Dalibhunga: The Historical Studies Bulletin Message From The Chair WHAT’S INSIDE: It’s a great honour and privilege to introduce of dialogue,” the name given to Nelson Mandela myself as the new Chair of Historical Studies. I as a part of his traditional Xhosa rite of passage have watched the department grow and change in into maturity. The multidisciplinary nature of this NEW FACULTY my eleven years here, and I’m thrilled to say that department – with scholars in the fields of Classics, PAGE 3 we are one of the largest and most vibrant depart- History, Women and Gender Studies, Diaspora ments at the University of Toronto. Our dynamic, and Transnational Studies, Religion, South Asian APPOINTMENTS lively, and diverse faculty continues to expand; we Civilizations and Latin American and Caribbean & PROMOTIONS consistently attract not only top scholars to come Studies, whose fields truly represent virtually all of PAGE 3 & 5 and be a part of our team, but also great students the globe – reaffirms our commitment to dialogue. from all over the world who tell me often how Our mission, to foster critical and glob- thrilled they are with the depth and breadth of our al engagement with the humanities through a POST-DOCTORAL course offerings and extra curricular events. I have trans-disciplinary approach to our teaching and FELLOWS always loved being a part of the UTM community, research, is testament to our ongoing desire that PAGE 4 teaching and researching in the field of Holocaust we all keep the lines of communication open, and postwar European History. Where else do in the hope that understanding, empathy, and TEACHING & you get to teach students whose backgrounds are peace are not far behind. While this may seem INNOVATION Albanian, Bosnian, Chinese, Croatian, Ethiopian, like an enormous and daunting mission, it is within PAGE 5 Indian, Korean, Pakistani, Portugese, Serbian, Sri our reach. I have seen great things happen here Lankan, Sudanese… the list goes on and on. I teach in classrooms, in our lunchtime lecture series a subject which represents one of the darkest Prandium, and in the department as a whole; I look COMMUNITY chapters in World History, and have always found forward to continuing the tradition of dialogue and PAGE 10 that my students were there to try to understand growth that this wonderful place has how to combat the factors that lead down the slip- so carefully and conscientiously nurtured. EVENTS & ACTIVITIES pery slope from racial persecution, to segregation, - Rebecca Wittmann PAGE 11 to expulsion, and to murder. They all in some ways have shared in the understanding that it is the turning away, the indifference, the apathy towards HIGHLIGHTS one’s neighbours that creates an atmosphere in PAGE 14 which governments and nations can engage in terrible crimes. KNOWLEDGE SHARING Many students here at UTM and in & SCHOLARSHIP Historical Studies bring their own histories of per- secution, war, and displacement to the classroom; PAGE 15 those who have not had to endure such horrors learn from their fellow students in the seat next STUDENT AWARDS to them. It is immeasurably rewarding to teach PAGE 17 such engaged, interested students, and this to me Rebecca Wittman is what makes Historical Studies at UTM special. Chair of The Department of Historical Studies ALUMNI UPDATE It is especially humbling now to Chair this depart- ment as it moves forward and continues to grow, PAGE 18 in the spirit of Dalibhunga, meaning “convenor Dali- 2013-2014.indd 1 10/31/2014 2:49:51 PM Welcome Messages Campus’ New Hall Deerfield Hall, the first phase of the multi-phase North Building reconstruction, opened in Sep- tember 2014. Best wishes from Shafique Virani Campaign Facts lated to overall teaching effectiveness. This is Education, Historical Studies, and testimony to the outstanding quality of new U ofT Mississauga has launched Changing the World faculty members who have been recruited by a $60 million campaign that will our search committees, as well as to the gen- transform the campus and pre- pare it for its place as a global In a speech delivered in Johannesburg on July erous mentorship offered by our more senior innovation leader. 16, 2003, Nelson Mandela said, “Education faculty members and staff. Historical Studies is the most powerful weapon we can use to student enthusiasm for learning and research change the world.” It is a stirring sentiment is demonstrated by the fact that the third vol- Community that permeates the Department of Historical ume of our undergraduate journal, Prandium, Studies. The cutting-edge research produced attracted close to 100 submissions last year, U ofT Mississauga is involved in in Historical Studies continues to change the doubling our previous record. Faculty dedica- numerous community and civic way we look at our globe, student feedback on tion to our students and to the Department initiatives, including the Missis- the superior level