 1970s.

      Congratulations to our History undergraduate students:

      • Hayden Kotara, Tara Hauwert, Melissa Liesch, and Rilee Schumann received College of Liberal Arts Awards for Academic Excellence.
      • Allison Hopson received of a Presidential Upper-Level Scholarship.

      The Committee on Research, Scholarship and Education of the Harry S. Truman Library Institute awarded Dr. Elizabeth Bishop a research grant for "'The Iraqis Expect It of Us': Loy W. Henderson, the U.S. Mission to Iraq, and Blood Sports."

      Dr. Dwight Watson recently presented at the Holocaust Museum of Houston on his book Race and the Houston Police Department 1930-1990.

      Congratulations to History major Luke Merchant whose essay “The Structure May Change, but the Heart Stays Stagnant: What the Seventeenth Century Plague and COVID-19 Pandemic Suggests About Us” was selected through a blind review process as the best essay of the 2020 Texas State University Writing Center Essay Contest in the Sophomore category (2000-level courses including ENG 1320). The paper was written for Dr. Debra Law's class.

      Dr. Louie Dean Valencia's chapter "Amid COVID-19, Trump Attempts to Rewrite History" appeared in the edited volume Responses to the COVID-19 Pandemic by the Radical Right Scapegoating, Conspiracy Theories, and New Narratives, edited by Tamir Bar-On and Bàrbara Molas (Ibidem/Columbia University Press).

      Dr. Jason Mellard's chapter "Roots of the Ballad Tree: Visions of Kerrville in Historical Context" appears in photographer David Johnson's book It Can Be This Way Always: Images from the Kerrville Folk Festival, published by the University of Texas Press.

      Allison Hopson, TXST History undergraduate student, has won the Presidential Upper-Level Scholarship for the College of Liberal Arts. Congratulations to Allison!

      Dr. Paul Hart recently presented "Emiliano Zapata: Memory, Myth, and Meaning” to all branches of Lone Star College, Houston.

      Congratulations to Dr. Peter Siegenthaler, the 2021 recipient of the Part-time Faculty Excellence in Teaching Award, as chosen by the Nontenure Line Faculty Committee of the Faculty Senate.

      Texas State's Model Arab League recently competed in the Bilateral and National Model Arab League Conferences. At each conference students who participated won awards and recognition from the Bilateral Chamber and National Council. Awards were presented to Patrick Rothstein, Parker Weaver, Yehia Hafez, Allison Tinglov, Manuel Zapata, Patrick Moloney, and Macy Birdwell

      Lezlie Hernandez, a junior double-majoring in History and Geography, was selected for a paid summer internship in the Smithsonian Institute American Women's History Initiative "Because of Her Story" Virtual Summer Internship Program.

      Graduate students Amber Leigh Hullum and Railey Tassin wrote a history of the Manhattan Club—Austin's first gay-friendly public space—for Dr. Ruby Oram's local history seminar, which was published on the Travis County Historical Commission Blog. They plan to nominate the Manhattan Club for the state's "undertold stories" historical marker program.

      Graduate students Patrick Bassett, Nicole Sutton, and Dr. Ruby Oram submitted an application for a historical marker on the site of the former Lydia Street Fire Station in East Austin, the first racially integrated fire station in the state of Texas (1952). The Travis County Historical Commission approved the application this past week.

      Congratulations to Dr. Sara Damiano on the official publication of her book, To Her Credit: Women, Finance, and the Law in Eighteenth-Century New England Cities (JHU Press). The book has already received high praise from an exceptional circle of historians.

      Congratulations to Shannon Duffy on having her episode appear on the Organization of American Historians’ podcast, “Intervals” where she examines the history of smallpox in early America.

      Dr. Sarah Coleman was recently featured on the Majority Report and KERA discussing her new book, The Walls Within: The Politics of Immigration in Modern America.

      Congratulations to Dr. Elizabeth Bishop who has been offered a 2021 Virtual Summer Research Laboratory Associateship upon the recommendation of the Summer Research Laboratory (SRL) Review Committee, the Russian, East European, and Eurasian Center at the University of Illinois.

      Dr. Caroline Ritter was featured in an episode of the New Books Network podcast talking about the role of culture in the British Empire and her book Imperial Encore.

