UNI History Department

08/26/2026

The Department of History is pleased to welcome William (Will) Carlo Abad Sabillo as a new Assistant Adjunct Professor of Ethics. Professor Sabillo is a specialist in ethics and emerging technologies and in religious ethics. He is completing his Ph.D. at the University of Aberdeen in Scotland, with an MA in Historical Theology from Wheaton College, and a BS in Religious Studies from Liberty University.

Q: What are your teaching and research interests? A: Bioethics (Patient-centered Care, PT Ethics, Narrative and Embodied Care), Human Ethics and Emerging Technologies, Religious Ethics, Care Ethics, Løgstrup and Bonhoeffer Studies, Church History

Q: Previous Experience/Background? A: Previously, I have served as Co-Convener for the Society for the Study of Christian Ethics (SSCE) in the UK. With my co-conveners, we organized and facilitated conferences at various universities in England and Scotland. In that position, I also organized online seminars with a wide range of theological ethicists across the UK and Europe addressing subjects spanning bioethics, environmental ethics, animal welfare, business ethics, and peace studies. While at the University of Aberdeen, I taught courses on early Church history, ancient conceptions of health and healing, and death studies in the ANE. Before that, I served as a theology professor at a seminary in the Philippines, teaching courses on Church history, systematics, and societal ethics. I served as a graduate student chaplain at Wheaton College. I also served as a hospital chaplain intern for Atrium Health (PICU, oncology, and palliative care). Finally, I had the privilege of learning archival work at the Marion E. Wade Center for a few years. Working with books from C.S. Lewis’ library (with margins full of notations), the letters and manuscripts of Dorothy L. Sayers, and some artifacts from J.R.R. Tolkien was slightly surreal.

Q: What brought you to UNI? A: UNI forms students to be both exemplary professionals and deeply-engaged, ethical persons. What our communities and broader society need from students and young professionals is not a neutralizing of their values, beliefs, and ethics. Rather, it is necessary that we direct students to critically-engage with their values, beliefs, and respective ethics so as to navigate the way forward. UNI embodies this in its programs, and I desire to embody that conviction and initiative as well.

Q: Anything else you'd like to share? A: I was born in south-central Philippines (Cebu), but I grew up in south-central Georgia (Macon). Both places, at times, seem to share the same climate. In my free time, I enjoy powerlifting, fishing, roasting coffee, and drumming. I nerd out about fountain pens, nice ink, and good paper. I am also an avid sports fan, especially college football and MLB. So, should you ever want to discuss coffee over a coffee, share your secret fishing spot, or talk sports, feel free to stop by and chat. It is a privilege to be a part of this collegial community, and I thoroughly look forward to serving the student body at UNI alongside you all.

Welcome to UNI, Professor Sabillo!

08/25/2026

The Department of History is pleased to welcome Dr. Beena Butool as a new Assistant Professor of Instruction and Wilson Ethics Fellow. Professor Butool is a specialist in religious ethics and early Islam, earning her Ph.D. from Florida State University, her MPhil degree from Cambridge in the UK, and her BA and MA degrees from University of Karachi in Pakistan.

Q: What are your teaching and research interests? A: My teaching and research interests include Religious Ethics, Early Islamic History, and Religion and Science. My research explores the impact of early Islamic empire on Muslim ethics. Consequently, I studied Muslim and Christian ethics, paying close attention to the medieval milieu shared by Muslims and Christians during the expansion of early Islamic empire (7th-9th C). Similarly, I like teaching courses on religious ethics with a comparative approach, incorporating Muslim and Christian ethics. At UNI, I will be teaching ‘Religion and Ethics’ and ‘Religions of the World.’ Additionally, I have experience teaching courses like ‘Islamic Traditions,’ ‘Biomedical Ethics ‘, ‘Religion, Magic, and Science’. When I teach, my goal is to equip my students with the skills needed to study the past in ways that enable them to critically examine the ethical and political claims made by religious communities today.

