Armando Bolaños, a history major at the CSUSB Palm Desert Campus, won an all-expense paid scholarship to travel to Washington, D.C., to attend the World Affairs Councils of America (WACA) National Conference this fall.
The panels at this year’s conference, which took place Nov. 17-19, covered U.S.-China Relations, Creating a Humane and Effective Immigration System, Climate Change and Women’s Rights in Afghanistan, among others.
Bolaños’ advisor and professor, Michael Karp, also attended the conference with the financial support of the Porter History-Social Science Resource Center at the Palm Desert Campus.
The Cal State San Bernardino student-run journal, History in the Making: A Journal of History, continued to earn national recognition, and was awarded third prize in the 2021 Gerald D. Nash History Graduate Journal competition, given by the Phi Alpha Theta National History Honor Society.
“We appreciate the time and effort you and your students devote to producing such an outstanding historical journal,” wrote the honor society’s Jessica Magro in an email announcing the prize. “The continued high quality of your publication clearly exemplifies the dedication of your journal staff to the study of history.”
History in the Making earned the award in the honor society’s graduate print journal competition,
The award is for the 14th volume of the journal, which was published in the spring of 2021. The student-reviewed and edited journal is an annual publication of the university’s Alpha Delta Nu Chapter of the Phi Alpha Theta National History Honor Society, and is sponsored by the CSUSB Department of History.
On January 12th, Prof. Timothy Pytell, from the Department of History published an article on the anniversary of January 6th in Psychology Today, entitled, "History and January 6th One Year Later: A Personal Perspective: Are we losing our democracy?" View full article.
Meredith Brand is the fourth Egyptologist to visit and teach at CSUSB since the start of the visiting scholar program in 2018. In addition to teaching in the departments of History and Anthropology, she will present a keynote talk, "Making Millions of Pots: How the Cult in Ancient Egypt Met its Demand for Pottery" at RAFFMA on April 5. See this news article for further information.
“Continent in Dust: Experiments in a Chinese Weather System,” on April 18, and “Mate Choice and Marriage in the Chinese Communist Border Areas: Three Perspectives from 1941-42,” on April 21, are part of CSUSB’s Asian Pacific Islander Desi American Heritage Month. Both programs are free and open to the public. For further information, read the following news article.
Faculty Appreciation ceremony on April 14th. Congratulations Dr. Robinson!
Dr. Marc Robinson, Assistant Professor of the Department of History at CSUSB was not only selected as one of the 2022 class of Mellon Emerging Faculty Leader (Official announcement: https://citizensandscholars.org/22-mefl/) but also won the College's 2021/22 Outstanding Junior Faculty Award yesterday. In response to the news of the Mellon Emerging Faculty Leader award, he stated: "It’s an honor to be selected, and I am especially pleased to bring this recognition to CSUSB. I believe my selection is a reflection of all the great work, and great people, at CSUSB!"
Later that day, he also found out that he won the Social and Behavioral Science college's prestigious Junior Faculty Award. Dr. Robinson has made impressive and important contributions to the Department of History and the university as a junior faculty member. His research, teaching, and service all exhibit his stellar record of success and we congratulate him wholeheartedly on his success!
Congratulations to Dr. Jeremy Murray for winning the university's prestigious 2021/22 Outstanding Faculty Advisor Award. He is one of those incredibly positive, supportive, enthusiastic, and dedicated faculty advisors who has not simply stewarded one or two students to success, but has been inspirational to many of the students who have passed through our doors. His mentorship both within and outside the classroom is tremendous.
Brittany Mondragon, a second year MA in History student, whose focus is on environmental history, scientific history, colonialism and trade, took first place in the Humanities, Arts & Letters category at the 36th annual California State University Student Research Competition.
For further information, see the CSUSB News article.