      Dr. Louie Dean Valencia has been recognized with a Presidential Distinction Award for Excellence in Teaching and a Golden Apple Award from the College of Liberal Arts.

      Dr. Sarah Coleman spoke last week at the Commonwealth Club of California about her new book, The Walls Within: The Politics of Immigration in Modern America. The discussion was moderated by Marshall Fitz, head of immigration policy at Laurene Powell Jobs' Emerson Collective.

      On 26 March, Dr. Sara Damiano spoke about her book, To Her Credit: Women, Finance and the Law in Eighteenth-Century New England Cities, at the Metropolitan Washington Mensa Virtual Speakers Series in celebration of Women's History Month.

      Dr. Ruby Oram has joined the Board of Governors of Pioneer Farms, a living history museum in North Austin, to consult on their creation of new sites that will interpret Black and Tejano histories of central Texas during the nineteenth century.

      Dr. Jeffrey Helgeson's article, “Voices in the Urban Wilderness: Reimagining the Terms of Order in “Renaissance” Boston,” was just published in the journal Transatlantica. It is part of a special issue on “Places and Cultures of Capitalism: Histories from the Grassroots,” edited by Elsa Devienne and Andrew Diamond.

      Texas State Department of History public history students, Helen D. Johnson and Jake Dromgoole published an article, "A Drama on Life's State: Gracing a Family's History from Two Rescued Letters," in Texas Heritage, vol. 1 (2021): 9-13.

      Congratulations to Drs. Angie Murphy and Ron Johnson on the publication of a new volume, In Search of Liberty: African American Internationalism in the Nineteenth-Century Atlantic World (University of Georgia). Ron co-edited and introduced the volume, which includes Angie’s chapter, “Black Abolitionists in Ireland and the Challenge of Universal Reform.”

      Dr. José Carlos de la Puente was appointed to the Board of Editors of "Ethnohistory," the journal of the American Society for Ethnohistory, published by Duke University Press, for the period 2021-2023.

      Dr. Louie Dean Valencia presented on his book Antiauthoritarian Youth Culture in Francoist Spain: Clashing with Fascism for the University of New Mexico.

      Dr. Casey Nichols presented her research on the Watts Rebellion of 1965 for the African American Intellectual History Society’s (AAIHS) annual conference held online March 19-20.

      Dr. Sara Damiano participated in History Summit, a virtual book festival, to preview her forthcoming book, To Her Credit: Women, Finance, and the Law in Eighteenth-Century New England Cities.

      Dr. Sara Damiano was interviewed about her research on women and finance in colonial British America for an article in Forbes, "A Brief History of Women and Investing in America."

      Jeff Helgeson's article, “Voices in the Urban Wilderness: Reimagining the Terms of Order in “Renaissance” Boston,” was just published in the journal Transatlantica. It is part of a special issue on “Places and Cultures of Capitalism: Histories from the Grassroots,” edited by Elsa Devienne and Andrew Diamond.

      Sarah Coleman’s book, The Walls Within: The Politics of Immigration in Modern America, has just been published by Princeton University Press. The book has already gained attention for uncovering new lessons regarding the history of the battles over immigrants’ rights in the U.S. since 1965.

      Congratulations to graduate student Natasha Beck-King whose paper, "Two Pandemics: The LGBTQIA+ Community's Reaction and Thoughts About HIV/AIDS versus COVID-19," has been accepted for presentation at the Western Historical Association's 2021 Conference in Portland, Oregon. The conference will take place October 27-30.

      Dr. Jessica Pliley was asked by Cambridge University Press's blog, Cambridge Now, what issues she hoped the Biden administration would prioritize.

      Dr. Louie Dean Valencia was interviewed by the History of the Second World War podcast on antiauthoritarian youth culture in Spain after that country's civil war.

      Dr. James McWilliams recently presented for Harvard University's Arnold Arboretum's Director’s Lecture Series about how the pecan tree went from being primarily wild to primarily domesticated in a matter of decades while challenging us to think more critically about what we mean by ideas such as “natural,” “artificial,” and “authentic,” all of which are central to understanding the food we produce and consume.

      Dr. Tom Alter was featured on KUT's Texas Standard discussing traumatic historical events and Texas labor law in the context of the February 2021 winter storm.