of instruction in our courses is eloquently testified to by the over 80% of sauga Board ofTrade, Advan- is heart-warming, and the active engagement faculty who voluntarily agreed to review the tage Mississauga, the Healthy City Stewardship Centre; the of our faculty, staff, and students in causes submitted manuscripts. Research Innovation and dear to them is practical evidence that educa- The progress over the last several Commercialization Centre; and tion is, indeed, the most powerful weapon we years can be attributed to the dynamism of the UnitedWay of Peel Region. can use to change the world. our students, the professionalism of our staff, Our Department has not been con- and the passion of our faculty members. I’m tent to rest on its laurels. To give just a few incredibly grateful for and humbled by the examples, in the past four years that I’ve had opportunity that I was given to lead this ex- the privilege of serving as chair, I’ve seen the citing department over the last several years, number of Historical Studies research publica- and wish to thank our wonderful team in the Our Program: tions and funding skyrocket. In 2011, the aver- office, our remarkable Associate Chairs Pro- age SSHRC funding held per faculty member fessors Sarianna Metso and Andreas Bendlin, Classical Civilizations was $3,289. This year it is $38,239. In 2011, our talented staff, Duncan Hill, Sharon Mar- 18% of Historical Studies faculty members jadsingh, Corrine Bent-Womack, and Shabina held a SSHRC. Today that number has almost Moheebulla, and all the faculty members who Diaspora & doubled to 34%. Four years ago, total SSHRC stepped up to the plate to assume leadership Transnational Studies grants in the Department totalled $75,106. roles in the Department and who have shaped Today, Historical Studies can boast close to a Historical Studies. My predecessors, Profes- History million dollars in SSHRC funding. sors Mohamad Tavakoli and Robert Johnson, Particularly heartening is the suc- were always extremely generous with their cessful expansion of our faculty ranks with time and wisdom, and I’m grateful to them History of Religiions some of the world’s most outstanding young for their unstinting support and guidance scholars and teachers. With provostial ap- over the years. We are extremely fortunate Latin American & proval of our latest three tenure-stream po- to have a brilliant and dedicated new Chair sitions, fully 40% of Historical Studies faculty in Professor Rebecca Wittman, who will lead Caribbean Studies members will have been hired in the last few Historical Studies to an even brighter future. years, and we are poised for even greater ex- Nelson Mandela, whose Xhosa name Dalibhu- South Asian pansion in the years ahead. This is particularly nga is the eponym of the Bulletin of Historical Civilizations the case because of the superior quality of the Studies, sadly passed away this past academic new Historical Studies faculty who have joined year. However, his ideals continue to live on, us. Statistical evidence of student satisfaction and his belief that education can change the Women & Gender with our new instructors and new courses is world continues to inspire all of us in the De- Studies unequivocal and dramatic. To give but one ex- partment. ample, faculty members hired under the new search standard, on average, rank in the top - Shafique Virani 15% on Student Opinion Survey questions re- 2 DALIBHUNGA Dali- 2013-2014.indd 2 10/31/2014 2:49:51 PM Welcome Messages Faculty News African History Julie MacArthur Faculty Facts In 2012-13, there were 210 full- time appointed faculty at UTM. New Our community Mentorship Established in 1967, the Univer- Program sity of Toronto Mississauga is the second-largest division of U ofT (Canada’s largest univer- sity), numbering 13,300 under- graduate students, 600 gradu- ate students, over 2,000 Dr. Julie MacArthur’s research interests re- This fall, we are excited to launch full- and part-time employees volve around the role of cartography and geo- the Department’s very first Instructor (including 857 permanent fac- graphic imaginations, borders and local prac- Mentorship Program. The voluntary pro- ulty and staff) as well as over gram provides friendly, informal support 47,000 alumni. tices of space, in constructions of community, power and dissent in modern Africa. Her first for our new instructors from our appointed We are growing... book manuscript on mapping, ethnogenesis faculty members in course-related issues and dissenting politics in eastern Africa, is cur- such as syllabus planning and course man- U of T Mississauga currently rently under review with Ohio University Press agement, but also as a means of providing has 15 academic departments, and she is also working on two forthcoming a helpful resource for navigating any peda- 145 programs and 88 areas of book projects: one on mapping decolonization, gogical challenges that arise.