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NEWSLETTER VOLUME 18 • FALL 2004 sufficient rigor, coherence, and depth; and the second was the concern that whereas A Letter the History Department had expanded the From scope of its course offerings dramatically The Chair over the past two decades, the concentration requirements chiefly had remained focused It is again a pleasure to report on the ac- around certain traditional areas, particularly tivities of the past year. As always, the the United States and Europe. The commit- members of the department engaged in a tee then introduced several recommenda- wide variety of scholarly and teaching en- tions, and after two lengthy meetings the deavors, and you can catch up with news department endorsed the following: (1) To of individual faculty in the pages that fol- increase the minimum number of required low. Collectively, one of the department’s courses from eight to ten in order to give most significant endeavors in 2003-2004 the concentration more substance and to was to revise the undergraduate concentra- encourage concentrators to immerse them- tion requirements. The department had selves in a greater variety of perspectives and not conducted a systematic review of its topics; (2) to modify the chronological pro- concentration in some time, and given all vision so as to require concentrators to take the changes in the past few years, both at a minimum of three courses each in the pre- the University and Department levels, I modern and modern periods; (3) to expand thought it was time we did so. I asked the geographical provision to require stu- Howard Chudacoff to head the review, and dents to distribute their courses across at his committee, which included Professors least three geographic areas; (4) to encour- Deborah Cohen, Nancy Jacobs, and Kerry age students to take a first-year seminar, Smith, deliberated over the course of the which can serve as a gateway into the con- year and placed a set of recommendations centration; and (5) to allow students to take before the department in April. two (and in some cases three) courses out- In his report to the department, Profes- side the Department (these include history sor Chudacoff explained that the commit- courses at other institutions, either in the tee identified two major issues for consid- United States or abroad, as well as history- eration: one was the question of whether oriented courses in other departments and an eight-course concentration possessed programs at Brown). The office of the Dean of the College will review these recommen- dations in the fall, and if approval is forth- design and printing: Brown Graphic Services (KJG-D) coming, as we anticipate, the new require- editors: James McClain, Tim Harris & Mary Beth Bryson ments will take effect next year. 2 Also on curricular matters, I am happy Self (twentieth century U.S.), and Naoko to note that the History Department is Shibusawa (U.S. and the World). In addi- steadily increasing its slate of first-year tion, Andrew Huebner will serve as a Visit- seminars. Those being taught next year are ing Assistant Professor, and we have col- Slavery and Historical Memory in the U.S. laborated with the Department of Portu- (Seth Rockman), Worlds in Collision: Co- guese and Brazilian Studies to appoint lonial Encounters and the Creation of Latin Jorge Flores to a one-year term as Visiting America (R. Douglas Cope), The Campus Professor with expertise on European ex- on Fire: Colleges and Universities in the pansion during the early modern period. 1960s (Luther Spoehr), Magic, Science, I wish to close with words of congratu- and Religion in Europe (Tara Nummedal), lations and thanks to you, our graduates. The Many Worlds of the California Gold Three of you correctly identified Utamaro Rush (Karl Jacoby), History and Memory as the artist of the wood-block print that in China (Mark Swislocki), Tokyo Modern graced the cover of last year’s report. Hats (James L. McClain), and Gender and Sexu- off to Dean Herrin, Robert W. Parson, and ality in Latin America (James Green). Jill Tuncay. And finally, I join my col- Over the past few years, Charles Neu leagues in extending a heartfelt thank you and I have welcomed new faculty to the to all of you who sent us financial contri- Department. This year is no exception. butions. We use those monies to under- Joining the History Department in 2004- write student research projects and other 2005 are James Green (a specialist on mod- department activities, and we very much ern Brazil), Dimitris Livanios (modern appreciate your support. Greece and the Balkans), Seth Rockman Best wishes, (colonial U.S./the early republic), Robert James L. McClain THANK YOU LE Hartmann-Ting Neeti Nair Matthew Kadane Matthew Sneider Eleanor Doumato Roger Levine Kathryn Tomasek Stefan Halikowski-Smith Dimitris Livanios James Woodard Visiting Professors F lorence Exchange Scholars Caterina Brizzi & V alentina Sorbi 3 Interview with PhD Graduates Graduate Advisor Amy Remensnyder tracked down a number of our recent PhD recipients and asked them the following questions: 1. What inspired you to become a historian? 