Longwood's Department of History, Political Science, and Philosophy

08/31/2026

Dr. Melissa Kravetz was recently a guest on Virginia Humanities' "With Good Reason," discussing her work editing The Memoir of Ilse Seger: Wife, Mother, Hostage, N**i Resister. The interview ran on the radio several weeks ago, but it can still be found on the link below:

https://withgoodreasonradio.org/episode/healing-from-the-holocaust/

Congratulations to Dr. Kravetz!

The caregivers who swooped in to help begin the healing process for Holocaust survivors.

06/30/2026

On July 1, Dr. Steven Isaac will officially step down after having served two terms as chair of the Department of History, Political Science, and Philosophy, and Dr. Phil Cantrell will take over the leadership reins of the department. We would like to take this opportunity to thank Dr. Isaac for all of his dedication and hard work over the past six years, and to congratulate Dr. Cantrell on his new position. Best wishes to both of our colleagues!! 🎊🎉

06/03/2026

Congratulations to Professor of History Phil Cantrell, who was recently awarded a Franklin Research Grant from the American Philosophical Society to fund research in Ethiopia for one of the chapters in his next book project, _The Effects of the Rinderpest Cattle Epidemic in Africa in the 1890s_. Dr. Cantrell will also take over as chair of the Department of History, Political Science, and Philosophy on July 1, when Dr. Steven Isaac steps down after completing his second term as chair.

05/16/2026

Following tomorrow's undergraduate commencement, the Department of History, Political Science, and Philosophy will host a reception for our graduates in Rotunda (Ruffner) 254. Friends, family, and alumni are all welcome to attend and to celebrate with us. Hope to see many of you there!

As the nation celebrates its 250th anniversary, a pair of leaders with deep ties to Virginia history and culture will address the Longwood Class of 2026 at commencement ceremonies on May 15-16.

04/28/2026

Christian O'Neill presented his research, “Ukrainian Resistance in the Face of Russification: Nestor Makhno and Anarchism,” at the National Conference on Undergraduate Research in Richmond, VA in April, 2026. He also presented his work at the Mid-Atlantic Regional Conference for Undergraduate Scholarship in November 2025 at Randolph College, and at the Conference of the Network for Undergraduate Research in Virginia in November 2025 at the University of Mary Washington in Fredericksburg. Christian’s research will appear in the Spring 2026 issue of Longwood's INCITE: Journal of Undergraduate Scholarship. Both Christian and his faculty mentor, Dr. Yulia Uryadova, received recognition for their accomplishments at Longwood's recent Spring Showcase for Research and Creative Inquiry. Congratulations to them both!

02/27/2026

Dept. Chair Steven Isaac has used up his (and someone else's) 15 minutes of fame with an appearance on NPR's program With Good Reason. He guested today in a episode on Ruling Women, talking about the roles medieval women had in the wars of the central and late Middle Ages.

Women rule!

11/05/2025

Dr. Scott Cole pointed out the other day how many doors can be opened with a Political Science degree from Longwood. Last night, Lily Franklin (Longwood '15) demonstrated yet another by being elected to the Virginia House of Delegates for District 41. (Lily for Delegate)

(WFXR)- Virginia House of Delegates incumbent, Republican Chris Obenshain, has conceded the election to Democratic challenge, Lily Franklin. Obenshain’s campaign released the following statement to WFXR News: “A little while ago, I spoke with my opponent. Lily Franklin ran a spirited campaign. S...

09/26/2025

Congratulations to the department's own Dr. Phil Cantrell, who at Longwood's recent Convocation ceremony was awarded the Murray and Cora Simpson Distinguished Professorship, which "recognizes a tenured faculty member who has demonstrated a sustained commitment to pursuing outstanding scholarship resulting in publications, presentations, or creative work in the visual and performing arts." Dr. Cantrell joins fellow department member Dr. Steven Isaac as a recipient of this prestigious award. Congratulations Dr. Cantrell!

05/18/2025

Congratulations to all of the Longwood students who participated in today's graduation, and particularly to the nineteen history and sixteen political science majors who walked across the stage during the ceremony. Proud of you all, and best of luck in the future. We look forward to hearing great things about your accomplishments!

Over the weekend, Longwood recognized a total of 1,047 degrees, as graduates heard from two distinguished speakers with deep ties to Virginia and to the nation’s approaching 250th anniversary.