      Dr. Louie Dean Valencia was interviewed on last week's impeachment trial for Pavement Pieces, a project of the New York University Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute.

      News from recent MA graduate student Jason Rivas! Lockhart State Park released a live Zoom of Rivas' talk on the Battle of Plum Creek from July 2020. Aimed at public school children, the virtual program continued the public outreach the state park did to inform its audience of the history and cultural resources found within and near the park.

      Congratulations to Dr. Jimmy McWilliams on the publication of his essay, "The Long Song of Frank Stanford," just published in the Winter 2021 edition of Mississippi Review. The Alkek Library also has access to Mississippi Review, and the Winter 2021 edition should be up soon.

      Dr. Louie Dean Valencia was recently interviewed by the Australian public radio broadcaster, 3CR, discussing fascism and the far-right (11:10 minute mark).

      Dr. José Carlos de la Puente presented his work "Administrating differences: Recent Scholarship on Indigenous and Afro-Latin America"  at Harvard University's workshop on “Administrating differences: Recent Scholarship on Indigenous and Afro-Latin America.” He will also present "Of Widows, Furrows, and Seed: New Perspectives on Land and the Colonial Andean Commons" for Yale University's Macmillan Center Agrarian Studies Program’s weekly colloquium.

      Congratulations to Dr. Carrie Ritter on the publication of her book, Imperial Encore: The Cultural Project of the Late British Empire, with the University of California Press.  The book examines well-known British agencies such as the BBC World Service and Oxford University Press as they established themselves in Africa during the 20th century. Tracing these institutions and the media they produced through the tumultuous period of decolonization and its aftermath, Dr. Ritter offers the first major account of the global footprint of British cultural imperialism.

      Dr. Elizabeth Bishop recently reviewed Michael R. Fischbach's Black Power and Palestine: Transnational Countries of Color (Stanford, 2018) in The Oran 2 University Journal. This review appeared previously in the Journal of Palestine Studies (2019). In October, she reviewed From Sadat to Saddam: The Decline of American Diplomacy in the Middle East, in the Journal of Military History.

      Congratulations to Dr. Sara Damiano who recently published an essay in Public Seminar situating Janet Yellen's appointment as the first female Treasury Secretary in historical context. The essay uses material from reflects Dr. Damiano's forthcoming book to reflect on the "glass ceiling" and Dessa's recent "Hamilton"-style song about Yellen.

      Dr. Elizabeth Bishop recently presented  at the "On the Boundaries of Here and Now" conference, presenting her paper “Boundary-Crossing Cinema: Living Color in the U.S.S.R. and Egypt."

      Dr. Margaret Menninger was recently named Executive Director of the German Studies Association.

      Dr. Caroline Ritter gave a talk on 28 January to the Oxford Modern British History Seminar on her forthcoming book, Imperial Encore: The Cultural Project of the Late British Empire.

      Dr. Miranda Sachs will be joining the Governing Council of the Western Society for French History. She is looking "forward to working alongside a group of scholars who have worked hard to facilitate important conversations about diversity and equity in French history."

      Dr. Ellen Tillman has been elected to the Board of Trustees for the Society of Military History. This honor comes in recognition of her contributions to the discipline as a scholar and as Regional Coordinator for the Society, one of the foremost international military history organizations.

      Dr. Anadelia Romo, Associate Professor, was interviewed for the New Books Network Podcast by host Steven Rodriguez, in a recent podcast about her contribution to a new work on tourism in Latin America entitled The Business of Leisure: Tourism History in Latin America and the Caribbean (University of Nebraska Press, 2021), edited by Dr. Drew Wood.

      Dr. Dwight Watson, Associate Professor, spoke to NBC News about the #BLM movement and its historical impact.

      Dr. Louie Dean Valencia was interviewed on The Texas Standard about fascism and the use of the term today. His research was referenced in Haaretz, and he was also featured in the podcast Right Rising.

      Congratulations to our faculty on their recent publications!

      Dr. José Carlos de la Puente has published an article in Histórica, titled “Plateros para el Inca: la traducción de documentos en lengua general al castellano en la Audiencia de Lima a fines del siglo XVII” [Silversmiths for the Inca: The Translation of Documents from the General Language to Spanish in the Late Seventeenth-Century Lima Audiencia], the first ever to document the translation of Quechua-language texts into written Spanish as part of the colonial administration of justice in Lima’s high court.

