Foreign Policy Seminar Series
The University of Connecticut Foreign Policy Seminar (FPS) began in the fall of 1985 when then History Department Head Bruce Stave established a lecture series to honor Thomas G. Paterson, a highly respected historian of U.S. foreign relations and a member of the department since 1967. In November 1985, Arnold Offner of Boston University gave the inaugural lecture, based on his research on the foreign policy of Harry Truman. The Foreign Policy Seminar quickly gained a reputation as a venue for scholars from New England and beyond to discuss their scholarship in an informal, friendly setting.
Visiting Scholars in Gender and History
The History Department inaugurated the Gender & History Visiting Scholars program in 1998, with generous funding from the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. The purpose of the series is to bring prominent and emerging scholars working on gender with an historical framework to campus. All historical periods and geographical areas come within the purview of the series. The visiting scholars’ base is not necessarily a history department; she or he might be a sociologist, political economist, or art historian, for example. The formal and informal events in each visit draw faculty and students from nearby campuses and a wide array of disciplines at UConn.
Wednesday Workshops
The History Department hosts Wednesday Workshops several times throughout the semester to further scholarly dialogue among graduate students, faculty, and visiting scholars. In the form of a brownbag lunch, the speaker presents their research-in-progress and then engages in a Q&A with the audience.
Workshops generally take place from 12:15 – 1:15 in the Wood Hall Basement Lounge. Please contact Assistant Professor Kaveh Yazdani at kaveh.yazdani@uconn.edu if you are interested in presenting at or attending a Wednesday Workshop.
Fusco Distinguished Lecture Series
Since 1999, the Edmund J. Fusco, Sr. Fund for Excellence in History has provided generous support to bring accomplished scholars to lecture at the University of Connecticut campus. The two-day visit includes a formal lecture, a morning seminar with a pre-circulated papers, and a series of formal and informal opportunities for the invited scholar to interact with students and faculty. After two decades, the Fusco Distinguished Lecture remains a focal point of the academic year for the department and the wider UConn community.
Draper Conference & Workshop Series
Organized by the Draper Chair in American History, a position currently held by Professor Manisha Sinha, the Draper Conference and Lecture Series features bi-annual scholarly events to encourage a dialogue between visiting scholars and graduate students on topics ranging from early colonial America through the nineteenth century.
Established in 2007, the Draper Conference and workshops are funded by the generous donation of James Draper, ’41, to honor the memory of his wife, Shirley Draper, ’41.
Prize Day
Prize Day is the History Department’s annual awards ceremony recognizing outstanding undergraduate and graduate students for their academic excellence, research, teaching, and contributions to the discipline of history. Sponsored by the History Department, the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, and the UConn Foundation, the event celebrates student achievement through a variety of scholarships, fellowships, and prizes.