Student
Successes | Alumni
Accomplishments | Faculty &
Staff News
Welcome to the 2014-15
Academic Year!
It is with great pleasure
that I am writing to welcome you to YOUR
department! If you have just arrived in Thunder Bay, you are coming to a
vibrant department whose mission is to teach students about the past
and ways of learning about the past.
Our instructors not only impart
historical knowledge, but, of
equal importance, strive to acquaint students with the various
approaches to the study of history which exist within the discipline
and provide them with the research skills which will enable them to
analyze any issue within its historical context. We do so with the
understanding that the lives of students will be enriched, and their
contributions to their communities enhanced, by an appreciation of the
diversity of human experience and the complex relationships and
continuities between past and present.
Your classes will be taught by a department whose faculty have been
nominated and won numerous teaching awards both at Lakehead and other
institutions. We pride ourselves on the fact that we offer a program
with smaller class sizes than other departments of history and that you
are taking them with experts in the field who are as dedicated to
teaching as they are to research. Most recently, Michael Stevenson at
our Orillia campus received Lakehead University's Contribution to
Teaching Award.
Your department contains nationally and internationally respected
scholars. Our full-time members have held over the past four years 10
federal Social Sciences and Humanities Research grants (as principal
investigator or co-applicant), not to mention numerous internal grants
and funding from other external agencies. We have, by far, one of the best
history department per-capita rates for grants in Canada. Most recently, Pallavi Das was awarded a 2-year
grant for her work on environmental history in India.
Current members of the department have published over 40 books and,
literally, dozens of articles and book chapters. We also have a
particular bent towards new media and film, with members creating
and/or contributing to over a dozen films and new media projects. Click here to find out more about faculty books, or visit individual profile pages. Some recent activities are also highlight later in this newsletter.
Your 2014-15 Faculty and Instructors
The Departmernt is pleased to welcome back this year Dr. Steven
Jobbitt
who will be anchoring our European history offerings. In particular, we
are able for the first time in over a decade to offer courses at the
fourth year on Russian/Eastern European history. The department is also
pleased to welcome a few new faces who will be teaching part-time for
the department. Prof. Fadi Dawood will be teaching courses on
Middle Eastern History (a first for our department). Prof. Rafaela Jobbitt will be teaching courses in
African and medical history. Dr. Samira Saramo who will be teaching a course
on the immigrant experience. They are joined by the following Contract Lecturers who are returning: Dr.
Ernie Epp, Dr. C. Nathan Hatton, Prof. Catherine Hudson, Prof. Sara
Janes, Dr. Taisto Kaipo, Prof. Kelly Saxberg, Prof. Beverly
Soloway, Prof. David Ratz, and Dr. Thorold Tronrud who
are all returning.
Continuing to Build Our Community
Central to the success of any history department and integral to
the student experience are those events that bind students, alumni, and
faculty together. During the year the dozens of informal and formal
events occur. A few upcoming events include, but are not limited to:
During residence move in weekend, feel free to stop by the history
corridor in the Ryan Building. There will be coffee available and
Department Chair Michel S. Beaulieu (room 3021) and other members of
the department will be in their offices to meet new students and
parents. Come by with questions, or just
to introduce yourself! If you do not know where to go just call
343-8341. He will be also available for campus tours at times during
the day.
On September 15, we will be having our first annual Chair's Barbeque!
Come out to the Faculty Lounge between 4:30 and 7 p.m. for free food and
to meet fellow history students, our faculty, alumni, and community partners!
On 7 October we will be having our second annual Department Awards to honour
our Alumni and Community Partner Award winners. Elinor Barr (BA 1974, HBA 1989) and Mark
Chochla (BA 1967, HBA 1975) will each
be presented with a departmental Alumni Honour Award in recognition of
their distinguished achievements. The Department will also present the
City of Thunder Bay Archives and Beth Boegh with Community Partnership
Awards for their important role in the establishment and continuing
success of our undergraduate and graduate programs.