      Dr. Justin Randolph recently published his article, “The Making of Appalachian Mississippi” in the journal, Southern Cultures. He explains how the U.S. Congressional Record came to include a map of non-existent mountains in Mississippi.

      Dr. Joaquín Rivaya-Martínez's “‘Bárbaros’ en la cartografía de Nueva España. El caso comanche” has been published in El gran norte novohispano y mexicano en la cartografía de los siglos XVI-XIX, edited by José Refugio de la Torre Curiel and  Salvador Álvarez.

      Dr. Allison Robinson, along with fellow TXST History MA alum, Dr. Brandon T. Jett, published a piece in The Washington Post on 15 January 2021 titled "The chilling similarities between the pro-Trump mob and lynchings a century ago."

      Dr. Louie Dean Valencia's article “This is American Fascism” was recently published in OpenDemocracy. Also, his article “Pluralism at the Twilight of Franco’s Spain: Antifascist and Intersectional Practice” was published the special issue on Global Cultures of Antifascism, 1921–2020 in Fascism: Journal of Comparative Fascist Studies.

      Congratulations to Dr. Justin Randolph on the publication of his article, "The Making of Appalachian Mississippi." Southern Cultures 26, no. 4 (2020): 90-109. If it seems strange that the U.S. Congressional Record came to include a map of non-existent mountains in Mississippi, you can read all about how and why it happened.

      Congratulations to Dr. Allison Robinson and our MA alum, Dr. Brandon Jett, on the publication of a timely piece in the Washington Post blog, “Made By History,” on the resonances between the violence at the Capitol on January 6 and Jim Crow Era lynching.

      Dr. Louie Valencia-Garcia's article, “This is American Fascism” was published today in OpenDemocracy.

      He also has had two recent peer-reviewed publications:

      Congratulations to Dr. Joaquin Rivaya-Martinez on the publication of his essay, "Los establecimientos de bárbaros en el norte de Nueva España. Una revisión historiográfica," in El gran norte novohispano-mexicano. Ensayos historiográficos, edited by José Refugio de la Torre Curiel, 57-101. Zapopan: El Colegio de Jalisco, 2020.

      Congratulations to Dr. Ellen Tillman on being named to the Board of Trustees for the Society of Military History, via general election of the membership. This honor comes in recognition of her contributions to the discipline as a scholar and as Regional Coordinator for the Society, one of the foremost international military history organizations.

    • Congratulations to Dr. José Carlos de la Puente on the publication of Idolatry's Workshop: The Manuscripts of Pablo José de Arriaga, SJ [El taller de la idolatría: los manuscritos de Pablo José de Arriaga, SJ], a critical edition of Pablo José de Arriaga’s manuscripts, for which Dr. de la Puente served as co-editor.

      Dr. Elizabeth Bishop's article, "Hashemite Royal Mausoleum in Baghdad: Multi-faceted, Cosmopolitan, and Diverse Set of Influences" is accepted for publication with Islamic Inquiries journal, , vol. 1, no. 1.  The journal Islamic Inquiries is published by the University of Religions and Denominiations (URD) in Qom, Iran. During 2015, the Provost's Office and a URD bursary made my participation in the URD's second Shi'a studies short course possible.

      Congratulations to Dr. Joshua Paddison was selected as a fellow in the 2022-2023 Symposium on Religion in the North American West, sponsored by Southern Methodist University's Clements Center and the Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art in Indianapolis.

      Congratulations to Dr. Elizabeth Bishop who has numerous announcements to share.

      • Dr. Bishop was awarded a short-term Fellowship at NYU's Jordan Center during 2020; she took up her residency during December 2021.

      The Eisenhower Foundation awarded Dr. Bishop a grant to help defray travel expenses to conduct research at the Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library.

      At the annual meeting of the Association for Slavic, East European, & Eurasian Studies, Dr. Bishop chaired and served as commentator for the panel, "Cultural Diplomacy: Soviet Internationalism after World War II in Europe and the Developing World."