2. What kind of teaching do you do (undergrad, graduate, lecturing, and seminars)? 3. How have your research interests evolved since you left Brown? 4. What did you find to be the most helpful aspect of Brown’s PhD program? 5. What is your fondest memory of Brown? 6. Do you feel you received an appropriate amount of funding while you were at Brown? 7. Are there any other observations about your experience in Brown’s History Department that you’d like to share with us? Michael Breen, Brown colonialization, com- Liam Brockey, Brown PhD 2000, Reed College merce, New France). PhD 2002, Princeton (1) My high school Euro- (4) Opportunity to work University pean history teacher, closely with my advi- (1) I think it was the nu- Nancy Husted and my sor—Phil Benedict. merous experiences that Western Civ professor Opportunity to get I had traveling around at Chicago, Karl teaching experience, the world before begin- Weintraub. which counts for a lot ning graduate school, (2) Undergrad. Mostly on the job market. as well as the good ex- seminar with occasional (5) The Ageing Squad (IM amples of exciting coursewide lectures. basketball team) teaching that I had during my undergradu- (3) Hard to say as I am just and Ye Olde Bats (Soft- ate years. finishing up my first ball team). Good cama- book project. Perhaps raderie among grad stu- (2) I teach both undergrads leaning a little more to- dents and faculty. and grad students, in ward the 18th century (6) In terms of duration, both lectures (primarily than before. I also find yes. Stipends were undergrads) and semi- myself becoming more pretty small back then, nars (both graduate and interested in social his- but I think they’ve im- undergraduate). tory questions than be- proved. The only thing (3) In terms of my specific fore and am becoming that was really missing field, I would say no, interested in early mod- was summer funding. but I have definitely ern France in a more But overall I was broadened my perspec- global context (i.e. treated well and can’t tives on the early mod- complain. ern world since I left 4 Brown. Having had (6) Since I still have liked the fact that I was two years to reflect on 30,000 dollars of debt able to work closely the conclusions I came hanging around, I’ll say with my advisor—but to in my dissertation, I no—especially when this was only beneficial have also been able to many of my colleagues because he was willing turn my findings more who were fully funded to work closely with complex and more nu- did not graduate. It me. The fact that the anced—but this is fun- would have been nice if grad program was small damentally a question funding was an all or was also very good, of perspective. nothing practice at even though it limited (4) For me, working Brown where there the possibilities for closely with my advisor, were no offers of ad- grad level seminars and Philip Benedict. Also, mission without sti- other activities. In my the time I spent work- pends and without ad- opinion, though, many ing as a teaching assis- equate health care (that of these affairs are dis- tant since it gave me wouldn’t have to come tractions. Given the invaluable expertise for out of my already mea- right students, I feel my later teaching as- ger stipend). I do be- that Brown’s program is signments. lieve this has changed, ideally shaped for though. quickly producing very (5) Working at the capable doctoral stu- John Hay and John (7) After having been an dents. Carter Brown librar- integral part of another ies—it was almost like graduate program for Joanna Drell, Brown being in Europe at the the past two years, I do PhD 1996, University archives with so few think there are aspects of Richmond people and such trea- of Brown’s program (1) My history 100 profes- sures. The sheer beauty that are very good—es- sor in my first semester, of New England and pecially the fact that freshman year at the new Providence the department does Wellesley College was also were inspiring. not permit weak stu- Eugene Cox. He made dents to limp along in medieval history sound the program, so alive, so interesting. taking resources I loved the sources, I also liked the fact that I was away from other source analysis; it able to work closely with my students (not all seemed like a fascinat- advisor—but this was only programs are ing career to pursue.

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