LSUS History and Social Sciences Department

2022 Massena Society Conference

If you are interested in history of the Revolutionary and Napoleonic Era (1789-1815), consider registering for the virtual conference that Prof. Alexander Mikaberidze will host next month. Participation is free and open to the public but participants must register.

We have a great line up of presentations and three keynote speakers:

Prof. Michael L. Leggiere, University of North Texas, author of Napoleon and Berlin: The Franco-Prussian War in North Germany, 1813 (2002); The Fall of Napoleon, volume I: The Allied Invasion of France, 1813-1814 (2007); and Napoleon and the Struggle for Germany (2015).

Prof. Michael Rowe, King’s College London, author of From Reich to State: the Rhineland in the Revolutionary Age, 1780-1830 (2003); Collaboration and Resistance in Napoleonic Europe: State Formation in an Age of Upheaval, 1800-1815 (2003) and War, Demobilization and Memory: The Legacy of War in the Era of Atlantic Revolutions (with Alan Forrest and Karen Hagemann, 2016).

Prof. Peter H. Wilson, University of Oxford, author of The Holy Roman Empire: A Thousand Years of Europe’s History (2017); The Bee and the Eagle: Napoleonic France and the End of the Holy Roman Empire (with Alan Forrest, 2009); A Companion to Eighteenth Century Europe (2008).

http://massenasociety.org/massena-society-conference/

2022 Massena Society Conference 2022 Massena Society Conference “DUST OF GLORY” REEXAMINING THE FRENCH REVOLUTIONARY AND NAPOLEONIC ERA MARCH 10-12, 2022 The Massena Society will hold its annual conference on March 10-12, 2022. This year’s conference is in memory of our founder Professor Donald D. Horward (1933-2021). Click ...

The Shroud of Turin: The Mysteries Endure

On Thursday, December 2, Dr. Cheryl White is presenting a lecture for the Smithsonian Institution, to be livestreamed at the link below. The Shroud of Turin is a historical artifact that has drawn the attention of scholars from many academic fields, and continues to be the subject of much ongoing peer-reviewed research today. Historically challenging, scientifically compelling, and artistically intriguing -- the Shroud of Turin remains the most studied object known to exist.
Dr. White has authored numerous articles on the history of the relic, and served as the historical consultant for the Museum of the Bible in Washington, D.C. for a major public exhibit opening in February 2022.

https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/shroud-of-turin-mysteries-endure

The Shroud of Turin: The Mysteries Endure The Shroud of Turin has been an object of reverence and fascination since it surfaced in mid-14th century France. Historian Cheryl White and the Rev. Peter Mangum, noted specialists in the study of the shroud, explore the mystery of this artifact through its known history and scientific findings, as...

Alyssa is a Sociology major! Congrats - we could not be more proud of you!!

LSU Shreveport’s Alyssa Garza Selected Among 4 Students Nationwide to Present Peer Education Leadership Project

Shreveport, LA—Alyssa Garza, an LSU Shreveport sociology major, concluded the National Peer Education Leadership Project (PELP) with a presentation at the 2021 NASPA General Assembly in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Garza was among four students nationwide accepted to research, present, and potentially implement health and wellness concepts designed for higher education settings.

Students selected to be in the PELP Cohort provided a research proposal, resume, and proof of certification as a Peer Educator. Garza became the first Certified Peer Educator (CPE) in LSUS’s history in 2020.

Her research, “Stay Positive: Applying Positive Psychology in the First Year of College and in Life,” is a study that breaks down the benefits and importance of implementing a positive psychology-based course for first-year students on university campuses. The presentation was the product of a year-long study with the NASPA team, and presenting her research is something Garza will always remember.

“I am very, very grateful for this experience,” Garza reflected. “It was the highlight of this year and something I will remember for the rest of my life because I am seeing the impact and reward of my effort. Students and higher education professionals came up to me after presenting to express interest, and it truly meant a lot. There was even an administrator who wants to keep in touch with me and potentially implement the course I developed on her campus!”

Anticipated to graduate in Fall 2022, Garza currently works for the LSUS Counseling Services Department where she is an invaluable team member to the Director of Counseling Services and Peer Education Advisor, Angela Pellerin.

