Geneseo History Major Todd Christensen and the SNCC Digital Gateway Project

Todd Christensen, who graduated from Geneseo in 2015 with a history major, is working on the SNCC Digital Gateway (SDG), a collaborative project involving the SNCC Legacy Project, Duke University, and Civil Rights Movement scholars. At Geneseo, Todd completed a history honors thesis on Freedom Schools in the Civil Rights Movement, with support from a Geneseo Summer Fellowship. He also worked as an intern with the Algebra Project in Boston, with support from a Ambassador fellowship and as an intern on One Person, OneVote, a pilot project and predecessor to the SDG, which was launched in March 2015. At the time, Christensen reflected, “The work on OPOV has given me a new sense of what history really is. The website tells the story of black voting rights through the lens of the ordinary black people in the Deep South during the early 60s, who put their lives on the line to fight for first-class citizenship.  These people, who are almost always missing in history textbooks, both in high school and college, served as the backbone of grassroots movements for black political power.  And having the chance to work with Duke and the SNCC legacy Project in being able to tell their stories has taught me a lot about the power of regular people doing extraordinary things.”

Geneseo History Major Organizes Leadership Institute for High School Students

Junior History major Brandon Gaylord spent the fall 2015 semester organizing a leadership workshop for area high school students. His StandUp Leadership Program, which was funded through SUNY Geneseo's Center for Inquiry, Discovery and Development, reached 128 students from seven different local communities. Read more about Brandon's work in the profile and article published in the December 3 edition of the Livingston County News: Here.

Geneseo History Alum Finds Success as Museum Curator

Since 2013, class of 2009 alumnus Andrew Gustafson has been working with the Bryan Museum in Galeveston, to develop a public space for exhibiting a major private collection of materials related to the history of Texas.  Andrew completed a BA degree in History at Geneseo (with a department honors thesis on 17th century British politics) and an MA in History from the University of Houston.  You can read more about his work here.

Geneseo and Red Hook, Brooklyn

The History Department is excited about the possibilities for collaboration with SUNY Geneseo's new facility located in Red Hook, Brooklyn.  Thanks to the support of Geneseo alumnus Greg O'Connell, members of the SUNY Geneseo community will be able to engage in a variety of academic and service activities based in one of New York's most culturally-diverse neighborhoods.

The History Department is working on developing several activities in Red Hook, including a version our of annual Teachers' Day targeted to downstate secondary educators, an alumni learning trip focusing on Irish-American immigrant experiences, and a summer course on the history of immigration.  You can read about the Red Hook facility through the Geneseo and Red Hook Blog, and learn more about the opportunities available for the Geneseo community through an essay by class of 2006 History alumni Angela Workoff.

History Alum on Jeopardy

In mid-September 2015, Geneseo alumna Audrey Watkins-Fox (class of 2011) appeared on the game show Jeopardy and walked away with $33,000 in prizes after two winning nights.  You can read more about her experiences on the show here.

Rochester Democrat and Chronicle Profiles Alumnus Bo Shoemaker

Geneseo alumnus (and Monroe County Assistant District Attorney) Bo Shoemaker was one of several area marathon runners profiled in an article in today's Rochester Democrat and Chronicle.  Geneseo students will have an opportunity meet with Bo later this semester and talk about his experiences as a lawyer when he returns to the college for our first ever Alumni Career Panel.

Tributes to NAACP Chair Julian Bond Organized by Professor Crosby

Emilye Crosby helped organize tributes for Julian Bond at the September meeting of the Association for the Study of Afro-American Life and History (ASALH) and the upcoming April meeting of the Organization of American Historians (OAH). Bond, who was a mentor and friend to Crosby, was a founding member of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, Chair emeritus of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, and a well-known advocate for civil and human rights. He spoke at Geneseo in 1968 and gave the Wadsworth lecture in Fall 2007.

Julian Bond speaking at the Wadsworth lecture in 2007

Julian Bond in a seminar with Geneseo students in Fall 2007

Justin Behrend on Blues Musician Son House

Professor Justin Behrend was quoted extensively in this recent article about blues musician Son House in the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle.