On May 16, 2022, the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences celebrated our 2022 Honors and Award Winners. Congratulations to all our graduating students and to the following history students who won awards and scholarships this year:
Departmental Honors
Michelle Curtis
Erika Kelley
Xavier Resendez
Department ‘s Highest GPA
Pre-Credential Concentration/Track A: Jacqueline A. Monteon
General Concentration/Track B: Brady J. Austin
Public History/Track C: Erika Kelley
J.C. Robinson Memorial Scholarship
Monserrat Chavez
Ashley Mendoza
Schofield-McAfee Award
Maximillio Stephenson
Margaret McGann Tarter Endowed Scholarship Fund
Alexander Espinoza
Professor Robert Blackey Endowed Student Fund Award
Matthew Patino
Brian DeNovi
Michael Persell Memorial Scholarship In European History
Madison Romero
Ashley Mendoza
What is a History Major? Podcast
In episode 27 of the CSUSB Advising Podcast, Matt Markin chats with History Department Chair, Dr. Tiffany Jones. What is the History Major? What career opportunities are there? What resources does History have? Find out in this episode!
History professor awarded national grant for archaeological conservation work in Egypt
Kate Liszka was awarded a $50,000 grant from the Antiquities Endowment Fund of the American Research Center in Egypt for conservation, restoration and 3D recording of more than a dozen ancient rock inscriptions that could provide new insights into the history of ancient Egypt. For the full article, read here.
Congratulations to Dr. Jeremy Murray!
Dr. Jeremy Murray was recently awarded the Wilson China Fellowship and will join the 2022-23 cohort of elite scholars whose work focuses on issues related to China. The prestigious fellowship will allow Dr. Murray to complete his current research project, Coming to the South China Sea with a New National Mythology: Hainan Island in China's History, Pop Culture, and Current Geopolitics.
The Woodrow Wilson International Center For Scholars Asia Program, in conjunction with the Kissinger Institute on China and the United States, operates the Wilson China Fellowship in support of policy oriented academics with specialization in political, social, economic, security, or historical issues related to China.
In May and June this year, seven Cal State San Bernardino students, university President Tomás D. Morales and faculty director Dr. Tiffany F. Jones visited numerous historical and community sites in Cape Town and Johannesburg, South Africa.
The three-week study abroad program focuses on understanding contemporary South Africa through visiting important sites such as the District Six Museum, Robben Island, Llandwle Migrant Labour Museum, the Slave Lodge and Soweto, to name a few.
Students also welcomed guest lectures from individuals such as Antoinette Sithole, whose brother, Hector Pieterson, was killed during the 1976 Soweto Uprising; Amanda Esterhysen from the University of Witwatersrand’s Origins Museum; Manfred Jacobs who worked at the former Victor Verster Prison where the late Nelson Mandela spent his last year; and Christo Brand, Mandela’s former prison guard on Robben Island. Many of the guest speakers spoke of the importance of South Africa’s past, reconciliation and paying it forward.
The highlight of the trip for many of the students once again was the visit to the Othandweni Family Care Centre in Soweto. With funds donated by community members, President Morales, university staff, faculty and students, CSUSB donated $2,000 worth of diapers, formula, toiletries, school supplies, rice and maize meal. The last time CSUSB visited the center was before the COVID-19 pandemic, in July 2019. At the time, the group, led by Kelly Campbell, donated approximately $2,000 in diapers and space heaters.
This year, because the pandemic has impacted the country significantly, and the local economy was deeply affected, in addition to diapers and wipes, the center was also in desperate need of food items and school supplies for some of the older children.
“We focus on providing the center with items they specifically request in order to ensure that they get exactly what they need,” said Jones. “The children in the center often are orphans or come from abusive homes, and what little we can do to help the center provide for them is always an important part of the study abroad experience.”
Unfortunately, there are many orphans in South Africa due to HIV/AIDs, TB and Malaria. COVID-19 exacerbated the orphan crisis, with South Africa UNICEF calling on the whole of South Africa in 2022 to care for the additional 150,000 children who were orphaned due to COVID-19. Othandweni, which means “Place of Love,” is a center sponsored by Joburg Child Welfare that provides care for 30 babies and toddlers in its nursery, and offers a home to approximately 60 school-aged children and teenagers up to the age of 18.