Q: Previous Experience/Background? A: I previously taught courses such as ‘Philosophy, Logic, Ethics’ and ‘Religious Ethics and Moral Problems’. I started off as a scholar of International Relations but my interest in the ethical arguments offered by religious communities about war and empire led me to the study of religious ethics. Prior to UNI, I served as a Visiting Assistant Professor in the Department of Religious Studies at Nazareth University in Rochester, New York from 2024 to 2026 where I taught courses on biomedical ethics, religious studies, and religion and science. I also worked closely with the Hickey Center for Interfaith Studies and Dialogue and served on the coordinating committee for the annual conference on Sacred Texts and Human Contexts, while later serving as the co-editor for a volume on the same topic.

Q: What brought you to UNI? A: When I first visited UNI, I was moved with the energy exhibited by the faculty, students, and the wider campus community in their enthusiasm for the humanities. The College of Business’s Wilson Ethics Fellowship and Philosophy and World Religions programs are great platforms to build a robust curriculum for applied ethics. For me, the recent merger between the Department of Philosophy and World Religions and the Department of History was equally exciting because it energized the pursuit of my academic interests. As far as Iowa is concerned, I have found the Midwest’s charm very endearing, increasing my enthusiasm for meeting students and faculty at UNI.

Q: Anything else you'd like to share? A: My hobbies include reading, meditation, listening to podcasts, watching scary movies, and shopping at Blain’s Farm & Fleet!

Welcome to UNI, Professor Butool!

08/24/2026

The UNI History Department is a proud co-sponsor, with the UNI School of Public Affairs & Service and UNI's Center for Civic Education, of the 2026 Constitution Day / Becker Lecture, featuring historian Annette Gordon-Reed (Harvard). Professor Gordon-Reed's talk, "Thomas Jefferson and the Presidency," will take place on Thursday, September 17th at 7:00 in Bengtson Auditorium in Russell Hall. The talk is open to the campus community and the public, but space is limited, so please register at csbs.uni.edu/constitution-day-2026

The Carl L. Becker Memorial Lecture in History has been the UNI Department of History's signature annual lecture since 1974. It honors distinguished historian and Iowa native Carl L. Becker, whose influential 1931 American Historical Association presidential address, "Everyman His Own Historian," helped shape the study of history in the 20th century. This year's Becker Lecture is presented in partnership with the Hoxie Forum, which honors UNI alumnus R. Gordon Hoxie and supports public conversations on the presidency, government and civic engagement.

08/24/2026

Welcome to the start of the new academic year! Please join the Department of History for our annual Fall Welcome Party on Wednesday at 3:00 outside Seerley Hall. Meet up with new friends and old, visit with department faculty, and enjoy snacks and swag. All are welcome!

08/24/2026

The Department of History is pleased to welcome Dr. Scott Anderson as a new Assistant Professor of Instruction. Professor Anderson is a specialist in US history, earning his Ph.D. from the University of Missouri, his Master's degree from Baylor University, and his Bachelor's degree from University of Northwestern--St. Paul.

Q: What are your teaching and research interests? A: I love teaching students about the ‘big events’ of American history, especially in ways that help students consider their relevance to the present! My research focus is on Midwestern History: I’m currently wrapping up a book on the Black Brigade of Cincinnati and beginning a new project on the Halloween Blizzard of 1991.

Q: Previous Experience/Background? A: I have been teaching—both as an adjunct and as a graduate teaching assistant—since 2018 at both private and public institutions, including Mizzou, Mary Hardin-Baylor, and UNW. The class topics have varied greatly, but probably my favorite experience so far was teaching an upper-level course on the 1980s.

Q: What brought you to UNI? A: I grew up in Prairie du Chien, WI, and my family lives in Iowa and the surrounding states. It’s great to be back in the heart of the Midwest in a welcoming department and community! One of the things I’m most looking forward to is getting to mentor undergraduate and graduate students more closely in UNI’s smaller class sizes.

Q: Anything else you'd like to share? A: I did a study-abroad at Oxford University and interned at the MN State Capitol as an undergraduate. I always encourage students to think creatively about how educational experiences like these can stretch and prepare them for their lives ahead!

Welcome to UNI, Professor Anderson!

07/17/2026

The Department of History is pleased to announce that the recipient of the 2026-2027 Ray Johnston Graduate Student in History Scholarship is Kylie Kozelka. Kylie is a teacher at Johnston High school and entering her second year in UNI's History MA program in the fall.

