UIC Department of History

Why have universities folded so easily to aggression from the current administration? Our very own Professor Kevin Schultz argues in the Times Higher Education that it has everything to do with the perception that they are the homes of white liberals - the one thing people everywhere on the American political spectrum can agree to hate! Piling on white liberals--especially those in the detached academic elite--has a deep yet surpisingly recent history in American political life, one that Prof. Schultz uncovers in his new book--Why Everyone Hates White Liberals (Including White Liberals): A History.

Is the demonisation of liberalism damning US universities? ‘White liberals’ are attacked from all sides of the US political spectrum. And with Donald Trump ramping up the rhetoric, college professors – popularly seen as archetypal liberals – are very much in the firing line, Kevin Schultz tells Matthew Reisz

During his time at UIC, History alumnus Victor Leal-Painter (Teaching of History '24) had an excellent run. He was a recipient of the prestigious Davee Scholarship for upcoming History majors and served as the Vice President of the History Club. He now teaches history and civics at Fenwick High School, a college preparatory school in Oak Park, IL. Leal-Painter was kind enough to tell us all about his experiences in History at UIC, how the program and coursework informs his work today, and his plans for the future.

Q&A with a History Alum: Victor Leal-Painter | History | University of Illinois Chicago Q&A with a History Alum: Victor Leal-Painter Posted on April 02, 2025 Leal-Painter (Teaching of History '24) takes his UIC History degree to the classroom and beyond. During his time at UIC, History alumnus Victor Leal-Painter (Teaching of History '24) had an excellent run. He was a recipient of the...

A UIC degree in History has taken Max Gambony ('23) far—around the world, in fact. Read Max's reflections on how his history work at UIC prepared him for a career in international relations and military intelligence on our website:

History degree takes Max Gambony far | History | University of Illinois Chicago History degree takes Max Gambony far Posted on February 24, 2025 US Army Specialist Maximillian Gambony (UIC History '23; left) puts his history degree to work on the world stage. by Kevin M. Schultz "My history degree set me up perfectly to work in military intelligence," says Maximillian Gambony (...

Prof. Elizabeth Todd-Breland's "co-authored" memoir of labor leader Karen Lewis – I Didn't Come Here to Lie: My Life and Education – is now out officially from Haymarket Books! The book has already attracted buzz and acclaim. Check out the recongition and awards as well as some excellent interviews that Prof. Todd-Breland did on our News page:

Acclaim, recognition for Prof. Elizabeth Todd-Breland's co-authored memoir of labor leader Karen Lewis | History | University of Illinois Chicago Acclaim, recognition for Prof. Elizabeth Todd-Breland’s co-authored memoir of labor leader Karen Lewis Posted on April 14, 2025 I Didn't Come Here to Lie: My Life and Education traces the life and career of a labor powerhouse Prof. Elizabeth Todd-Breland's "co-authored" book – I Didn't Come Here...

Please join us on Wednesday, April 30 2025 for the 2025 Annual Osofsky Lecture and Awards Ceremony! This year's lecture will feature a talk by Prof. Stephanie McCurry of Columbia University entitled "A Revolution in Every Household and Family: A New History of Reconstruction." We will also recognize the excellent work of student award-winners and celebrate our achivements as a department this year.

Nez Castro (UIC History '24) recieved a lovely writeup in UIC Today highlighting their contributions as an intern to the Chicago History Museum's Aquí en Chicago project. Congratulations Nez! Prof. Lilia Fernandez also recieves a shout-out for advising the project.

UIC students help build upcoming museum exhibit about Latinos | UIC today When a long-planned exhibit celebrating Chicago’s Latino communities opens at the Chicago History Museum in October, the contributions of many UIC students and faculty will be on display.  

Congratulations to Rodrigo Vega (History '28), the latest winner of the Davee Foundation Scholarship for high-achieving History and English undergraduates! Vega dreams of putting his History degree to work at law school and eventually as a lawyer advancing and defending civil rights. The Davee Foundation scholarship will allow him to do so, providing funding for four full years of tuition at UIC. Read his story on our news page:

Rodrigo Vega is History's latest Davee Scholarship Winner | History | University of Illinois Chicago Rodrigo Vega is History’s latest Davee Scholarship Winner Posted on January 22, 2025 Rodrigo Vega (History '28) has a dream to one day work as an attorney for the ACLU or the NAACP. Inspired by the power of historically powerful legal decisions that went on to shape social justice movements, Vega ...

Congratulations Prof. Negrin!

Congratulations to Hayley Negrin of UIC Department of History for winning the prestigious Anne Braden Prize for the best work in Southern women's history from Southern Historical Association / Journal of Southern History for her exceptional article, "Return to the Yeokanta/River: Powhatan Women and Environmental Treaty Making in Early America."