Part of the visit always includes students visiting the nursery, but this year, the program tried to engage more with the older children. Jones’ daughter, Rowan Jones-Heal, a Great Y Circus member, brought her balloon pump with her and made balloon animals for the pre-teens, while some of CSUSB students freestyle rapped with the teenagers.
As Dahrien Trotter, one of the CSUSB students who participated in the trip noted, “Our trip to the orphanage is something I will never forget. Being able to help donate things that were needed warmed my heart more than I expected it to. I had never seen so many infants in one room. And to see the scars on some of their faces from their past was heartbreaking.
“However, it was also refreshing to see all of the older kids. It was so cool meeting Johnny because he freestyled for us and had a great voice. I know that freestyling is popular in America, but I did not expect it to also be across the world. The experience definitely showed me how fun and healing giving donations can feel.”
During the trip, students also conducted their own research projects, participated in a community-based safari, and learned about the multi-cultural nature of South Africa, dispelling the myths of a monolithic Africa.
“The study abroad experience to South Africa is a life-changing experience for many and offers students an incredible experience that far surpasses one they can do on their own,” Jones said. “I love reading the students’ journals at the end of the trip where they reflect on the significance of it in their own lives.”
One student, Shaquala Harris, noted in her journal, “My experience abroad opened up my world to the struggles of others in different cultures. It makes me think of how I can make a difference in the lives of my people not only in America but also in Africa. It encourages me more to take my life into my own hands and live a life worth living; to live a life of service and create things that can change lives all over the world. It also made me realize that I want to explore more of Africa, to build a community of my own there and have a real connection to my homeland.”
Next summer, Jones hopes to run a new African study abroad program, but this time to Tanzania and Zanzibar.
For more information about study abroad programs, visit the CSUSB Education Abroad webpage.
“The Provost Presents Washington State Rising: An Academic Book Talk with Dr. Marc Robinson,” will take place from 10:30 a.m.-noon on Oct. 17 in the John M. Pfau Library, room PL-4005.
Join us for one or all of these upcoming information sessions for History majors, presented in collaboration with the History Club and Phi Alpha Theta honors society!
These information sessions will connect History students with alumni, faculty, administrators, and other professionals in the region. We will allow Zoom attendance and we will record the sessions and share the recordings. If you have any questions in advance that you would like covered in any of these sessions, please feel free to email them to me (jmurray@csusb.edu) and I'll share them with our guests.
Future History Teachers Information Session
Wednesday October 18, 4:00pm in SB-357, History Lab, and on Zoom (https://csusb.zoom.us/j/388207496)
Are you interested in teaching history or other social sciences at the 7- to 12-grade level? Don't wait until the last minute to learn how to best prepare for this work and join us to hear from CSUSB alumni now working as teachers in the region, administrators, faculty in the credentials program, and more! This document (link) includes an accumulation of resources and recordings of similar past events, including your application to the single-subject credentials program, working as a substitute, teaching at the 7-12 level and teaching at regional community colleges, and much more.
Graduate School Information Session (History)
Wednesday October 25, 4:00pm in SB-357, History Lab, and on Zoom (https://csusb.zoom.us/j/388207496)
Are you interested in possibly attending graduate school in History or a related subject (Sociology, Political Science, Literature, Geography, Anthropology, Ethnic Studies...)? Join us for an information session that will help you learn more about grad study, the application process, and prepare you to make the best decision. This video recording (link) is from a similar session 2 years ago, and this conversation with the advising center (link) gives an introduction to our History MA program, and here is the History MA homepage (link). We will also hear from CSUSB alumni who are now in PhD programs around the region and the country.
Careers for History Majors After Graduation
Wednesday November 1, 4:00pm in SB-357, History Lab, and on Zoom (https://csusb.zoom.us/j/388207496)
Join us for a wide-ranging conversation about careers for History majors. We will be joined by faculty and guests working in a number of fields, ready to share their insights and advice about how to best prepare for different jobs and careers for History majors. You might be interested in these previous sessions on work in State Parks (link), Archives (link), Museums (link), and again find the future teachers materials here (link). We'll discuss these and more, so join us and bring your questions!