      During the Middle East Studies Association's 2021 annual meeting, colleagues presented Dr. Bishop's paper "Architecture of (Re)Moving Parts: Construction Workers in Constantine, Algeria (1955-1960)" on the panel "Colonial Cancers, Incarcerations, and Workplace Accidents: Embodied Histories of Labor in the 20th-Century Middle East and North Africa."

      Congratulations to undergraduate student, Madeline Deskin (advisor, Dr. Jessica Plilely), for winning an Undergraduate Research Fellowship, funded by the College of Liberal Arts. The award supports her research project titled "White Girlhood and the Social Evil: Moral Tragedy in Early-Twentieth-Century Chicago Dance Halls."

      Congratulations to Dr. Miranda Sachs who has won a 2022 Research Enhancement Program grant for her project, “Love and Identity in Contemporary France.”

      Congratulations to Dr. Justin Randolph who recently facilitated an oral history workshop with the Approaches to Recent and Contemporary History working group at Yale University.

      Congratulations to Dr. José Carlos de la Puente who has joined the Editorial Advisory Board of the "Atlantic Crossings" book series published by the University of Alabama Press.

      Congratulations to Dr. Justin Randolph who recently published an entry on the Mississippi Highway Safety Patrol in the Mississippi Encyclopedia, a publication of the Center for the Study of Southern Culture at the University of Mississippi.

      Congratulations to History Staff member, Adam Clark, upon the successful completion of his written and oral PhD exams!  Adam is working on a PhD in hazards geography and cartography in the Department of Geography and Environmental Studies.

      Congratulations to Dr. Justin Randolph!

      On November 5, 2021, Dr. Randolph presented a paper at the annual meeting of the Southern Historical Association. The panel was titled "Detours: Police Terror and Resistance on Jim Crow-Era Roadways" and featured research from Texas, Alabama, and Mississippi.

      On November 11, 2021, Dr. Randolph spoke at Brown University's Center for the Study of Slavery and Justice. His talk, "Moonlight and Militias: The Roots of Jim Crow Police Power in Rural America," considers how early efforts at paramilitary police reform emerged alongside the Jim Crow racial order of segregation, voter suppression, and lynching.

      Dr. Elizabeth Bishop is scheduled to present on the history of Hashemite Iraq at the Inter-Asian Cold War Linkages workshop to be convened at Harvard University, Center for Middle Eastern Studies, November 12-13, 2021 by Rosie Bsheer (Assistant Professor of History, Harvard University) and Mohammed Al-Sudairi (Hong Kong Institute for Humanities and Social Sciences, King Faisal Center for Research and Islamic Studies).

      Congratulations to Dr. Casey Nichols who presented a paper on a panel titled, "Forging Community and Fighting for Justice in the Multiracial West," for the Pacific Coast Branch-American Historical Association on October 21, 2021. The panel featured scholars who examine interconnections between communities of color and their fight for social justice in the U.S. West.

      Congratulations to Dr. Elizabeth Bishop who has been elected to serve on the board of the American Institute of Maghrib Studies (AIMS) where she co-organize and co-chaired the Annual conference of the American Institute of Maghrib Studies (AIMS) in Djerba, Tunisia with Brock Cutler and Jacob Mundy in 2017.       

      Additionally, Dr. Bishop recently contributed an article, "Decolonize University-Based Journals" to The Digital Orientalist.  The Digital Orientalist is a member of the European Association for the Digital Humanities. With its focus on students' and scholars' everyday workflow, the Digital Orientalist is a weblog-styled website which provides theoretical reflections and practical examples about engaging with Islamic and Middle East Studies.

      Congratulations to Public History grad student, Amber Leigh Hullum who  am has advanced to the final round of Texas State's 3 Minute Thesis competition! Amber's speech, "Given Peanuts and Told to Make a Circus" will be presented along with 11 other graduate students for the chance to win cash prizes. It should be noted that only 2 of the 12 finalists are non-STEM majors, making this an amazing accomplishment for College of Liberal Arts programs.  There will also be a people's choice award for the speeches, and anyone that arrives in person may vote.

      “Oral Histories of COVID-19: Spirituality, Anger, and Grief," a presentation by Dr. Natasha Mikles, from Texas State's Religious Studies, for the History Club. Meeting will be on Zoom on Wednesday, 11/10/2021, at 7 pm. Email Dr. Joshua Paddison for the Zoom link.