“It was quite apparent soon after Alyssa started as a student worker that she had something special,” Pellerin said. “As a Peer Education Advisor, the opportunity came for PELP, and knowing Alyssa’s potential, I invited her to apply. Watching her tremendous growth in only a year’s time reminds me of why I do what I do. Encouraging and witnessing students as they discover their strengths and sense of purpose is one of the most satisfying experiences for me as a professional working in higher education. Seeing Alyssa’s final presentation has made everyone in our entire division of Student Development truly proud.”

Garza hopes to utilize her training, research project, and personal experience to empower first-year students to prioritize building mental health skills with positive psychology methods.

“My main goal with this project was to help students who are in the same situation I found myself in,” Garza said of her mental health challenges as a first-year student. “I struggled with catastrophizing and negativity which created a general cognitive distortion of life being something negative. When I started picking out things that were positive, I noticed the slightest change in myself that became big a difference as I cultivated positivity into my day-to-day life. I really wanted to use this project as a holistic outlook for students on how to approach mental health and the challenges they face in college by building positive skills that will serve them for the rest of their lives.”

With graduation in Fall 2022, Garza aspires to continue her education in psychology and one day offer mental health services to the military community. Her father served in the Air Force, and she hopes to integrate her experience and love for the armed forces into her career path.

“Alyssa’s innate curiosity, passion, and service-oriented mindset have become great assets to our office’s mission in supporting student well-being,” Pellerin said. “She offers wonderful student perspective, wisdom, and a strong voice to our outreach efforts. I know we have not seen the last of what she is on Earth to do.”

Written by Bianca G. Stakes

Award 🚨 Congratulations to Dr. Alexander Mikaberidze on winning one of the national book prizes, The Gilder Lehrman Military History Prize, for his book "The Napoleonic Wars: A Global History."

Please join a virtual celebration on Thursday, 11/4.

Learn more: https://www.gilderlehrman.org/about/alexander-mikaberidze-wins-gilder-lehrman-military-history-prize

A community outreach program of LSUS — today in Humanities 101 at St. John Berchmans School, with Laura Beeman Nugent teaching Greek Theatre!!

Dr. White’s new collaboration book on the 1873 yellow fever is out. I began reading it and I pronounce it “Glorious!”
Dr. Gary Dillard Joiner

Shreveport Martyrs | Servants of God

Sponsored by the LSUS Foundation, this full-length film documentary highlights the ongoing historical research of Dr. Cheryl White, who is a contributor to this important story-telling of 1873 Shreveport.
Tickets go on sale at the Strand on October 1.

Shreveport Martyrs | Servants of God Servants of God “As the official representative of His Holiness Pope Francis in the United States, I commend to you the story of these five priests … This episode in the history of the American Church is a needed message for our Western world in the current age. It highlights a model of sanctity...

LSUS has partnered with St. John Berchmans School to bring a “Humanities 101” enrichment to 7th and 8th graders. With history professor Dr. Cheryl White coordinating, the year-long enrichment will bring in several other LSUS liberal arts faculty and expose students to many university programs first-hand.

Nothing better than student reunions!! Ethan Puckett with his MBA now, and Ben Haines on the way to a Ph.D.!

Tomorrow morning at 7:10 a.m., Dr. Cheryl White will be live on KEEL Radio to discuss the recent finding of a cache of letters from 1918 Shreveport - from a mother and father to their son on the front in World War I. (thanks to Sister Sharon Rambin for donating them!)
Fascinating insights - a poignant step back in time you won’t want to miss! Tune in.

Dr. Cheryl H. White has been the primary researcher on this project, culminating in a feature-length documentary and book about five Shreveport priests of the 1873 Yellow Fever Epidemic. As a result of this work with co-authors Fr. Peter Mangum and W. Ryan Smith, all five are now in the Vatican’s canonization process.

Exciting news on the forthcoming book!

The Surest Path to Heaven: The Shreveport Martyrs of 1873, authored by Fr. Peter Mangum, W. Ryan Smith, and Dr. Cheryl White, has been contracted for publication by The History Press of Charleston, South Carolina.
The book contains a Foreword from Archbishop Christophe Pierre, the Apostolic Nuncio to the United States, and chronicles the remarkable and heroic lives of our Servants of God: Fr. Isidore Quemerais, Fr. Jean Pierre, Fr. Jean Marie Biler, Fr. Louis Gergaud, and Fr. Francois Le Vezouet.
The expected release date is late October 2021 !