You're invited to join us on Wednesday, November 15, noon to 1 p.m. for a book presentation and signing by Dr. Daisy Ocampo Diaz, Assistant Professor of History at CSUSB and author of Where We Belong: Chemehuevi and Caxcan Preservation of Sacred Mountains (University of Arizona Press, 2023).
20 copies of Where We Belong will be given away.
In this program, Professor Ocampo Diaz (Caxcan), whose research focuses on Native and public history as they intersect with Indigenous peoples, voices, and community narratives, showcases her work on historic preservation and Native American History in order to establish Indigenous preservation practices as sustaining approaches to the caretaking of the land that embody ecological sustainability, spiritual landscapes, and community well-being, bringing together the history and experiences of the Chemehuevi people and their ties with Mamapukaib, or the Old Woman Mountains in the East Mojave Desert, and the Caxcan people and their relationship with Tlachialoyantepec, or Cerro de las Ventanas, in Zacatecas, Mexico.
Through a trans-Indigenous approach, she weaves historical methodologies (oral histories, archival research, ethnography) with Native studies and historic preservation to reveal why Native communities are the most knowledgeable and transformational caretakers of their sacred places. This comparative work dispels the harmful myth that Native people are unfit stewards of their sacred places. Her work transcends national borders to reveal how settler structures are sustained through time and space in the Americas. Challenging these structures, traditions such as the Chemehuevi Salt Songs and Caxcan Xuchitl Dance provide both an old and a fresh look at how Indigenous people are reimagining worlds that promote Indigenous-to-Indigenous futures through preservation.
To attend virtually, please register here: https://tinyurl.com/CSUSBNIHM2023
The program, free and open to the public, will take place in the Faculty Center for Excellence (PL-4005). Everyone is welcome to attend.
Co-sponsored by CSUSB Libraries, SMSU Cross Cultural Center, the Faculty Center for Excellence, and the History Department.
For questions or more information, contact Robie Madrigal, Pfau Library, at rmadriga@csusb.edu or (909) 537-5104.
The History Club invites you to join us on our end of semester trip to the Planes of Fame Air Museum, Wednesday Dec. 20. Meet at the museum 10am. First 3 students to sign up will have admission covered! Scan QR code in below image for more info.
Planes of Fame Air Museum
14998 Cal Aero Dr.
Chino, CA 91710
As noted in this recent news item from the WSU Insider, CSUSB History Professor Marc Robinson will deliver the keynote address at his alma mater, WSU, this Thursday January 18 for a Martin Luther King Jr. day celebration. Here is the full news item linked, and it is quoted here below (link).
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"Researcher, author, teacher, and Washington State University alum Marc Robinson will give the keynote speech at this year’s Martin Luther King Jr. celebration from 6-8 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 18 in the CUB Sr. Ballroom and on YouTube (link).
"Robinson is an assistant professor of history at California State University, San Bernardino, where he teaches courses on African American and U.S. history. He is also a visiting fellow in equity, justice, and inclusion at the University of Oregon’s Clark Honors College. His research focuses on the Civil Rights and Black Power movements in the Pacific Northwest. Robinson received his doctoral degree from WSU in American Studies in 2012.
"Robinson’s forthcoming book, Washington State Rising: Black Power on Campus in the Pacific Northwest (link) places the Pacific Northwest within debates about the Civil Rights Movement. He uncovers the activism and contributions of the Black Student Union in Washington state to the movement, including a Seattle-wide youth outreach program, a sit-in and occupation of the University of Washington president’s office, confrontations with law enforcement in rural Washington, and successful initiatives for Black Studies in higher education.
"During the keynote speech, Robinson will discuss his research and book, helping participants discover and understand the enormous role Black student unions throughout Washington state had in advancing the causes of equity and inclusion in the United States.
"In addition to Robinson’s speech, there will be poetry, dance, and singing performances, and the Martin Luther King Jr. spirit awards winners will be announced. The Martin Luther King Jr. program will host additional events throughout the week. For more information, view the full Schedule of Events (link)."
Michael Chavez, a Native member of the Tongva of the Los Angeles Basin, who holds BA and MA History degrees from CSUSB, is currently working for the UCLA Fowler Museum on the repatriation of Native American remains and artifacts.
