UWF Department of History & Philosophy

The Department of History and Philosophy is proud to welcome Dr. Megan Crutcher as our new Assistant Professor of Early American History!

Dr. Megan Crutcher is a public historian and maritime archaeologist. Dr. Crutcher comes to UWF from the Department of History at Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut. Dr. Crutcher earned a PhD in Anthropology (Nautical Archaeology Program) from Texas A&M University, an M.A. in Public History from Duquesne University, and a B.A. in History from Grove City College. A PADI-certified Rescue Diver, Dr. Crutcher has worked on projects around the world in public history and archaeology and is the co-founder and co-Principal Investigator of the Kru Coast Heritage Initiative, a project researching Indigenous heritage in Liberia, West Africa.

Join Dr. Crutcher this fall in AFH4503: Africans in the Atlantic World, which explores the development of the Atlantic World, taking an African-first approach to an otherwise Eurocentric narrative. Additionally, Dr. Crutcher will teach AMH4111: Colonial America.

Welcome to the University of West Florida, Dr. Crutcher! We are so excited to have you!

Commencement is a magical time of year - it's where the stress fades, the deadlines disappear, and celebration takes the stage.

The Department of History and Philosophy is proud to congratulate our Class of 2026 graduates. Remember: no matter how far you go, you will always be an Argo!

Happy Friday, Argos!

Today is the last day of exams, and to celebrate, we wanted to highlight a wonderful year of research, excitement, curiosity, and academic success. As you wrap up your final papers, submit your exams, and prepare for summer fun, take a look at the memories we made along the way!

We're so excited to see what comes next! See you in the summer!

Last Friday, the Office of Undergraduate Research (OUR) hosted its annual Distinguished Undergraduate Researcher Award Ceremony. The ceremony highlights students and projects from across the university, resulting in an inter-departmental showcase of academic excellence.

This year, the Department of History and Philosophy was proud to honor Liberty Moench with this achievement. Liberty is an Advanced Bachelors-to-Masters student who is taking three master's courses, interning with the Chappie James Museum, and conducting individual research on Pensacola's San Carlos Hotel. She is the epitome of a historian's ambition, and we could not think of anyone more deserving.

Thank you to the Office of Undergraduate Research for hosting this event, and congratulations once again to all award recipients.

Happy Finals Week, Argos!

This past Friday, the Department of History and Philosophy hosted the Third Annual Graduate Research Conference. Students from HIS5063: Graduate Methods II and HIS6938: Graduate Capstone presented on a wide variety of topics, ranging from the native tribes of Apalachicola to twentieth-century harp singing harmonics. We want to say thank you for yet another successful year of hard work and amazing research!

To the Graduate Capstone students who presented, you're nearing graduation! You should be proud of everything you've achieved. You all are shaping up to be amazing historians, and we cannot wait to see what you do next.

Good luck to all on finishing the Spring 2026 semester strong! Summer is just around the corner!

Congratulations to Dr. Julianna Costanzo for one AMAZING year at the University of West Florida.

Dr. Costanzo joined the Department of History and Philosophy last August, where she piloted the course Social and Political Philosophy. Additionally, she has worked to expand the Ethics of AI Course, now featured in two graduate certificate programs.

We are so incredibly grateful for Dr. Costanzo's work and her contributions to the department. We can't wait to see what you do next!

The Department of History and Philosophy cordially invites you to the Third Annual History Research Conference. Join our amazing graduate students as they present their Methods II and Capstone research.

The event will be hosted on April 24th, 2026, from 1:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. in the Argonaut Athletic Club.

If you have any questions, please email the Graduate Coordinator, Dr. Amy Mitchell-Cook, at [email protected].

Light Refreshments Provided.

Alumni Spotlight: Charles Cox

You may know him as Professor Cox, but before he was an amazing adjunct, he was once an Argo student like you!

Charles Cox, a Ph.D candidate at Texas Christian University, graduated from the Department of History and Philosophy with his B.A. in 2020 and his M.A. in 2022.

After years of hard work, hours of researching, and one dissertation later, he accepted a tenure-track position at Midwestern State University. Congratulations to MSU's newest Assistant Professor of American and Public History. We are so proud of all he's done and the work he continues to do. While he's now a mustang, he will forever be an Argo!

Happy Friday, Argos! Yesterday marked the University's annual Student Scholarly Symposium. We wanted to take a moment to highlight some of the amazing undergraduate and graduate students who presented their research to the academic community.

From the indigenous tribes of pre-contact Florida to the trenches of World War II, our students brought a wide range of interests and passions to their peers. We are so proud of their hard work!

Congratulations on a successful symposium to everyone who participated! Amazing work all around!

Eye Spy an Amazing Alumni: Meet Allison Spradlin

Allison graduated from the Department of History and Philosophy with her M.A. in 2025.

Allison proves that history can take you anywhere - even out of this world! While working on her Master's Degree, Allison began at Pensacola State College working as a Planetarium Specialist. Rick Outzen recognized her amazing talent and named her one of Pensacola Rising Stars for 2026. Whether she's showing off star systems or teaching as an Adjunct for PSC, she continues to make us proud. Congratulations, Allison, on your impressive achievement!

To read more about Inweekly's Rising Stars, please visit: https://ricksblog.biz/meet-the-2026-inweekly-rising-stars/