UWF Department of History & Philosophy

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UWF Department of History & Philosophy

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Keep up with the UWF Department of History and Philosophy here!

We will post about our disciplines, events, and fun facts geared toward our alumni, current students, and future students.

10/23/2026

One year after UWF students began recording the firsthand experiences of veterans at Pensacola’s Azalea Trace retirement community, those stories are coming to the screen.

The UWF Department of History and Philosophy will premiere Their Vietnam: Voices of Azalea Trace, a documentary created from a year-long Public History oral history project, on Tuesday, Nov. 10, at the UWF Center for Fine and Performing Arts Mainstage Theatre. A public reception begins at 6:30 p.m., followed by the documentary premiere at 7 p.m.

The approximately 1-hour, 40-minute film centers on the individual experiences of Vietnam veterans at Azalea Trace. Rather than attempting to present a single narrative of the war, the documentary preserves the veterans’ own accounts of service, identity, and the sobering realities of war.

Tuesday, Nov. 10, 2026
📍 UWF Center for Fine and Performing Arts - Mainstage Theatre
🕕 6:30 p.m. Public Reception
🕖 7:00 p.m. Documentary Screening

Learn About Local Veterans' Experiences

Among those interviewed during the broader project were veterans with distinguished military and public-service careers, as well as veterans and spouses whose experiences illuminate the deeply personal dimensions of military service and war. The resulting oral histories are intended to preserve these firsthand accounts in UWF’s archives. Rather than presenting a single narrative of the war, the documentary preserves the veterans’ own individual accounts of service, identity, and the sobering realities of war.

This event is free and open to the public. Please register here: https://forms.gle/CDtXmCibJcyEHGCH7
For more information, please contact: [email protected]

10/21/2026

Interested in European History? Meet Our Newest Adjunct: Dr. Robin Hardy!

Dr. Robin Hardy begins this spring as an adjunct instructor. Her specializations include modern Europe, colonialism—particularly in Africa—world history, and international affairs.

Dr. Hardy's university teaching includes exciting highlights, such as 19th- and 20th-century Europe, European Intellectual history, Colonialism and Post-colonialism in Africa, Modern Africa, International Relations, and Western Civilization beginning in the classical period and extending through the contemporary era.

Active in the global affairs think tank world, she is the author of several articles, policy briefs, and a book on human rights in nineteenth-century Francophone Africa.

Dr. Hardy will host EUH4990: Twentieth-Century Europe this spring! We are so excited to have her join our amazing adjunct faculty team!

Remember Argos: Advanced Registration begins November 9th, with Open Registration beginning on the 16th! We look forward to a successful Spring 2027 semester!

10/19/2026

On August 15th, 1559, Don Tristan de Luna entered Pensacola Bay, later establishing the first multi-year European settlement in the present-day United States. A month later, De Luna experienced a hurricane, which sank six ships, grounded a seventh, and wreaked havoc on the infant colonial settlement. Those that remained struggled to survive before later abandoning the colony in 1561.

Hurricanes are an integral part of Florida’s complex history. They challenge; they take; they destroy – but they also reveal. Hurricane Isaias, like its many meteorological predecessors, revealed a sense of communal resilience and compassion. Amid the chaos of the storm, the citizens of Escambia, Santa Rosa, and Okaloosa counties set aside their differences and worked together to provide resources, assistance, and shelter for those in need. They created community.

As the University of West Florida reopens its doors to students, faculty, and staff, we hope to continue the cultural precedent that our community established: resistance, strength, and perseverance. We are proud to highlight our Argos, not for their academic success or athletic talent, but as members of a resilient local community. As you return to classes this week, take pride in knowing that you are making history.

Picture: Chaves, Gerónimo de. La Florida. 1582. 14x21 cm. Florida Memory: State Library and Archives of Florida. https://floridamemory.com/items/show/323284.

10/07/2026

RESCHEDULED DUE TO HURRICANE ISAIAS - New Date: February 17th, 2027

Join the Department of History and Philosophy at the next College of Arts, Social Sciences, and Humanities Scholarship Spotlight!

This month's scholarship spotlight highlights the work of Dr. Elvis Kim and Meghan Sheridan and discusses themes of politics, protest, and identity.