More information
about these and other events can be found on our Facebook page and by clicking here.
New Peer Mentoring Program
The Department of History Peer Mentoring Program (HPMP) provides an
opportunity for fourth-year history majors and specialization students
to work directly with undergraduate history students in a variety of
co-curricular capacities. One of the core purposes of the HPMP is to
work closely with first-year students to help them with their
transition to university life and learning. Mentors will be paired with
a student (or students) at the beginning of September, and will be
expected to communicate and meet with their mentee(s) throughout the
year. Participation as a mentee or mentor will be included on your
co-curricular record. To find out more about this exciting new
program and become a mentee or mentor, click here.
From the Lakehead University History Society
The
Lakehead University History Society would like to welcome all new and
returning students! We hope that you all have had a good summer. We are
really excited for this upcoming year as we have lots of exciting
events planned.
On September 15th, there will be a BBQ that all students, faculty and
alumni are invited to. At the BBQ, we will be starting the sale of the
History Swag such as jackets, sweatshirts, sweatpants, etc. There will
be sizing kits available.
We will be coming around to the first year classrooms at the beginning
of September to introduce ourselves as well as to pick some first year
representatives to be a part of the executive of the society. If you
think that this would interest you, contact Ashley English or Catelyn
Kittmer at LUHS@lusu.ca
Don't forget to check out the Lakehead University History Society Facebook page for more information on upcoming events!
Co-Presidents: Ashley English and Catelyn Kittmer
Vice President: Laurin Haak
Secretary: Morgan Black
Treasurer: Joel Kennedy
4th Year Rep: Jillian Berry
3rd Year Rep: Brett Starrs
2nd Year Rep: Jordan Tait
Speakers, Conferences, and Events
In
addition to what the LUHS will be organizing, the Department is
working with a number of organizations to schedule presentations at
least once a month (and often more) that will be of interest to history
students. We
have reaffirmed our partnership with the Thunder
Bay Branch of the Canadian International Council and will be
partnering with them, the HMCS Griffon, and
the Lake Superior Scottish Regiment for a one-day free
symposium on the First World War featuring leading regional and national experts. Information about this year's and past symposiums can be found by clicking here.
We also
sponsor the Thunder Bay Historical Museum Society's lecture series.
Free public talks on a wide range of topics will be held on the fourth
Tuesday of each month at the Thunder Bay Museum from September to April
(see the Upcoming Events section to the right for
details).
Check both the Department website and Facebook page for
updates and information about these and other events.
Graduate Program
The past year was a particularly successful year for our MA program and a
number of students will be graduating in November. We salute them for their hard work
and perseverance in working their way through the rigours of advance
research and writing.
These students are being replaced with an equally dynamic
cohort of MA students. In addition to the students who have
come through our
undergraduate program, we have an international student joining us as
well as others from across Canada. They bring a range of
experiences and perspectives to the classroom, the Department, and the
program. This is a solid group of individuals and we look forward to
having them make a significant contribution to the culture of our
department. A
series of events are planned in throughout the year to welcome these
students to
the program and they will also be playing a role in all of our
departmental functions throughout the year.
Course Calender 101
Did
you know that the second digit in our course numbers at the
undergraduate level identifies the geographic focus of the course?
Below is a list of what the numbers mean.
1 = Europe
2 = Classical Period (i.e. Ancient Greece and Rome)
3 = Canada
4 = United Kingdom/British
5 = United States and Latin America
6 = Asia and Africa
7 = International or Thematic
8 = Theory, Methodolgical, or Applied
New Options for Students
All students should look at maximizing their electives and
completing a minor and/or a certificate. We have made our various
programs flexible to allow you to choose from the many options
available. Explore the course calendar, or get in touch with the Chair
of the department.
This year two new options have become available for history students. The Department of Anthropology is offering a brand new Minor in Archaeology.
