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USU History Graduates
With a degree in history, you can go on to do almost anything you
desire. Some of our graduates are now professors of history, secondary
school teachers, librarians, archivists, writers, government employees,
museum curators, etc. Check out what they have accomplished and what
they have to say about our graduate program in history. |
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Lawrence
Culver (M.A. 1997) History Professor |
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The
graduate program in History at Utah State University provided me with
an excellent preparation for success in a doctoral program and in my academic
career. For students interested in Environmental History, Native American
History, the History of the American West, and other fields, USU offers
the opportunity to work with faculty who are prominent and active in
their research areas, yet can still provide one-on-one attention unlike
in larger doctoral programs. "The Western Historical Quarterly and faculty strengths in related disciplines such as English, Folklore, and Natural Resources make USU an excellent choice for students interested in the history, cultures, and environments of the American West. Having skiing, hiking, and camping opportunities right next to campus, and several spectacular national parks within a day’s drive, also make Logan a good hub for exploring outdoor recreation in the region. My M.A. from Utah State equipped me with the research skills necessary for success in a Ph.D. program, gave me valuable experience in Public History, and helped lead me to a successful academic career. I would highly recommend USU to students interested in pursuing the graduate study of History." |
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| Jared Farmer (B.A. 1996) History Professor |
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While
a student at USU, Jared Farmer worked at the Western Historical Quarterly and
did the research for his first book, Glen Canyon
Dammed: Inventing Lake Powell and the Canyon Country (The University
of Arizona Press, 1999). He went on to earn an M.A. in history at the
University of Montana and a Ph.D. in history at Stanford University.
Afterward, he was a post-doctoral fellow at the Huntington-USC Institute
on California and the West. Now an assistant professor, he teaches
western history at one of the easternmost universities in America—the
State University of New York at Stony Brook. His most recent book is On
Zion’s Mount: Mormons, Indians, and the American Landscape (Harvard
University Press, 2008). |
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James Feldman (M.A. 1996, Editorial Fellow, WHQ 1994-96) History and Environmental Studies Professor at University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh |
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![]() Jim Feldman with Chris Conte at Environmental History Conference in Boise, Idaho, 2008 |
Jim completed his PhD in history at the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh in 2004. His article "The View From Sand Island: Reconsidering the Peripheral Economy, 1880-1940," WHQ 35 no.3 (Autumn 2004): 285-307, won the 2005 Theodore C. Blegen Award for the best article in forest and conservation history from the Forest History Society. He also won the 2004 Bert M. Fireman Award from the Western History Association for that article. He is now an assistant professor at the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh. He is finishing a book on the the history of wilderness at Apostle Islands National Lakeshore. "My time at Utah State was tremendously valuable, both professionally and personally. I learned how to be a much better writer, researcher, editor, and historian. When I enrolled in my PhD program, I found that I was far better prepared than many of my peers, largely because of my experiences in the USU history department. I made important connections with faculty and other students, many of which persist today. I met people who became dear friends. And those mountains! I miss them still." |
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Brett
Rushforth History Professor, Director of Native American Studies, Brigham Young University "The USU master's program in history was an ideal start to my academic career. Although highly demanding, the environment at Utah State was collegial and supportive, and small enough that I received a lot of individual attention. The faculty are first-rate scholars and teachers, which was no surprise to me, but I was stunned by the quality of students in my cohort. Many of them are now fellow academics who continue to excel in their fields. Many others have succeeded in law, public history, or other related careers. I think I really only appreciated how strong USU's program was when I began my Ph.D. program and found that my time at USU had given me an unusually solid foundation in historigraphy, research methods, writing, and teaching. I cannot endorse the program strongly enough." |
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Michael
Lansing (M.A.