      Historian Charles Hughes's new book Why Bushwick Bill Matters chronicles the cultural significance of Bushwick Bill of the pioneering Houston hip-hop group the Geto Boys. Hughes contends that Bushwick Bill remixed spectacle as he exposed ableist and racist assumptions to become a singular voice in the relentless battle over free speech in the United States. The Memphis-based historian will be in virtual conversation with Associate Professor of Social Work Raphael Travis, author of The Healing Power of Hip-Hop.

      An environmental consulting group in Austin (Cox | McLain) is hiring two experienced oral history consultants to support various historical archeological projects in Central Texas. The positions both involve outreach with Black community members, conducting oral history interviews, and oral history transcription. If interested, email Dr. Ruby Oram for more information.

      The Museum of Texas Handmade Furniture in New Braunfels, TX is hiring an Assistant to the Director to work part-time (12-20 hours including weekend museum hours; $12/hr). The Director is an alumni of our public history program and is interested in hiring a Texas State graduate student. To apply, send your CV to director@nbheritagesociety.org. Dr. Ruby Oram is happy to look over CVs for students interested in applying.

      “To Prevent Girls From Going Astray": Why Women Created Vocational Guidance Programs in Progressive-Era Cities

      Thursday, November 11, 2021 | 5:00 - 6:00 pm
      Online via Zoom

      This talk explores how the efforts of social reformers like Jane Addams to create vocational guidance programs in public schools were shaped by anxieties about sex work and female delinquency in progressive era cities.

      Email Dr. Jessica Pliley for event information.

      "A Watch 'Round the House": Legal Conflict and Patriarchal Authority in Eighteenth-Century Boston

      Thursday, October 21, 2021 | 5:00 - 6:00 pm
      Online via Zoom

      In 1739, a bitter conflict erupted between a merchant and a family of artisans at a tannery located in the heart of Boston, Massachusetts. Examining this event and its many participants underscores the law's expansive reach beyond the courtroom, and allows us to see how patriarchal household structures and labor systems operated during an acrimonious legal dispute.

      Email Dr. Jessica Pliley for Zoom link.

      Nationhood Today in the U.S. and India: Learning with Gandhi

      Dr. Rajmohan Gandhi will present a lecture titled "“Nationhood Today in the U.S. and India: Learning with Gandhi." Those attending will be welcome to ask questions or make comments at the end of the lecture. All Texas State students, staff, and faculty are invited to the free event.

      Visit the Nationhood Today event page for more information.

      Congratulations to Dr. Justin Randolph who sat on a panel hosted by Queen's University Belfast and its Center for the Americas' Race and Policing Series: "The Case of the U.S. South"

      Dr. José Carlos de la Puente's work was featured in the most recent episode of UT's Institute of Historical Studies' new podcast series.

      On Friday, October 8, 2021, Dr. Elizabeth Bishop served as moderator for concluding panel on Archival Research, "From Ancient To Modern: The Current State Of Research On Iraq" research conference of The Academic Research Institute in Iraq (TARII).  Dr. Bishop has represented Texas State as an institutional member on TARII's Board of Directors since 2014.

      On Thursday October 14, 2021 at 5:00 pm ET (4 pm CT), Dr. Sara Damiano will share research from her recently-published book in a virtual lecture, "Women and Finance in Colonial Newport." The event is sponsored by the Newport Historical Society and is open to the public. Advance registration is required.

      Congratulations to Dr. Jimmy McWilliams whose first book, A Revolution in Eating is being translated into Russian by the Academic Studies Press.  He has also published an essay, "Both Everywhere and Somewhere: FireBones and the Smartphone Epic," in the Fall 21 issue of the Virginia Quarterly Review.

      Dr. Justin Randolph will participate in a panel hosted by Queen's University Belfast and its Center for the Americas' Race and Policing Series: "The Case of the U.S. South" on October 7, 2021, 10am CST. Pre-registration required through Eventbrite.

      Recently elected to the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame for her work as a member of the iconic The Go-Go's, Kathy Valentine joins The Center for Texas Music History to talk about her acclaimed All I Ever Wanted: A Rock 'n' Roll Memoir in conversation with celebrated novelist Sarah Bird. Songwriter for such Go-Go's hits as "Vacation" and "Head Over Heels," Valentine's debut book is a roller coaster of music, fame, family, and the creative process.