Chinese Claims in the South China Sea: A Hundred-Year Struggle from Bird Poop (Guano) to Battlestations
Wednesday Feb. 7, 2:30pm Hybrid Lecture
Please join us in person or on Zoom for a conversation with Dr. Daria Ho of the University of Waterloo (Ontario, Canada). Find Dr. Ho's faculty profile here to learn more about her work (link).
Join us on Zoom or In Person, CSUSB, SB-210 and https://csusb.zoom.us/j/388207496
This talk explores the rise of China’s territorial claims in the South China Sea and how they emerged in episodes of perceived threats to Chinese sovereignty and nationalism. It starts with the early 20th-century competition with Japan for islands of guano (birdshit), considers the problem of competitive maps, and proceeds to today's controversial Chinese construction of militarized artificial islands and airstrips, namely the Chinese "great wall of sand" in the South China Sea's reefs and atolls.
Find more information about the CSUSB Modern China Lecture Series here (link), and find recordings of some of the events here (link).
Please join us in person or on Zoom for a conversation with Dr. Shelley Rigger, Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of Faculty, Brown Professor of Asian Politics, at Davidson College (link).
Join us on Zoom or In Person, CSUSB, SB-210 and https://csusb.zoom.us/j/388207496
Find more information about the CSUSB Modern China Lecture Series here (link), and find recordings of some of the events here (link).
Click this Google Doc link about a new series of 10 spring Monday evening events starting this Monday, February 26, free and open to all and focused on different careers for history majors. This Monday, Feb 26, we will also be joined by Lauren Williams, Counselor at the CSUSB Career Center.
- Spring 2024 Careers for History Majors Series
- 10 Hybrid Monday Evening Events, open to all
- Mondays at 5:30pm, on Zoom and in SB-210
- Zoom Link: https://csusb.zoom.us/j/388207496 (Same Zoom for all events)
Join us for a series of guest panels and presentations with a diverse group of professionals and advanced students in the field of History. Learn about some of the many opportunities available to history majors beyond graduation. All events are free and open to the public. The American Historical Association “Careers for Students of History” page linked here may also be a helpful resource (link).
Contact for questions: jmurray@csusb.edu
Pre-credential History Information Session
In-Person and on Zoom
TUESDAY, MARCH 12, 2024
12-12:50PM
IN-PERSON AT MAIN CAMPUS: SB-127 AT PDC: IW-303
OR JOIN WITH THIS ZOOM LINK: https://csusb.zoom.us/j/87397621315
FOCUS:
- What is the History Social Science Subject Matter Competency Equivalency Program (CSET Waiver)?
- Course and GPA pre-requisites to qualify
- How to prepare for a credential program
- Other questions answered!
CONTACT: PROF. MICHELLE LORIMER (MAIN CAMPUS) MLORIMER@CSUSB.EDU OR & PROF. MICHAEL KARP (PDC) MICHAEL.KARP@CSUSB.EDU
A recent article by a member of the CSUSB History Department faculty has made a significant contribution to our understanding of the interactions between ancient Nubians and Egyptians.
History Department Professor, and Benson and Pamela Harer Fellow in Egyptology, Dr. Kate Liszka, has published “A Desert Middle Nubian Amethyst Mining Camp at Wadi el-Hudi,” in the journal Sudan & Nubia (27: 24-47), along with Dr. Meredith Brand, archaeologist and instructor at the American University in Cairo.
Liszka notes that the work's significance is in how it "demonstrates that small groups of multicultural, desert Nubians were doing low-level amethyst mining in the Eastern Desert under the noses of, and separate from the giant Egyptian government-supported expeditions." This work builds on Dr. Liszka's extensive work and leadership on the Wadi el-Hudi Expedition in the Eastern Desert, and her interest in the ethnic dynamics between ancient Egyptians and Nubians. The article is focused on Site 21, and more information about the expedition and the findings is here.
Learn more about Dr. Liszka here, and check out our remarkable collection of ancient Egyptian artifacts at the Robert and Frances Fullerton Museum of Art, here on CSUSB campus!