Department of History, Westminster College - PA

11/22/2024

Student senior capstone projects this year. As ambitious as they are eclectic!

03/18/2024

This new minor in Public History is a big deal. History is moving forward at the College with a hybrid model that brings together classic coursework in the study of history (texts and writing and critical thinking) with experiential learning (getting students off campus and into meaningful internships). A good day for History, the Humanities, and Westminster College!

NEW WILMINGTON, Pa.-- Recently, the Westminster College History Department has held talks discussing the possibility of adding a public history minor as a new opportunity for students.

11/27/2023

The History Department at Westminster College has made a commitment to students in the Humanities by building onto its already rigorous undergraduate curriculum an experiential learning experience that takes our students far and wide off campus into internships designed to build on student interests and translate their coursework into careers. We seek to answer the question asked by every parent who had a kid come home and say they're going to major in History (or English, or Religious Studies, or Philosophy): "So, what are you going to do with that?" We think our students are coming up with excellent answers through these experiential learning experiences. Right now, we are raising money to support these students as they venture off campus to internships and conferences. If you are Westminster College alumni, a friend of the College, or an ally in advancing the cause of the Humanities, take a look at our Campaign and consider giving to support our students. Every donation benefits students, and only students.

Be part of our community of support: give to Westminster’s History Student Development fund!

11/22/2023

Ms DaRe is exactly the kind of student that this award was designed to recognize. She is hardworking, energetic, eager to expand her horizons beyond classwork and major programs, and very, very smart. I recommended her for an internship at an automotive museum in central PA and she was a hit with th...

11/22/2023

The History Department is pleased (but not in the least bit surprised) to celebrate the recent Networking Awards, given to students who participate in distinguishing ways to the ongoing Westminster Professional Networking Symposium (WPNS) and other placement and career development initiatives. The WPNS, established years ago by Dr. Christie and Ben Nelson (Ben being a History major in his own time at the College) and Dr. Daniel Fischmar (Economics), brings engaged and successful alumni back to Campus to meet our students and participate in panel discussions on key topics that students need to launch their careers. The WPNS, the Analyst Program (AP), and these networking awards (as well as other initiatives and programs) are a fundamental part of how History at Westminster is answering the question so many Humanities majors hear from parents, friends, and society at large: "So, what are you going to do with that?" We've got an answer for you! And so do our Networking Awards winners!! Congratulations to them all. And thank you to our nominators!

https://www.westminster.edu/campus/services/professional-development-center/professional-networking-symposium/award-winners.cfm?fbclid=IwAR0El-f3D4Bi22fNlPllP_BEIGYCx1sDC82DzCKkdkXmCPjTIAa-5Ub-eoA

Ms DaRe is exactly the kind of student that this award was designed to recognize. She is hardworking, energetic, eager to expand her horizons beyond classwork and major programs, and very, very smart. I recommended her for an internship at an automotive museum in central PA and she was a hit with th...

11/20/2023

Westminster College (PA) alumni magazine for alumni and friends. Volume XLII, Issue 1

11/20/2023

History alumna, Abby Sumpter Wheaton '05, gets featured in the most recent _Westminster Magazine_! Abby was one of our stars and fulfilled her dream of becoming a history teacher. Today, she is a respected member of her History faculty in Kentucky and a member of the History Alumni Advisory Council. Congratulations, Abby, on this article, and thank you for your continuing support of the College. Your students are very lucky to have you as their teacher! (Check out the article on p. 30.)

https://issuu.com/westminstercollege_pa/docs/86274_wcmag_fall2023_web1?fbclid=IwAR15F6sEg-X9qg9VvLPce9QQGrLrUv8YF71X_xf1GHxMndUIkvtRXwygKIY

Westminster College (PA) alumni magazine for alumni and friends. Volume XLII, Issue 1

11/19/2023

Among the new collaborations of the History Department has been the Analyst Program Speaker Series (APSS). The summer of 2023 saw us co-host with the APSS a Zoom lecture with Dr. Marshall Poe, author of _A History of Communications: Media and Society from the Evolution of Speech to the Internet_. Students, professors from Westminster and elsewhere, members of the Board of Trustees, and friends of the College attended the lecture. Dr. Poe's book explores intrinsically interesting topics anyhow, but the way he engaged our students about theory and the uses of historical evidence was particularly impressive. Dr. Poe modeled for us how one can tackle complex, conceptual topics that extend over broad spans of time. Thank you, Marshall, for sharing your time and expertise with us!

11/19/2023

The 2023-2024 academic year kicked off with an event co-hosted by the History Department, along with International Studies, the Department of Sociology and Criminal Justice Studies, and the First-Year Program. Dr. Haim Sperber of Western Galilee University visited campus and delivered a lecture on emigration from the Russian Empire that packed the lecture hall. He fielded questions afterward that spilled over the time allotted and left all with admiration for the way this world-renowned scholar does his research. Thank you, Haim, for coming. Thanks, too, to all our co-hosts that helped bring him to campus!

11/19/2023

The History Department and its partners (the First-Year Program, Heinz Endowment, Chapel Office, and Department of Philosophy and Religion) were especially pleased to bring back alumna Sarah Stankorb '02 to campus to meet with students and discuss her book, _Disobedient Women: How a Small Group of Faithful Women Exposed Abuse, Brought Down Powerful Pastors, and Ignited an Evangelical Reckoning_. Sarah packed a large lecture hall with students, community members, faculty, and friends of the College. Her brief visit left an indelible mark on us all--and gave us food for thought about the unseen devastation that she helped expose to view, and the unheard voices that she made heard. Thank you, Sarah, for this truly important talk. You are welcome on our Campus as an honored alumna anytime!! You remind us of the importance of our work with students. You made us very proud.