American Studies at Penn State

05/29/2026

PSH AMST alumna Susan Asbury, now a professor of history at University of Middle Georgia, has revised her dissertation on the intriguing topic of Gilded Age board games for publication in the University Press of Kentucky’s Material Worlds series. Congratulations Susan! We are proud of you. 🎉 https://www.kentuckypress.com/9781985903845/family-game-night/

04/22/2026

We have some student accolades to celebrate!

Congratulations to PhD student Ed Hauck, who will be part of the Scholars in Residence program at the PA State Archives this summer, pursuing his doctoral research on the origin of wildlife conservation in Pennsylvania during the Progressive Era.

Congrats also go to doctoral candidates Jack Daly and Stephen Lochetto, who each have articles in the latest issue of Contemporary Legend. Jack published "Devil in the Skies, Stars on the Barns: The Snallygaster, Hex Signs, and Barn Stars," and Stephen published "Cat 'Tales: Investigating the Legend of 'Car-Sized' Catfish at the Base of Dams."

Contemporary Legend, the annual journal of the International Society for Contemporary Legend Research, aims to promote and encourage research and to provide a forum for those working in this vibrant area of traditional narrative scholarship. Within this context the term “legend” is interpreted i...

04/17/2026

Mary Zaborskis, associate professor of American studies and gender studies in the School of Humanities, is building bridges with other disciplines through gender and sexuality studies — a field she…

04/16/2026

David Witwer, distinguished professor of American studies and history at Penn State Harrisburg, is one of six University faculty members who received 2026 Faculty Scholar Medals for Outstanding Achievement, a prestigious honor that recognizes scholarly or creative excellence.

Witwer’s research focuses on the impact of union corruption scandals on modern American politics; it brings together the intersecting historical fields of labor, politics, journalism and organized crime. Read more about his work in the link!
American Studies at Penn State


https://www.psu.edu/news/faculty-and-staff/story/six-receive-faculty-scholar-medals-scholarly-creative-excellence

04/08/2026

Our graduate student symposium and annual lecture with Dr. Jan Todd will take place on Monday, April 20, in Olmsted C213! These events are free and open to the public.

1pm-2:25pm: Graduate Panel
-Nathaniel Drenner: Travel Guide to an American Dream: Theodore F. Wolfe (MD, PhD) and Vicarious “Self-Improvement” in 19th Century Literary Tourism
-Jenavieve Hottenstein: Public Memory, America 250, and the American Bicentennial
-Drake Hansen: “It’s Hard Being the Trophy Wife and the Breadwinner”: Trixie Mattel and the Q***r, Femme American Dream
-Manal Mohamed: Invisible Borders and Environmental Entrapment in August Wilson’s Fences

4pm: Annual Lecture
-Dr. Jan Todd: An Unexpected Life in Strength

04/08/2026

Our graduate student symposium and annual lecture with Dr. Jan Todd will take place on Monday, April 20, in Olmsted C213! These events are free and open to the public.

1pm-2:25pm: Graduate Panel
-Nathaniel Drenner: Travel Guide to an American Dream: Theodore F. Wolfe (MD, PhD) and Vicarious “Self-Improvement” in 19th Century Literary Tourism
-Jenavieve Hottenstein: Public Memory, America 250, and the American Bicentennial
-Drake Hansen: "It's Hard Being the Trophy Wife and the Breadwinner": Trixie Mattel and the Q***r, Femme American Dream
-Manal Mohamed: Invisible Borders and Environmental Entrapment in August Wilson’s Fences

4pm: Annual Lecture
-Dr. Jan Todd: An Unexpected Life in Strength

03/26/2026

American Studies MA student Kendis Butler was featured in Penn State Today this week for her research on the career of basketball player/coach and alum Jim Baker! See link in bio for full story.

03/26/2026

American Studies MA student Kendis Butler was featured in Penn State Today this week for her research on the career of basketball player/coach and Penn State Harrisburg alum Jim Baker!

Penn State Harrisburg graduate student Kendis Butler’s research helped uncover the basketball history of 1976 alum Jim Baker, paving the way for his induction into the campus Athletics Hall of Fame.

02/13/2026

Dr. Mariah Kupfner was featured in Penn State News this week for her innovative use of virtual reality and 3D scanning to train students in designing museum exhibitions!

For more information about how to join Dr. Kupfner in our undergraduate or graduate museum studies certificate programs, visit our website at: https://harrisburg.psu.edu/humanities/american-studies-program

Mariah Kupfner, an assistant professor of American studies and public heritage at Penn State Harrisburg and 2024-2026 Teaching and Learning with Technology Faculty Fellow, is working to bring virtual reality and other digital tools into the humanities classroom.

02/06/2026

A hearty congratulations to Scott J. Moser (Ph.D. 2023) on the upcoming publication of his book The Bell Picturephone: Tomorrow's Telephoning Before Its Time!

https://mcfarlandbooks.com/product/the-bell-picturephone/

02/04/2026

Reunion of Penn State American studies professors, past and present, in Lancaster. Rob Bresler, John Haddad, Anthony Buccitelli, and Simon Bronner, who was featured speaker. They span almost the entire history of the program from the 1970s to the present.