It is a program that compliments your history degree very well. Many
who complete history degrees eventually end up in the world of business
and information technology. History students at Lakehead can now also take
advantage of completing a Certificate of Business Information Technology.
Keeping Up-to-date or Just Saying Hello
The Department has
two main ways to stay updated on events and
departmental news. Our website is the main portal for information,
and I
encourage you to check it frequently. The second, and most dynamic, is
our Facebook page.
The
doors of everyone in the Department are always open. If you have any
questions, want to discuss some history, or just say hello please do
not hesitate to stop by the third floor of the
Ryan Building.
Michel S. Beaulieu, Ph.D.
Chair and Associate Professor
Student Successes:
Students
in our programs are very active and distinguish themselves within the
university and in the community at large. Below are just a few
highlights from the past year. Make sure and check out our News Archive for over a decade of news items.
History Student Awarded Dean's Medal at 2014 Convocation -
Congratulations to Luana Buckle (HBA 2014) who received the Dean's
Medal at Convocation. This award is presented each year to the
highest-ranking student in all of the Social Sciences and
Humanities.This is the third-straight year that history program
graduates have received some of the most prestigious awards from the
faculty and the university at Convocation.
International graduate student Wexin Li provided
those attending the November 2013 Docs on Bay screening with a musical
performance on the Erhu, a traditional Chinese instrument. To see
footage of his performance, check out the Department’s Facebook page.
An Ambassador of Freedom -
During her first year at Lakehead, HBA student Hannah Pilon was not
satisfied with merely reading about the Canadian contributions during
the Second World War. She began her summer by participating in the
Liberation Cycle Tour. Selected as one of 50 students - both Dutch and
Canadian - to participate in this experience, she spent late April and
early May touring some of the most important Second World War
locations. Click here to read more about Hannah's experience.
Alumni
Accomplishments:
For over 50 years, our alumni have distinguished themselves
within their chosen careers and in their communities. Below are just a
few highlights. To find out more about our alumni, click here to go to our alumni page.
Joining the Profession - Samira
Saramo (MA 2007 and HBA 2006) successfully defended her doctoral
dissertation on 2 September. Her dissertation completed in the
Department of History at York University explores the everyday life and
personal experiences of Finnish North American immigrants in 1930s
Soviet Karelia. Dr. Saramo will be teaching for the department this fall
a third year seminar on "Immigrant Experiences through Letters." More
information abour her research can be found by clicking here.
Research into Books - In addition to
literally dozens of articles, graduates of our programs have published
dozens of books (many resulting from their research as students.
Click to see a selection of the books by our alumni.
Alumni of the Month - David Battistel
(BA 1996) is a history teacher, curriculum chair and football coach at
St. Patrick High School in Thunder Bay, Ontario. He is also the
co-president of the recently formed Silver Mountain and Area Historical
Society, an organization committed to preserving the history of the
railway among other things. More information about David can be found
at http://www.padwrr.ca/about.html
Alumni Spotlight - For more about the
activities of the Alumni Association of Lakehead University, click
here.
Faculty
& Staff News:
Department of History Enters Partnership with the Thunder Bay Public Library to Commemorate First World War - The
Thunder Bay Public Library is spearheading a community partnership to
commemorate the centennial of the First World War. Members of the
partnership will contribute photographs and records to a dynamic online
exhibit depicting life in Thunder Bay during the war. Click here to read more about this partnership and for links to the website.
Faculty Member Awarded Contribution to
Teaching Award - Dr.
Michael Stevenson has been awarded a
Contribution to Teaching Award. The award is student nominated and
recognizes instructors who have demonstrated high levels of teaching
performance at Lakehead University.
Prominent Role of Department Members at 2015 Congress -
Drs. Steven Jobbitt and Ronald Harpelle are the lead organizers for two
different meetings of scholarly associations this upcoming spring in
Ottawa. Dr. Jobbitt is the organizer for the Hungarian Studies Association of Canada and Dr. Harpelle is the organizer for the The Canadian Association for the Study of International Development.