      Visit the Center for Texas Music History for registration details.

      It is with heavy hearts that we must announce the passing of beloved faculty member, Dr. Elizabeth Makowski, on September 7, 2021.  Liz was an outstanding and active advisor, educator, and scholar and was loved by students and colleagues alike.  Please take a moment read a statement from colleague Dr. Ken Margerison celebrating the life and work of Liz Makowski.

      Congratulations to Dr. Frank de la Teja on his recent publications:

      “The Spanish Borderlands: An Overview,” in Bridging Cultures: Reflections on the Cultural Heritage of the Borderlands, ed. William Dupont and Harriett Romo. College Station: Texas A&M University Press, 2021.
       
      “Los mexicotejanos frente la Comisión de Reclamaciones del estado de Texas, 1856-1858,” Sillares. Revista de Estudios Históricos 1, 1 (July-December 2021).

      Congratulations to Dr. Louis Porter on not one, but two recent publications. He published the article "'Our International Journal': UN Publications and Soviet Internationalism After Stalin," in The Russian Review; and he published a personal essay, “The Contingent Problem: A Counter-Narrative on Race and Class in the Field of Slavic Studies,” in The Slavic Review.

      Congratulations to Dr. Elizabeth Bishop who will be presenting a research report "Nostalgia and Anxiety: Soviet Circus in Arab Egypt."  At an online conference, "Nostalgia and Anxiety in the Visual and Performing Arts: Russia, Eastern, and Central Europe," organized by Tetyana Dzyadevych scheduled for September 11, 2021.

      Congratulations to Dr. John Mckiernan-González who commented on a piece from Radio Bilingue regarding new Texas laws targeting studies of racism.  Dr. Mckiernan-González states in the piece that "Today, a new law restricts the teaching and the study in public schools of the history of racism and its pervasive impact. Ten other states have similar laws. A scholar says this law is designed to deputize students and parents as “academic police” and to have a “chilling effect” among teachers.' 

      Congratulations to Dr. Justin Randolph who recently presented two chapters from his forthcoming book, "Mississippi Law: The Long Crisis of Policing and Reform in America's Black Countryside," in the Southern Labor Studies Association (SLSA) Works-in-Progress Workshop.

      Dr. Randolph also published an op-ed with the Mississippi Center for Investigative Reporting (MCIR) "Beware Crime Panic Politics."

      Reading Women’s Romantic Friendships:
      Mathilde Franziska Anneke and Mary Booth, 1859–1865

      Thursday, September 16, 2021 | 5:00 pm | Online via Zoom

      Join Alison Clark Efford of Marquette University as she argues for a queer interpretation of romantic friendship that resists the categories of lesbian or straight, sexual or platonic. Ultimately, it suggests that this form of relationship holds lessons for our own times.

      Contact Dr. Jessica Pliley for more information.

      Lone Star Abortion Rights:
      A History of the Texas Fight for Reproductive Justice

      Thursday, September 16, 2021 | 5:30 pm | Online via Zoom (Registration Closed)

      Join Texas State History alumna, Rachel Brown, as shares her research into the origins of the landmark Supreme Court case Roe v. Wade, that granted women the right to an abortion.

      Contact Dr. Jessica Pliley for more information. 

      Congratulations to Dr. Jesús F. de la Teja, on the publication of a new book “The Spanish Borderlands: An Overview,” in Bridging Cultures: Reflections on the Cultural Heritage of the Borderlands, ed. William Dupont and Harriett Romo. College Station: Texas A&M University Press, 2021.

      Dr. Sarah Coleman will be a featured author at the Texas Book Festival this fall, and she will discuss her new book The Walls Within: The Politics of Immigration in Modern America. The Texas Book Festival is Oct 23-31 in Austin and online.

      Dr. Jessica Pliley will be taking part in a program titled "Reading Women's Romantic Friendships: Mathilde Franziska Anneke and Mary Booth, 1859–1865" on Thursday, September 23, 2021 from 5-6:00 pm. 

