NIU Department of History

05/13/2026

COMING UP THIS FALL 2026!!!

A History of Gender and Sexuality course open to multiple majors and minors. See the flyer for more details.

05/09/2026

Right after today’s undergraduate commencement, the History Department held its annual tradition of recognition ceremony for all students in our BA/BS, MA, and PhD programs.
The 2026 Awards Ceremony took place at Hopkins Park in DeKalb, with many family members in attendance to join us celebrate the achievements of these amazing students.
Congratulations to all of our awardees, and especially our Class of 2026 graduates! Go Huskies
# CLAS

05/09/2026

Another season of gratitude, one to cherish, and a time to celebrate the academic success of our History graduates. Go Huskies!

04/29/2026

Thank you to everyone who came out to support our history undergraduates at the CURE event yesterday.

This annual undergraduate research symposium, where Huskies present faculty-mentored research, artistry, and engagement projects completed during the academic year, took place yesterday. As usual, History was well represented through student participation and through faculty who served as mentors, co-mentors and judges.

Below are snippets of these projects, and please encourage more history majors to participate in the next round of CURE in April 2027.

Research Projects
Labor and Residence within the Mexican Community in Aurora, Illinois, 1920–1940
Presenter: Eddie Guerrero
Faculty Mentor: Aaron Fogleman
Program: Senior Thesis

Amplifying Illinois Historical Markers: Latino and Indigenous Sites
Presenter: Eddie Guerrero
Faculty Mentor: Rosemary Feurer
Program: Student Engagement Fund (SEF)

African American Students with a Growth Intelligence Mindset Have More Self-Concept Clarity and Better College Adjustment
Presenter: Nikaila Reid
Faculty Mentors: David Valentiner, Ismael Montana

04/19/2026

There is nothing quite like our energetic graduate students and the NIU History Graduate Student Association (HGSA). Go Huskies!

Just this past Friday, April 17, the HGSA hosted its 18th Annual Student Conference, themed “Rethinking Revolution: Narratives, Myths, and Legacies.” This year’s conference theme reflects the History Department’s planned series of exciting events to revisit and reflect on the past 250 years since the Declaration of U.S. Independence.

This full-day conference featured concurrent panels as well as alumni panels and brought together graduate student panelists from across the United States. It also welcomed four notable alumni, now professors at different stages of their careers, who shared not only their research but also their professional journeys and life experiences in the field of history.
The conference concluded with the Alfred F. Young Keynote Address. The keynote speaker, Tom Arne Midtrød of the University of Iowa, who delivered a lecture titled “Native American Diplomacy in the Long American Revolution,” which powerfully complemented the conference theme.
Thank you to the GHSA conference organizing committee and to everyone who attended. We are already looking forward to your next amazing annual conference!

04/09/2026

We are over the moon to announce NIU 2026 recognition of three of our incredible colleagues for their outstanding contributions in various distinguishing fields:

Sean Farrell, recipient of the Board of Trustees Professorship; https://bit.ly/3OfOyT9

Rosemary Feurer, recipient of the Presidential Engagement and Partnerships Professorship; https://bit.ly/4mpZD0I

Taylor Aitkins, recipient of the Faculty Mentorship Award. https://bit.ly/4shO7pb

Join us to congratulate these our awesome colleagues!

# CLAS

04/06/2026

MARK YOUR CALENDARS!

The History Graduate Student Association (HGSA) Conference at Northern Illinois University is Friday, April 17, 2026. Join us at Founders Memorial Library to share ideas and celebrate original research by graduate students from NIU and beyond. Undergraduates and members of the public are welcome to attend this free event.
To view the conference schedule, visit https://historygsa.wordpress.com/.

04/01/2026

Congratulations to Anthony Villanueva, who passed his prospectus defense yesterday with flying colors. Anthony's dissertation, directed by Professor Rosemary Feurer, is entitled "From Puerto Rico to Illinois, 1940–1970: Labor, Migration, and the Making of a Midwestern Diaspora."

03/28/2026

MEETING OF MINDS: CALLING ALL HISTORY MAJORS AND MINORS!

Join the History Department for a special event marking the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution. Come and enjoy bringing history alive with an opportunity to win a scholarship and earn course credit!
More details are Meeting of Minds are provided below. Interested candidates should scan the QR codes on the flyer for additional instructions and information.

For instructions, click here:
https://bit.ly/483SxZB

For historical figures and faculty advisors, click here
https://bit.ly/47r0EiF

Club

03/27/2026

Our colleague, Dr. Taylor Atkins, NIU's Fulbright Program Advisor, will be hosting an informational meeting on the U.S. Fulbright Student Program and talking about the application process for the 2027-28 awards cycle via Zoom, on Tuesday, April 7, 12:00-1:00 PM. A flyer is attached.

This meeting is open to anyone who would like to learn about the U.S Fulbright Student Program

Registration is required at https://go.niu.edu/fulbrightworkshop2026

The link to the calendar entry is https://calendar.niu.edu/event/student-fulbright-workshop-8360

03/09/2026

We are very proud to announce that our colleague, Prof. Sean Farrell, continues to make impactful contributions to our understanding of the Irish in Illinois that span the past 250 years. On Thursday, March 26, he was the speaker for the Lombard Historical Society’s special lecture on “The Irish in Illinois,” celebrating St. Patrick’s Day and Irish American History Month.

Happy St. Patrick's Day ahead!

Learn more about the event here:

On Thursday, March 26, the Lombard Historical Society presents “The Irish in Illinois” with Northern Illinois University history professor Sean Farrell celebrating St. Patrick’s Day and Irish ...