News and Features

The HGSA was founded in 1997 and has been a part of graduate student life in the History Department ever since. Here we speak with Rhiannon Turgel-Ethier, the current president, and Dragana Zikovic, the communications officer, about their dissertation research and their involvement with the HGSA.

Congratulations to Lauren Owens, winner of the Fall 2023 Walbolt graduate fellowship and Rhiannon Turgel-Ethier, winner of the Fall 2023 Martin-Vegue graduate fellowship.

My name is Gabrielle, and I am a senior hoping to graduate this spring semester. In the senior seminar on American Pop Culture with Dr. Mooney, I began to work on 1990s feminism. For my senior seminar paper, I decided to look at “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” the TV series. I loved watching Buffy as a child, and it was wonderful being able to use my passion for my senior thesis.

Congratulations to Benjamin Ream, winner of FSU History's Undergraduate Research Paper Award, and Anne Tirrell who received an honorable mention.

Hi, I am Ben, I am in my final semester at FSU with a double major in History and Classical Civilizations. After graduation, I am planning to teach Latin and History at the high school level. My senior seminar paper is called "Rewriting History: The Significance of Roman Origin Stories in the Augustan Age." One of the focal points of my paper was Rome’s attempts to move away from ancient stories that connected them to the Greeks. The other focus was on Augustan Age propaganda, especially why authors in the circle of the emperor Augustus were keen to write such stories.

Kieran, Ava, Maya, and Bryce are in charge of running FSU's History Club. Together they work hard to organize meetings and outings for the Club's members. "We have game nights where we play historically themed board games. We have movie nights where we watch a movie that the members chose. And then we have outdoor activities, where we go to FSU sporting events or historical places in the area." In this interview, they share how their passion for history translates into running the History Club.

History major Ryan Alvarez transferred to FSU after his freshman year. He came because of the professors in the History department and the courses that were offered. His advice to incoming students: Involve yourself in the history community and talk to your advisors and your teachers. The university and the department provide a lot of tools to succeed - but you need to reach out and make use of them.

Michael is in his 4th year in the grad program, he became ABD last year. His research focuses on how successive British governments have used land policies to create loyal subjects, especially by appealing to masculine ideals of the householder, the small-hold farmer, in Ireland and South Africa between 1870 and 1910. In this interview, he is talking about what it is like to do research in London.

Hi, I am Mallory Malman, I am a senior at Florida State University, double majoring in History and English – Editing, Writing, Media. I came to FSU because I was selected for the Presidential Scholar program. I became interested in History during my Freshman year when I worked with Dr. Piehler, the Director of the Institute on World War II and the Human Experience, on a project through the Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program. Through the coursework for the History major, I have come to realize that History is what I want to do with my life. Let me share my senior seminar experience with you.

FSU alumnus Weston Nunn relates how his graduate training in History was an excellent preparation for his job as grant writer for the foundation of a regional hospital system.