      German American feminist Mathilde Franziska Anneke and Yankee abolitionist Mary Booth enjoyed an intense, cohabiting relationship from 1859 to 1865. What’s more, they wrote about it. Although Anneke and Booth’s romantic friendship was unique, it offers a window into a type of bond that found social sanction in the nineteenth century. Their correspondence covers how they supported and inspired each other while Booth’s husband faced trial for rape, they moved with three of their children from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to Zurich, Switzerland, they published abolitionist fiction, and they saw Booth’s health decline precipitously. This presentation argues for a queer interpretation of romantic friendship that resists the categories of lesbian or straight, sexual or platonic. Ultimately, it suggests that this form of relationship holds lessons for our own times.

      Contact Dr. Pliley for more information or to attend the event. 

      Congratulations to Dr. Elizabeth Bishop who recently presented “Inequality Under Socialism”: Lenin and Arab Nationalism" at Inequality Under Socialism (All-Russian Scientific Conference, under the Scientific Council of the Russian Academy of Sciences for Economic History of the Magnitogorsk State Technical University named after G.I. Nosov Chelyabinsk State University), in Magnitogorsk, September 6 - 8, 2021.

      Dr. Elizabeth Bishop is scheduled to present on the history of Hashemite Iraq at the Inter-Asian Cold War Linkages workshop to be convened at Harvard University, Center for Middle Eastern Studies, 12–13 November 2021 by Rosie Bsheer (Assistant Professor of History, Harvard University) and Mohammed Al-Sudairi (Hong Kong Institute for Humanities and Social Sciences, King Faisal Center for Research and Islamic Studies)

      Congratulations to Dr. Elizabeth Bishop and Model Arab League!  Model Arab League (MAL) president Macy Birdwell and Secretary Manual Zapata recently inaugurated an exhibit on the 3rd flood of Alkek Library honoring 10 years of MAL and the North African country Tunisia.

      Dr. Caroline Ritter and Dr. Leah Renold were two of the invited speakers at the 2021 American Mensa World Gathering that took place in Houston on August 24-29. Dr. Ritter gave a talk titled "London Calling: The BBC World Service and the British Empire," and Dr. Renold gave a talk titled "Life and Death on the Ganges River."

      On September 1, 2021, Dr. Elizabeth Bishop is scheduled to give a "lightning talk" on the garden surrounding the Royal Mausoleum in Baghdad, about the continuing political significance of plantings in this garden, in the context of the nation's Shi'i majority/Sunni minority demographic, as part of Cambridge University's new professional development network "Empire & Environment, in the museum."

      Congratulations to Dr. Casey Nichols on her recent publication, "The Magna Carta to Liberate Our Cities": African Americans, Mexican Americans, and the Model Cities Program in Los Angeles in the Pacific Historical Review.

      Congratulations to Dr. Sara Damiano on her numerous accomplishments over the summer break:

      • She presented a paper entitled "Conflict on Water Street: Law and Social Hierarchy Out-of-Doors in Eighteenth-Century Boston" as part of a panel on "Staking Claims in Contested Spaces: Households and Gender in Colonial and Revolutionary America" for the annual conference of the Omohundro Institute in June 2021.
      • She published an annotated bibliography on "Women and the Law" for Oxford Bibliographies in Atlantic History. The series offers a state-of-the-field resource for both scholars and students.
      • She was appointed to the editorial board of Commonplace: The Journal of Early American Life, an online journal featuring short pieces on early American history for both scholarly and public audiences.
      • She was a guest on episode 218 of the Historically Thinking podcast, where she spoke about her recently-published book, To Her Credit: Women, Finance, and the Law in Eighteenth-Century New England Cities.
      • She was an invited panelist for a public online event hosted by the Maine Historical Society, "MHS Historian’s Forum: Investing in Empire: The Pejepscot Proprietors and their World." Presented in association with the MHS's NEH-funded digitization project, the forum discussed one of the largest land speculation companies in early New England.
      • She gave an online public lecture on "Women During the American Revolution" for the Dallas Public Library in celebration of July Fourth.

      Congratulations to public history graduate students Railey Tassin and Amber Hullum were interviewed on CBS local news about their research on the Manhattan Club, Austin's first gay-friendly public space. Tassin and Hullum prepared their historical marker application for the building in my local history seminar.