Study Abroad with History Faculty

The History Department at Geneseo is committed to the study of global history.  Our curriculum stresses the importance of student engagement with issues of international importance and many faculty are engaged in teaching and research that explores global interactions and cross-cultural exchange.

This summer, the History Department supported two study abroad programs for Geneseo students.  Professor Tze-ki Hon and Professor Gene Stelzig (English Department) traveled with students for a four week Humanities II course in China.  Students spent much of the trip in Hong Kong, with a long excursion to Beijing and field trips to several sites of historical and cultural importance.

Professor Joe Cope and Professor Rob Doggett (English Department) also took students to Ireland for a four week interdisciplinary course on Irish Studies.  Students visited Galway, Dublin, and Derry, and had the opportunity to participate in the annual Yeats International Summer School based in Sligo.

Library of Congress Workshop Taught by Professor Emilye Crosby

For the 50th anniversary of the Voting Rights Act, Emilye Crosby gave a talk on Teaching Bottom-Up history at the Library of Congress. She also developed "A Documents-Based Lesson on the Voting Rights Act: ACase Study of SNCC's work in Lowndes County and the Emergence of BlackPower," available through Teaching for Change, and co-authored, with movement activist Judy Richardson, "The Voting Rights Act: 10 Things YouShould Know," for Teaching for Change and Zinn Education Project.

Professor Michael Oberg

Professor Michael Oberg's newest book, Peacemakers:  The Iroquois, the United States, and the Treaty of Canandaigua, appears in print this week.  Professor Oberg will be appearing at several events this year to commemorate the 220th anniversary of the Treaty.  You can read more about his work and the historical and contemporary significance of the Treaty through this article in the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle. 

Professor Oberg also recently was awarded the rank of SUNY Distinguished Professor based on his extensive scholarly work on early American and Native American history.  Oberg has authored multiple books and won numerous awards during his tenure at Geneseo.  You can read more about his work through the College's press release on this most recent honor here.

Geneseo History Major Involved in Major Digital Project on the Civil Rights Movement

For the past year, Geneseo Senior Todd Christensen has been working on the new online exhibit "One Person, One Vote: The Legacy of SNCC and the Fight for Voting Rights" through an internship with the SNCC Legacy Project based at Duke University. The website went live today and is full of valuable resources on the civil rights movement: http://onevotesncc.org/

Todd is from Cazenovia, New York, and has been working with Professor Emilye Crosby for the past four years.  His senior honors thesis, which focused on the Mississippi Freedom Schools, connected to the SNCC Legacy Project.  You can read more about Todd's work here.

Todd was also interviewed for the 15 March "Rochester in Focus" program on WHEC-TV 10.  The video of Todd's segment is available here.  

2015 Teachers' Day

Continuing the tradition begun with last year's Teachers' Day, the department hosted fifty social studies educators from more than twenty western New York for a day of programs on Friday, 13 March.  Participants attended a teaching workshop on Latin American history led by Professors Ryan Jones, a workshop on modern American environmental history led by Professor Jordan Kleiman, and a keynote on "Six Things New Yorkers Should Know About the American Civil War".  This program was made possible thanks to the generous support of Joe and Elaine Bucci, whose contributions to the department allows us to offer this program free of charge to participants.

You can read the college's press release and learn more about the Teachers' Day program here.

Professors Adams and Behrend on Local NPR Station

Professor Cathy Adams and Justin Behrend appeared this week on "Connections with Evan Dawson", a radio program airing on Rochester NPR affiliate WXXI, to discuss perspectives on African-American history.  Behrend's recently-published book, Reconstructing Democracy, was discussed extensively.  You can read more about the program and listen to the conversation here.

Frank Cafarella (Class of 2001) to Receive National Teaching Award

Geneseo alumnus Frank Cafarella (class of 2001) has been named as the winner of the 2015 Mark K. Bonsteel Tachau Teacher of the Year by the Organization of American Historians.  Frank is currently a social studies teacher with the Spencerport (NY) Central School District.  As a History major, he completed an honors thesis under the direction of Professor Emilye Crosby.  This is a truly exceptional honor, and the department congratulates Frank.