Ohio University History Department

10/16/2026

Congratulations to our history students for being a part of the wonderful opportunity!

10/15/2026

Ohio University history professor Dr. Kevin Uhalde published a chapter in The Oath in Late Antiquity and the Early Middle Ages: Religious Act, Social Bond, Holy Sacrament. His article titled “The Shape of Early Christian Fidelity: Swearing and Repenting in the Face of Uncertainty” ties historical understanding with contemporary events.

https://www.brepols.net/products/IS-9782503621005-1

10/12/2026

The Department of History at Ohio University invites you to the 48th Annual Endowed Costa Lecture.

When: Thursday, November 5, 7:30 PM

Where: Walter Hall Rotunda on the Athens campus of Ohio University

Speaker: Jefferson Cowie, the John L. Seigenthaler Chair in American History at Vanderbilt University and winner of the Pulitzer Prize in History (2023)

Topic: "Freedom: The Troubled History of an American Ideal"

A pre-lecture reception (with hors d’oeuvres, desserts, and beverages) begins at 7:00 PM.

10/09/2026

Dr. Patrick Barr-Melej, Professor of History and Director of the Master of Social Sciences program, recently presented a paper at the annual meeting of the North Central Council of Latin Americanists held in Wisconsin. His talk, “Transnationalism: Reflections on a Concept and Its History and Pertinence in/for Latin America,” explored the adventures of transnationalism as an analytical tool, focusing on the opportunities and challenges it has afforded historians since the 1990s.

10/01/2026

Dr. Abbas Amanat gave the annual Elizabeth Evans Baker Lecture in Peace Studies at Ohio University. He discussed the concept of peace as it has been historically understood in the Persianate world.

09/30/2026

Professor Chester Pach gave a talk on "Reagan and Race: Reflections and Reconsiderations" at the annual meeting of the Pacific Coast Branch, American Historical Association, in Las Vegas, on July 31.

09/29/2026

Happening tomorrow at 7 PM in the Baker Center Theater

The Ohio University History Department is pleased to announce the Elizabeth Evans Baker Lecture in Peace Studies. Dr. Abbas Amanat will give this year’s talk titled “Peace in the Iranian World: Theory and Practice.”

When: Wednesday, September 30, 2026 from 7-8 PM
Where: Baker Center Theater

Dr. Amanat is a William Graham Sumner Professor Emeritus at Yale University and a scholar of the modern Middle East, early modern and modern Iran, Shi’ism and the Persianate world.

09/29/2026

In his article titled "The Path Forward: Key Developments in Normalization Between the United States and Socialist Republic of Vietnam from 1986 to 1988," in the International Journal of Asian Studies, Zach argues that General John Vessey’s inclusion in U.S.-Vietnamese negotiations was the “catalyst” that advanced diplomacy during the final years of Ronald Reagan’s presidency. Zach is in the final year of his PhD program at Ohio University.

https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/international-journal-of-asian-studies/article/path-forward-key-developments-in-normalization-between-the-united-states-and-socialist-republic-of-vietnam-from-1986-to-1988/A1236F56CFC6BA68D74AD809AE34CC68

09/28/2026

Ohio University History PhD candidate Zachary Tayler contributed an article to the Philadelphia Inquirer. He compares US-Vietnam reconciliation with Afghanistan.

Normalization of relations between the United States and Vietnam produced benefits for both countries.

09/23/2026

The Ohio University History Department is pleased to announce the Elizabeth Evans Baker Lecture in Peace Studies. Dr. Abbas Amanat will give this year’s talk titled “Peace in the Iranian World: Theory and Practice.”

When: Wednesday, September 30, 2026 from 7-8 PM
Where: Baker Center Theater

Dr. Amanat is a William Graham Sumner Professor Emeritus at Yale University and a scholar of the modern Middle East, early modern and modern Iran, Shi’ism and the Persianate world.