1998, Robert M. Utley Editorial Fellow, WHQ 1996-1998) History Professor at Augsburg College in Minneapolis, MN "My time in the M.A. program at Utah State provided a solid foundation for my Ph.D. program and for my career. The wide range of course offerings belied the small size and intimacy of the program. Furthermore, the chance to work at the Western Historical Quarterly deepened my understanding of how the profession works as well as the scholarship it produces. Finally, the department sports fine historians that insisted on my intellectual and personal development. The amount of time and energy they devoted to fledgling graduate students still continues to amaze me. Keenly aware of the challenges I would face as a professional historian, department members did everything they could to prepare me for success. And if you like the outdoors (as I do), it's hard to imagine a better place to spend two years than Logan." |
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Susan
Cogan
Ph.D. student at the University of Colorado "When I reflect on my experiences at USU, I always return to what I learned in 6000, the methods course. As painful as the experience was at the time, Dr. Butler’s ruthless attention to detail in a student’s work and her constant focus on professional development prepared me for a future in this profession far better than I could have anticipated. I noticed that most pointedly when in the methods class at my PhD program at Colorado. The course here is far less standardized than I understood it to be at USU, so every cohort receives a different “preparation package,” and very rarely does it include the professional development component that was so easily incorporated at USU (e.g. having students present historian reports in a conference paper format, down to the conference clothing and a prohibition on fidgeting while speaking). I think I would break out in hives if my own conference paper ever went past 22 minutes. I still refer to ruthless editing of my own work as “Butlerizing” a paper. I realize that Dr. Butler has retired, but I’m sure that these kinds of lessons continue in 6000. "My MA at USU helped prepare me to navigate a larger program for my PhD. USU gave me solid academic foundations and a great deal of contact with faculty. I appreciated that faculty were so accessible and engaged with the graduate students, that graduate students were treated like apprentices in the field and considered an integral part of the department. I still appreciate the close mentoring I received as I learned to teach and to evaluate student work." "The social-life component is an important piece as well. My cohort was fairly evenly split between married and single, Mormon and not. We were all friends, or at least friendly, in classes and in the TA office, but the connections that the single (mostly non-Mormon) students formed was a significant piece of my graduate school experience. I have lamented many times that the wonderfully close-knit group of friends I had at USU has not been replicated in my PhD program. I think that the faculty helped to foster that dynamic, actually. We were encouraged to support one another academically and otherwise. I heard more than one professor mention the value of friendships made in graduate school, and from the beginning of the year the faculty helped to create an environment conducive to forming those social relationships (e.g. the fall picnic at a professor’s house). Moving through the Methods class and then the theory class together, thus a full year in class as a group of 12, helped as well. I am still in touch with several former classmates, although we are scattered all over North America. "For me, USU was an ideal place to begin my training. I arrived at my PhD institution very well prepared for the rigor of the program, extremely well prepared methodologically, and with teaching experience that helped me to secure teaching assistantships in my doctoral program. |
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Todd
Anderson Department Administrator, Department of Sociology, University of Wisconsin - Madison "In my opinion, the value of the 'graduate' experience is much more than the sum of the degrees granted, tenure-track positions obtained or job markets stormed. Graduate school should be about the cultivation of a rich intellectual life. Already a career civil servant, I chose to go to graduate school for the intellectual journey and USU did not disappoint. The faculty and staff of the history department fostered the kind of discourse, research and exploration I craved. Although I did not continue along a traditional academic track, my experience in the history department at USU (including, but not limited to, working with committed and enthusiastic faculty and hiking the Wasatch and Wellsville ranges with an engaging graduate cohort) proved invaluable by providing the perfect environment in which to explore and discover our shared past. In honor of this experience, I try to ask what I can do, as a university administrator, to ensure that students and faculty in my department have the kind of opportunities I enjoyed at USU." |
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Ann Vileisis Writer, researcher, and editor |
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"My time as a student in the USU History Dept. helped me to develop concrete skills as a researcher and writer and also gave me the opportunity to follow my own research interests. The professors were excellent, inspiring teachers--great people to learn from. USU’s stunning mountain setting and Logan’s small town atmosphere added to the experience.” Ann Vileisis is an independent scholar and writer. Her first book, Discovering the Unknown Landscape: A History of America’s Wetlands (Island Press, 1997) was recognized with 2 prestigious history awards: the American Historical Association's Herbert Feis Award (1999), for the year's best book by an independent scholar or public historian, and the American Society for Environmental History's George Perkins Marsh Prize (1999) for the best environmental history book of 1997 and 1998. Her new book, Kitchen Literacy: How We Lost Knowledge of Where Food Comes From and Why We Need to Get it Back (Island Press, 2007), has been reviewed widely in publications including The Washington Post. See this Web site for more information on Ann Vileisis' accomplishments. |
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Heather
Block Lawton Head of Special Collections for the Minneapolis Public Library |
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"The
exceptional education I received in Utah State University’s graduate
program in history prepared me to excel in my career as an archivist.