When notified of her receipt of the scholarship, Kylie responded, "The UNI History MA program has challenged, supported, and encouraged me through one of the most difficult seasons of my life while opening doors to opportunities I never imagined possible. I am deeply grateful to Mrs. Johnston for investing in my education and my passion for teaching history, allowing me to bring new knowledge, experiences, and opportunities back to the students I have the privilege of teaching each day. Joining the History MA program has been the best, life changing decision I have made."

Congratulations, Kylie, and best wishes as you work toward the completion of your degree!

07/16/2026

Read about the journey from UNI History to the Smithsonian for Ivana Ebersole ('26)!

Ivana, from Kalona, cited her Public History and Greek and Roman Life and Culture coures as stand-outs during her time at UNI.

When Ivana Ebersole graduated from the University of Northern Iowa this spring with a degree in history and a minor in religious studies, she was already preparing for an opportunity many aspiring museum professionals only dream about.This summer, Ebersole is serving as a collections and curatorial....

07/13/2026

In honor of UNI's 150th, the Department of History is proud to recognize some of the alumni and donors who have helped make scholarship support of our students possible. Today, we recognize the John C. Weld Memorial Scholarship and the fund's namesake, John C. Weld, a 1961 graduate of Iowa State Teachers College and a high school history teacher for four decades. UNI alum and Assistant Director of Development of UNI's Wilson College of Business Tyler Hospodarsky notes that his grandfather "was proud of the fact that he was the last class to graduate from ISTC before the name changed" to UNI.

Here is Tyler's tribute to his grandfather and his response to the department's request for info about the newly-established scholarship to honor him: "After graduating in '61, my grandpa started his first four years at Nashua before moving to Cedar Rapids and teaching for nearly 40 years at Cedar Rapids Jefferson. He was especially intrigued by WWII. He often, even after he retired, read WWII books, watched documentaries, and enjoyed movies to continue learning all the stories and angles of WWII.

That said, he loved history in general - particularly the 20th century. In his words, 'I loved going and standing where history was made.' Omaha Beach was a place that stood out as a location that made a particular impact on him when he visited.

Beyond that, he was a huge believer in education. He loved that all four of his grandchildren earned college degrees, and I know he always was proud that UNI was a college that continued to specialize in cultivating great teachers. That was where the idea of the scholarship evolved from, as we [Tyler and his family] thought he would love to know that a scholarship in his name was funding the next generation of history teachers."

Thank you to Tyler and to his family for sharing their memories and for establishing this scholarship to assist Teaching majors. If you would like to contribute to the John C. Weld Memorial Scholarship, please click here:

https://www.givecampus.com/campaigns/23219/donations/new?designation=johncweldmemorialscholarship&

05/15/2026

Please join the UNI Department of History in celebrating our spring 2026 UNI HIST graduates. Today, we recognize Lindsay Nieland.

Name: Lindsay Nieland
Major: History
Hometown: Cedar Rapids, IA
Favorite UNI HIST course: History of Ireland was my favorite history class at UNI! I loved the content, and Dr. Connors always has great classes!
Favorite UNI memory: My favorite memory is when I was working for Fortepan US on campus, and I was paired up with one of my now best friends. One of our jobs was to go to Waverly a few times a week, and I loved creating those connections with her and seeing the project come to life!
Post-graduation plans: I am attending Western Illinois University this Fall for their Museum Studies MA program.

Congratulations, Lindsay, and best wishes!

05/14/2026

Please join the UNI Department of History in celebrating our spring 2026 UNI HIST graduates. Today, we recognize Rylee Boulden.

Name: Rylee Boulden
Major: History
Hometown: Waterloo, IA
Favorite UNI HIST course: HIST 4420 History of Ireland, was my favorite history course during my time at UNI. I got to learn about the rich history of Ireland through people, events, places and the arts, which helped me better understand my own personal ancestry.
Favorite UNI memory: My favorite memory as a history student at UNI was having documents day in several different history courses. We got to sit in the Great Reading Room in Seerley Hall and transcribe documents like letters in cursive related to the course with some documents dating back to the 18th century!
Post-graduation plans: After graduating I will continue to work full time as a Craft Department Lead at a major craft retailer, where I plan on becoming a part of management.

Congratulations, Rylee, and best wishes!