(Image: Memorial stained glass windows, Holy Trinity Church, Shreveport)

Departmental News Update: Spring Semester 2021
Dr. Alexander Mikaberidze was voted Professor of the Year for the College of Arts and Sciences! This award is a long-standing and honored tradition here at LSUS, based on nominations by the student body and confirmation by the Student Government Association.

AND – A university-wide panel has granted Outstanding Faculty Awards to TWO of our LSUS History faculty! In a process based upon nominations by other faculty – Dr. Alexander Mikaberidze received the award for his contributions in the area of Research, and Dr. Cheryl White for her contributions in the area of Service.

Finally, three of our faculty have been selected to participate in a state-wide Open Textbooks Pilot Program as part of a $2 million grant funded by the Department of Education. This innovative program will make textbooks freely accessible to all students without restriction. Joining select faculty from other public and private academic institutions across Louisiana are Dr. Helen Wise (Sociology), and Dr. Alexander Mikaberidze and Dr. Cheryl White (History). The goal of this initiative is to significantly reduce costs and improve learning outcomes for approximately 250,000 student enrollments statewide per academic year.

Save the date!

To register click here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-legacy-of-the-filibuster-war-national-identity-and-collective-memory-i-tickets-150750898997

Open now for registration, special course offering for Fall Semester.
Cheryl H. White Alexander Mikaberidze

Revisiting the Civil War: A Cause Worth Losing?

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/revisiting-the-civil-war-a-cause-worth-losing-tickets-147858273075

Revisiting the Civil War: A Cause Worth Losing? Join us March 30, from 6-7:30pm, as LSUS student and Navy veteran Chad Beall discusses the controversy surrounding Confederate statues.

Orange Irish: Why some prefer orange to green on St. Patrick's Day

Historian Dr. Cheryl White weighed in with KTBS on this interesting story about St. Patrick's Day.

Orange Irish: Why some prefer orange to green on St. Patrick's Day SHREVEPORT, La -- March 17 marks Saint Patrick’s Day, and the tradition is familiar to all as the color green rules the day.

Napoleon and His Legacy: Warfare, Politics, and Society, March 18-21, 2021

Save the date late this month - On March 18-21, Prof. Alexander Mikaberidze will be hosting a conference on the Age of Napoleon, featuring a diverse group of presenters and keynote talks by Jeremy Black (University of Exeter), Michael Broers (University of Oxford) and Charles Esdaile (University of Liverpool). The conference will take place virtually, on the Zoom platform. Once participants register, they will receive a copy of the program with Zoom links so they can access individual panels. You can register here 👇
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/napoleon-and-his-legacy-warfare-politics-and-society-march-18-21-2021-tickets-142425537617

Napoleon and His Legacy: Warfare, Politics, and Society, March 18-21, 2021 Symposium on the Age of Napoleon in commemoration of the bicentennial of Napoleon's death.

Timeline Photos

Join the LSUS Professor Dr. Reibsome and Air Force Veteran Jason Tipler for a discussion on the realities of war violence and nostalgic propaganda.

A sneak peak at Fall 2021! A very special course offering.
Alexander Mikaberidze Cheryl H. White

LSU Shreveport

Due to weather, the LSUS campus will remain closed on Wed. Feb. 17th, Thurs., Feb. 18th, and Fri., Feb. 19th.
All face-to-face classes scheduled from the 17th-19th will be taught remotely. Students should check Moodle or contact their instructors immediately for further information. 100% Online classes will continue as scheduled.
The university will make an announcement on Friday, February 19th about the reopening of campus during the week of February 22nd.

Two Days in September

For Black History Month, a special virtual exhibit is now up at the Spring Street Museum:
Two Days in September recounts events of 1963 here in Shreveport, as the community reacted to news of the bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham. The story is told in a series of compelling archival photographs, and concludes with a powerful oral history given by late civil rights activist Rev. Harry Blake. The latter is on file with the Library of Congress.

docs.google.com