I am currently employed at a large metropolitan library where I manage
an extensive collection of manuscripts and rare books. I landed a job
in this highly competitive field largely because my M.A. degree in
history from USU gave me a significant advantage over other applicants.
In my position I have the immense privilege of working with historical
materials in a variety of ways. During the last month I have lectured
a group of potential donors on the history of printing, taught high
school students how to incorporate primary source materials into their
History Day projects, worked with the mayor to plan a sesquicentennial
celebration, assisted a National Public Radio reporter with background
research for an upcoming story, created a conservation plan for a million
dollar book, and wrote a book review for a professional publication.
I love the work do and I credit much of my success to the excellent
graduate training I received from USU’s first-rate history faculty.
I am grateful that I had the opportunity to spend two years learning
from such an extraordinary group of people." |
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Troy
Reeves Head, Oral History Program, University Archives and Records Management Services, UW-Madison "My history department graduate school experience bettered--Is this a word or a Bushism--me in myriad ways. I left Logan as a better researcher, writer, and speaker. I left with a better appreciation for the natural environment, due to all the walk, hikes, and bikes that I tried. I also left Logan with colleagues who have become my dearest friends. Three of my former grad school comrades served as groomsmen at my wedding, plus now that I reside in Madison, WI, I have lunch with two of them once a month. And, I left Logan with a master’s degree, which gave me the chance to apply and to be hired for permanent positions at public history and university archives settings." |
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Ryan Waite High School Teacher "My
experience in the Utah State University Masters of History program
might be a little different than most. I am a public school Advanced
Placement U.S. History teacher who has commuted to Logan from Ogden
on the average of two nights a week after teaching classes all day.
Before entering this program I had been enrolled in a Masters of
Education program at another university in the state and had completed
20 semester hours toward that degree. |
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Toni Rae Linenburger Government Historian Toni Linenburger
is a historian for the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. She was a key
figure in a conference held near Hoover Dam in June 2002. The conference
marked the 100th anniversary of the establishment of the Bureau
under the Newlands Reclamation Act. This law has played a key role
in the transformation of the American West. |
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Jennifer
Walele (O'Neil) ( B.A.
and M.A. 2001) Government Historian Last year Jennifer finished another master's degree (Library Science, University of Arizona) and was then awarded a fellowship at Princeton's Archive Library where she was subsequently hired as a temporary employee. She now lives in Washington DC and works as a historian at the State Department. She writes that she loves her job and enjoys living there. |
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Paige
Lewis (B.A.
1991, M.A. 1994) Director of Policy and External Affairs Paige Lewis is the Director of Policy and External Affairs of the Colorado State Forest Service. |
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John
Barnes, (Robert
M. Utley Editorial Fellow, WHQ, M.A.
2004) Communications Director for the Washington Policy Institute in Seattle, WA John Barnes published an article based on his master’s research: “The Struggle to Control the Past: Commemoration, Memory, and the Bear River Massacre of 1863,” The Public Historian 30, no.1 (February 2008): 81-104. |
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Kimberlee
Fitzgerald (B.A.
1997, M.A. 1999) Secret Service Employee Kimberlee Fitzgerald works for the U.S. Secret Service, a division of the Department of the Treasury. Her job can entail protecting either high-ranking U.S. government officials, their wives and families or visiting foreign dignitaries. Fitzgerald’s duties brought her to the 2002 Salt Lake Olympics where she was assigned to safeguard Lynne Cheney, the wife of Vice-President Dick Cheney. |
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Mark
Damen designed this web site and is the current web master. |
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| Utah
State University |
Department
of History , Main 323 |