Department News - 2005

History Graduate Student Recent Highlights

Jahue Anderson (History, MA, 2004) received recognition for best paper in the Ben H. Procter Research Paper competition at the 2004 meeting of the Southwestern Social Science Association for "An Environmental History of the Wichita Rivers: Agriculture and Irrigation on the Mesquite Plains."

Constance Bishop (History, MA, 2000), who is pursuing the PhD in history at SMU, passed her comprehensive exams and is ABD.

Carlos Blanton (History, MA, 1995), assistant professor of history at Texas A&M University, recently published T he Strange Career of Bilingual Education in Texas, 1836-1981 (Texas A&M University Press, 2004) and is currently working on a biography of famed pedagogue and civil rights activist George I. Sanchez.

Diane Cain (History, MA, 1998) is pursuing the PhD in history at Rice University.

Angie Calder (History, MA, 2000) has begun the PhD in history program at the University of Houston.

Amy Canon, a graduate student in the Department of History's public history program, had her work as an intern in the Daughters of the Republic of Texas [DRT] Library during spring 2004 featured in a lengthy article that appeared in the San Antonio Express News, May 22, 2004. Amy archived photographic negatives that are part of a significant 8,000-item collection of work done by commercial photographer Joe Elicson. Amy cleaned negatives, put them in archival-quality envelopes, and categorized and catalogued them. As a result of her outstanding work, Amy was offered a part-time position in the DRT archives.

Bob Cavendish (History, MA, 2001) published "Anvil of Ceres: The Confederate Foundry at Waller Creek" in the April 2004 edition of the Southwestern Historical Quarterly and teaches U.S. history at Austin Community College.

Jeff Coker (History, MA, 1994) is assistant professor of history at Belmont University.

Steve Collins (History, MA, 1992) is teaching at St. Louis Community College, after receiving the PhD in history from LSU in 1998.

Jerry Drake (History, MA, 2003) was recently named Director of Archives at the Texas General Land Office.

Jesse Esparza (History, MA, 2002) has begun the PhD in history program at the University of Houston.

Georgia Davis, currently in the graduate Public History Program, was recently named manager for Sebastopol House State Historic Site in Seguin, Texas.

Nathan Giesenschlag (History, MA, 2001) is teaching American history surveys at Blinn College and Montgomery County CC.

Kay Goldman (History, MA, 1995) earned the PhD in history from Texas A&M University in 2002 and is an academic advisor there.

Carlyn Copeland Hammons (History, MA, 2002) is working as the Special Collections Coordinator for the Texas Medical Association. In charge of the organization's archives and the History of Medicine Collection, she has produced exhibits displayed in the TMA gallery, including the "History of Women in Texas Medicine" exhibit that recently opened in June 2004. In addition to that, Carlyn is doing some contract work for Texas Parks and Wildlife, transcribing oral history interviews of former Civilian Conservation Corps workers.

Jeff Hankins (History, MA, 1998), who earned the Ph.D. in History at LSU in 2003, accepted a tenure-track assistant professor of history position at Louisiana Tech University after recently teaching at LSU and Tulane University during 2003-04.

Jeff Hassman (History, MA, 1995) received the PhD in history from George Washington University in 2002 and recently taught at Northwest Vista College in San Antonio.

Gabriel Head (History, MA, 2000) is in the Baylor University Law program and applying for admission to the Texas Bar.

Clarissa Hinojosa (History, MA, 2002) teaches U.S. history at Austin Community College and Texas Lutheran College.

Judith Hoffman (History, MA, 1996) is completing the PhD at the University of Texas-Austin and teaches at Texas Lutheran University.

Roger Horky (History, MA, 2000) has begun the PhD in history program at Texas A&M University.

Ann Kapp (History, MA, 2002) teaches U.S. history courses at Austin Community College, Concordia Lutheran University, and Central Texas College.

Ryan Kashanipour (History, MA, 2003) has begun the PhD program in history at the University of Arizona.

John Kearney (History, MA, 1996) received the Ph.D. in history from the University of Houston and presented a paper at the World History Association of Texas 2004 Conference.

Morgen King, current MA student, received a Professional Business Women's research grant in the amount of $500 for researching the Texas Women's University Special Collections.

Rebecca Kosary (MA, 1999), who is pursuing a PhD in history at Texas A&M University, passed her comps and teaches at Texas Lutheran University.

Tanya Krause (History, MA, 2003) published "Barrels of Fun" in Horse Illustrated (February 2002).

Bryan Mann (History, MA, 2000) is writing his dissertation on the early Stuart lieutenancy in Cambridgeshire, England, for a PhD in history at the University of Leicester, England.

Heather Milligan (History, MA, 2003) is engaged in studies in the University of Texas-Austin Information Sciences School's MLS program.

Tara Neal (History, MA, 1996) earned the PhD in history from the University of North Texas and is a director of academic affairs with the University of Phoenix.

Hugh O'Donovan (History, MA, 2004) received recognition for best paper in the Ben H. Procter Research Paper competition at the 2004 meeting of the Southwestern Social Science Association for "The Unionization of Black Motion Picture Projectionists in Dallas and Houston, 1923-1949." Hugh taught the introductory U.S. history survey at Texas State and was recently hired to teach history courses at Texas Lutheran University in Seguin.

Gene Preuss (History, MA, 1993) earned the PhD in history from Texas Tech University in 2004 and is an assistant professor of history at the University of Houston-Downtown.

Chris Quinn (History, MA, 1999) is in the PhD program in history at the University of Delaware where he passed his comps.

Jodi Reed (History, MA, 2003) also taught the U.S. history survey and the History of Western Civilization since 1715 at Texas State.

Nicole Sanders (History, MA, 1996) completed the PhD in history at the University of California-Irvine and is an assistant professor at Lynchburg College.

Brandi Schnautz (History, MA, 2001) is pursuing a law degree at the University of Texas-Austin.

Brad Shreve (History, MA, 2003) has begun the PhD in history program at the University of New Mexico.

Ruth Sullivan, a current MA student, participated in the First Annual Texas Heritage Seminar in September 2002 at Schreiner University and assisted in the design and display of an exhibit on Texas guitars and guitar making that complemented the travelling Smithsonian Institute exhibition, "Hearts and Hands: Musical Instrument Makers of America" at the New Braunfels Museum of Art & Music.

Dave Sysma (History, MA, 1999) teaches U.S. history at Austin Community College.

Bev Tomek (History, MA, 1999) passed her comprehensive exams and is now ABD in history at the University of Houston.

Miguel Trujillo (History, MA, 1998) is an instructor at the University de Alcala, Spain.

Chuck Waite (History, MA, 1992) completed the PhD in history at Texas Tech University in 1999, has been working for a museum design firm in Houston, and soon will take a teaching position at the University of Texas-Pan American.

Laura West (History, MA, 2001), who previously was Historian and Archaeologist with PBS&J in Austin and designed a museum among other public history and cultural resource management projects, left her position with M&S Engineering, Ltd. and is now a private consultant.

Ray Westphal (History, MA, 2000) is pursuing the PhD in history at Exeter University, England.

Keith Williams (History, MA, 1997) was awarded the degree of PhD in history from the University of Leicester, England, in 2002.

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