The annual Congress of the Humanities and Social Sciences is the
convergence of over 70 scholarly associations, each holding their
annual conference under one umbrella. Now in its 84th year, this
flagship event brings together academics, researchers, policy-makers,
and practitioners to share findings, refine ideas, and build
partnerships that will help shape the Canada of tomorrow.
New Publication Examines the Question of
Academic Relevancy in Communist Hungary - Dr. Steven
Jobbitt's latest publication explores the question of academic
relevancy in Communist Hungary between 1948 to 1962. "Scholarly
Production in Desperate Times: Ferenc Fodor and the Question of
Academic Relevancy in Communist Hungary, 1948-1962" appears in Földrajz- és földtudomány az Eötvös
Collegiumban (Geography and Earth Sciences at the Eötvös
Collegium) edited by Róbert Győri and published by Eötvös Collegium.
Department Member Appointed to MHSO Board -
Dr.
Michel S. Beaulieu has been appointed to the Multicultural History
Society of Ontario’s Board of Directors. The MHSO is Canada's leading not-for-profit institution for
archival materials relating to the immigrant and ethnic experience. It
works to ensure that Ontarians, and Canadians, have access to products
of our diverse heritage and are equipped with the tools to eradicate
stereotyping and prejudice from our places of work and learning. Click here to learn more about the MHSO.
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UPCOMING EVENTS
5 September - Orientation
15 September - Department of History BBQ
18 September - Presentation: "Post-Communist Hungary: Liberal Democracy in Question."
23 September - TBHMS Lecture: Understanding Wendell Beckwith's Astronomical Observations"
27 September - Film Presentation of "Port Arthur and Fort William: Canada's Keys to the Great Lakes (1913)
TBA October - History Society Archive Crawl
2 October - Presentation: "'We will treat you as we did the Armenians': Cemal Pasha, Zionism, and the Evacuation of Jaffa, April 1917"
7 October - Department Awards Reception
21 October - Presentation: “Petroleum and the World’s Hot Spots: Is There a Connection?"
8 November - Symposium on the First World War
We are constantly adding new events and activities. Check http://history.lakeheadu.ca or our Facebook page for updates!
IMPORTANT DATES
8 September - First Day of Fall and Fall/Winter Classes
19 September - Final Date to Register Fall and Fall-Winter Term Courses (Add)
13 October - Thanksgiving Day (No Classes/University Closed)
4 November - Final Date to Withdraw Fall Term Courses (Drop)
1 December - Last Day of Fall Term Classes
4 to 17 December - Fall Examinations
18 December - Examination Contingency Date
STUDENT CORNER
"In
first year I struggled with the transition to university... I
decided that I should talk with some of my professors at Lakehead. At
first I was nervous, I was scared they would be unapproachable, but I
quickly found out the opposite. They really helped me come up with a
plan of action for that year."
~ Carlee Crowe, HBA/BEd
Click here to read Carlee's full story.
"The professors are extremely supportive, dedicated, open, and are
always willing to help and do an excellent job of encouraging student
to seek assistance when needed."
~ Jonathan Ho, HBA/BEd
Click here to read Jonathan's full story.
USEFUL LINKS & INFORMATION
Undergraduate Programs
Graduate Programs
Faculty Information
History Essay Guide
The Student Success Centre
The Student Success Centre combines the former services of academic
advising, orientation, academic support and career and co-operative
services into one central location. Click
here to find our more.
Your Graduate Coodinator... why you should speak with him..
The Graduate Coordinator is the first point of contact for current and
prospective graduate students.
Dr. Ronald Harpelle can be reached at harpelle@lakeheadu.ca
Your Chair... and why you should speak with him..
One
of the main roles of the Chair of the Department is to help you with
questions regarding courses, the program, and the university. He is
also here to address any concerns you may have.
Dr. Beaulieu's office is located in Ryan Building 3021.
His email address is michel.beaulieu@lakeheadu.ca |
