UWF Department of History & Philosophy

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UWF Department of History & Philosophy

Keep up with the UWF Department of History and Philosophy here!

We will post about our disciplines, events, and fun facts geared toward our alumni, current students, and future students.

08/31/2026

Alumni Spotlight: Meet Alexis Matrone!

Alexis graduated from the University of West Florida with a degree in History in 2020. After her time as an Argo, Alexis continued on, traveling to Middle Tennessee State University. There, she completed her M.A. and Ph.D. in Public History, graduating with the Class of 2026! The Department of History and Philosophy is proud to congratulate Dr. Matrone on such a high honor.

Outside of the classroom, Alexis is the Preservation Planner and Certified Local Government Coordinator with the Idaho State Historic Preservation Office. There, she combines her passion for Public History with Historic Preservation, working with local communities to meet their preservation goals.

"Planning is a tool that helps educate others on what preservation does or doesn't do and helps protect the architecture and historic resources we all hold so close. Without the built and cultural environment, we lose tangible connections to the past. My goal is to help preserve and protect those resources."

Congratulations once again to Dr. Alexis Matrone. We look forward to seeing what you do next! No matter what, you'll always be a wonderful example of Argo Excellence!

08/28/2026

Introducing Our Newest Student Organization: The UWF Philosophy Society!

The UWF Philosophy Society aims to be a community for those with a passion for philosophy. Moreover, they seek to facilitate academic opportunities and mentorship in philosophy for the broader UWF student body.

Above all, the UWF Philosophy Society strives to support all of our members through engagement in and contribution to Philosophical Thought.

The UWF Philosophy Society hopes to increase student body engagement in Philosophical Thought by supplementing social and academic opportunities related to philosophy and providing peer mentorship. By doing so, they want to increase the number of students who continue into graduate studies and other prestigious post-graduate academic opportunities.

Interested in learning more? Check out the UWF Philosophy Society on ArgoPulse, located in MyUWF.

08/26/2026

Undergraduate Student Spotlight: Meet Lanie Mason!

Lanie is an undergraduate student pursuing a B.A. in History. Today, the Department of History and Philosophy is proud to recognize her as the Spring 2026 recipient of the History Award for Excellence in Writing.

Lanie's paper, entitled "Jefferson and Slavery: The Revolutionary Paradox," explores the complex and often contradictory beliefs of the namesake founding father.

We are proud to highlight such an incredible scholar! The History Award for Excellence in Writing is a faculty-nominated award given to one to two students every Fall and Spring. What started as Lanie's final submission to HIS3002: Historical Methods I will now be remembered as an excellent example of undergraduate research! Keep up the amazing work, Lanie!

08/24/2026

Scholarship Spotlight: Dr. Hood Gets Real!

The Department of History and Philosophy is proud to highlight the recent scholarly contributions of Dr. Brian Hood. Dr. Hood, an Associate Professor in the Department of History and Philosophy, recently published an article titled "Realism Affords HiTOP Explanatory Power" in the academic journal Philosophy, Psychiatry, & Psychology.

In this paper Dr. Hood argues that a recently proposed, and otherwise promising, model of psychopathology, the "Hierarchical Taxonomy of Psychopathology (aka the "HiTOP" model) eschews theoretical commitments at the cost of explanatory power. (1) He recommends understanding the statistical relationships between levels in this model (e.g., "traits," "symptoms," and "disorders") as evidence of causal relationships between levels makes for a more explanatorily rich model of psychopathology, and (2) that this minor dose of metaphysics also goes some way in justifiying adopting a hierarchical approach in the first place. He describes it as kind of a cool little piece: both critical and constructive.

We are so proud of Dr. Hood's most recent work and can't wait to learn more! Interested in taking a class with Dr. Hood? Be sure to take PHI3130: Modern Logic with him this Fall, or PHI3400: Philosophy of Science in the Spring!

08/21/2026

Summer Fun Spotlight: Dr. Erin Stone embarks on a new adventure!

Dr. Erin Stone and her husband Richard Stone celebrated their 16th wedding anniversary with an African safari to Botswana and Zimbabwe. They spent over a week adventuring in the Okavango Delta; they were able to observe lions, leopards, baboons, zebras, giraffes, rhinos, hippos, - oh my! Far from human civilization, they experienced wildlife in its natural habitat. She said, "It was a dream come true!"

08/19/2026

Alumni Spotlight: Meet Raymond Ejikemeuwa!

Raymond is a current PhD Candidate at Georgia State University who graduated with his Master's Degree in History from the University of West Florida in 2023!

Raymond exemplifies Argo Excellence - despite his busy workload, he continues to lead and inspire those around him. Currently, Raymond serves as the President of the Association of Historians at Georgia State, where he introduces student-friendly programs and workshops for historians and non-historians alike. Additionally, he has received the George M. Spark Service Recognition Award and the Royal Flame Leadership Award, two prestigious honors that highlight his commitment to excellence and academic development.

This Fall, Raymond will be honored as Georgia State University's International Graduate Student of the Year. The Department of History and Philosophy is so proud to be one of the first to congratulate him on such an achievement!

We wish we could highlight all of Raymond's accomplishments, as he truly makes us proud. Keep up the amazing work, Raymond! We can't wait to see what you do next!

08/17/2026

Welcome back, Argos! The Department of History and Philosophy wishes you a wonderful start to the next semester!

08/05/2026

Alumni Spotlight: Meet Dave Meron!

Dave graduated from the University of West Florida with his Master's Degree in Public History in 2024.

Dave wears many hats - literally and figuratively! During the day, he's Ranger Dave at the Gulf Islands National Seashore. At night, he's one of our amazing adjuncts, teaching his fellow Argos in EUH4242: The First World War and EUH3280: The Second World War.

This summer, he's been hard at work creating new interpretive material for the national park, highlighting Spain's contributions to the American War for Independence. Additionally, he's expanding the park's resources on the United States' life-saving services!

"Be thorough with your work, keep an open mind, and be flexible. It is exciting when you first learn something new or what you thought you knew was not the full story."

We are so proud to highlight Dave's commitment to education. Be sure to catch Professor Meron this fall teaching EUH4242: The First World War!

07/31/2026

Undergraduate Student Spotlight: Meet Margaret Llewellyn!

Margaret Llewellyn was one of over 120 undergraduate students participating in the Office of Undergraduate Research's Summer Undergraduate Research Program (SURP).

Her project, entitled "Life, Death, and Discipline: A Historical Examination of the Arthur G. Dozier School for Boys, 1900-2011" explored the troubled history of the namesake school. Through her work, Margaret highlighted the school's strict discipline and inadequate care, which led to its eventual closure.

Congratulations to Margaret and all the other amazing undergraduate researchers! Thank you to OUR for another successful Summer Symposium.

For more information on the Office of Undergraduate Research, please contact [email protected].

07/10/2026

Graduate Student Spotlight: Meet Joanna Ellis!

Walton County students may recognize Joanna as Ms. Ellis, an amazing AP Research and AP Seminar instructor. When she's not shaping the next generation of scholars, she's still in the classroom, working on her Master's Degree in History at the University of West Florida!

This summer, Joanna is expanding her public history skills. As an intern at the Walton County Heritage Museum, she is working on a grant proposal to help enhance the museum's digital collections. Additionally, she is researching the steamboat Captain Fritz, who played a major role in the county's economic development.

We are so proud of you, Joanna! Keep up the great work!

Interested in interning? Contact our Internship Coordinator, Ms. Joyce Southard, at [email protected] for more information.

Address

11000 University Pkwy
Pensacola, FL
32514

Website

https://uwf.edu/cassh/departments/history-and-philosophy/

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