Read the full article ➡️go.uic.edu/hayley-negrin-uchicagopress

Congratulations to UIC HIstory's own Prof. Young Richard Kim from UIC College of Liberal Arts and Sciences!

Prof. Kim is serving as a Faculty Fellow at Institute for the Humanities, UIC. His upcoming lecture, “Cyprus and the Historiography of Late Antiquity: The Environmental Turn,” will be held on January 23, 2025 at 4:00 PM - 5:30 PM in the Institue for the Humanitites (153 Behavioral Sciences Building, 1007 W. Harrison St., Chicago, IL 60607). Please come show your support!

https://huminst.uic.edu/events/faculty-fellow-lecture-series-young-richard-kim-classics-and-mediterranean-studies-and-history-cyprus-and-the-historiography-of-late-antiquity/

Meet Young Richard Kim, Associate Professor and Department Head of Classics and Mediterranean Studies at UIC.

In his interview with Stories from atLAS, Dr. Kim reflects on his journey since joining UIC in January 2020, the challenges of adapting to new teaching formats during the pandemic, and his passion for research and education. In his partial appointment in the history department, he emphasizes the importance of a well-rounded education that nurtures character and critical thinking, encouraging students to draw connections between the past and the present.

Learn more about Dr. Kim and his upcoming Faculty Fellow Lecture at the Institute for the Humanities here - https://go.uic.edu/YoungRichardKimatLAS

The Fall 2024 semester was one for the history books in the UIC Department of History!

Faculty and students recieved awards and recognition - scholarly and otherwise - for their amazing work, students made their mark on public history in and around Chicago, faculty fellows and visiting scholars presented fascinating lectures around campus, and hundreds of students enrolled in courses covering over 3 millenia and six continents.

Congratulations to the faculty, students, and alumni on an excellent semester!

Fall '24 in Review - One for the History Books | History | University of Illinois Chicago Fall ’24 in Review – One for the History Books Ruairí Yücel-O'Mahony | Posted on January 13, 2025 From left to right: Prof. Kevin Schultz distributes awards recognizing students for excellent work at the History Department Pizzanomenon as Prof. Jonathan Connolly looks on. Prof. Lynn Hudson lec...

The Department of History held its annual Gilbert Osofsky Lecture and Ceremony on Wednesday, April 24 before one hundred some-odd guests in the Cardinal Room of Student Center East. Barnard College's Premilla Nadasen gave a powerful talk on her new book, Care: The Highest Stage of Capitalism.

But that was only after the Department bestowed several annual awards.

Professor Jonathan Connolly took home top honors on the teaching front, winning the Shirley A. Bill Prize for Teaching Excellence, a prize voted on by History faculty, graduate students, and undergraduate History majors. His name will forever be memorialized on a plaque in 950 University Hall.

Graduating History major Bernadette Pitt-Payne won the Gordon Lee Goodman Award for Distinction in Undergraduate Studies. The Goodman Award was endowed by friends and relatives of the late Gordon L. Goodman, associate professor of British History at UIC. It is given annually, by vote of the history faculty, to the student (or, on occasion, students), near senior standing, who most demonstrates excellent scholarship. It is the top award the Department gives to an undergraduate student. Several faculty members spoke on her behalf, including Prof. Connolly. Ms. Pitt-Payne is off to Queen University Belfast next year, to pursue a Master's Degree in public history.

Fiona Lashmet won the Lillian Edinger Prize for excellent scholarly work, and Professor John Abbott, spoke on her behalf.

Hashoun Marks won the David Stahl and Karol Weigelt Prize. The David Stahl and Karol Weigelt Prize was endowed by David Stahl, a History major who graduated UIC in 1968. It is given annually to the History major who demonstrates excellent scholarship and has financial need. Professor Ivón Padilla Rodríguez spoke of Hashoun's excellence as a historian.

Molly Courtois, Fahmida Haque, Abla Abdelkader, June Chow, Katherine Dahl, Roan Lester, Caleb Price, and Wiktor Kurzawa were all awarded the Richard S. Levy Pathway to History Award for showing excellent promise in a large survey history course.

Congratulations to all the winners!

We're delighted to invite you to this year's Gilbert Osofsky Lecture, the Department of History's annual end-of-year celebration, held on Wednesday, April 24 at 2:00 p.m. This year, in addition to welcoming friends and giving out awards and championing our department, our featured speaker will be Premilla Nadasen, a professor of history at Barnard University. She will give a talk from her new book, Care: The Highest Stage of Capitalism. The event will be live and in-person at UIC in the Cardinal Room of Student Center East (SCE) at 750 S. Halsted.

We look forward to seeing you soon, and please let me know if you have any questions!
https://www.haymarketbooks.org/books/2098-care