Dr. Elvis Kim, Assistant Professor in the Reubin O'D. Askew Department of Government, will present “Patriots Only”: Autocratization in Post-2019 Hong Kong, examining political and institutional changes in Hong Kong following the protests of 2019.

Meghan Sheridan, a History master’s student, will present Irish-American Nationalist Movements During the Troubles, exploring how cultural revival, changing gender roles, and the protest movements of the 1960s influenced Irish American women’s political activism and identity.

We are so proud to see our graduate students engaging with the UWF community! Be sure to join us next Wednesday, October 14th, from 12:00-1:00 p.m. in the library multipurpose room!

10/05/2026

Exploring History at the Gulf South Historical Association's 44th Annual Conference!

From Thursday, October 1st to Saturday, October 3rd, Midwestern State University hosted the GSHA in Natchez, Mississippi. There, conference attendees explored the region's vast culture, ranging from the U.S. South to Central America and the Caribbean. We are so proud of our amazing Argos who participated in such an amazing event!

Interested in presenting at a conference? Contact the UWF Graduate School for more information!

09/28/2026

Scholarship Spotlight: Dr. Megan Crutcher explores the Monster in the Harbor!

The Department of History and Philosophy is proud to recognize Dr. Megan Crutcher's recent co-authored publication, "The Monster in the Harbor: Abandoned Shipwrecks and Uncanny Ruins," in the Heritage Journal!

Dr. Crutcher and co-authors Prince D. Kondeh and Lawrence Saydee's work is a maritime archaeology study of a modern metal cargo shipwreck in Greenville, Liberia, that reportedly wrecked during the Liberian civil wars (1989–2003).

They aim to theorize how discard, decay, and dismantling of ships in shipwreck graveyards are social and political processes. They use the metaphors of a skeleton, a zombie, and a ghost to analyze the life and memory of this shipwreck and how these graveyard monsters are resurrected more broadly from the shipwrecks created by contemporary violent conflict.

Shipwreck graveyards are not only final resting places for exhausted ships but are also conceptual spaces where human emotions like despair, hope, and fear are materialized through ghost stories, local lore, attempts to manage undead and threatening pasts, and material remains of the skeletons of ships past.

Their article is Open Access and can be read here: https://www.mdpi.com/2571-9408/9/10/380

From seminars to shipwrecks, we are proud to call Dr. Crutcher an Argo!

Interested in learning more? Join Dr. Crutcher this spring in EUH4990: Europe in Africa and HIS6055: Public History Seminar!

09/23/2026

Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month with the Department of History and Philosophy!

The Department of History and Philosophy is proud to host a variety of courses that highlight the complex world of Hispanic and Latin American History. Our professors have put together a list of recommended readings to highlight a few amazing stories!

Interested in learning more? Join Dr. Erin Stone in LAH4451: Greater Mexico, Dr. Megan Crutcher in EUH4990: Europe in Africa, and Dr. Amy Mitchell-Cook in AMH4131: American Revolutions, 1763-1826 this Spring Semester!

09/21/2026

Scholarship Spotlight: Dr. Costanzo Gets Clinical with AI!

The Department of History and Philosophy is proud to highlight the scholarly contributions of Dr. Julianna Costanzo!

Dr. Costanzo, Instructor of Philosophy, recently co-authored "Informed Consent and AI-Driven Depression Screening Systems," published in the AI and Ethics Journal!

"Machine learning systems are increasingly able to identify whether an individual is likely to be depressed by analyzing social-media activity. Some scholars argue that informed consent is required before any such analysis begins. Julianna Costanzo and Hasse Hällström defend a two-stage screening architecture: (1) automated, non-disclosive screening of platform data without prior consent, and (2) disclosure of health-related information and any further assistance, only after informed consent."

We are so proud of Dr. Costanzo for this wonderful publication. Interested in taking a class with Dr. Costanzo? Be sure to register this spring for PHI3400: Modern Philosophy and PHI4681/5687: Ethics of AI!

09/18/2026

Discover the Gulf Coast’s often-overlooked role in the American Revolution!

Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Dr. Jack E. Davis joins regional experts in archaeology and historic preservation to explore Revolutionary West Florida and what discoveries on land and underwater reveal about its past. Following the program, enjoy a book signing, educational displays, and an after-hours visit to the Pensacola Museum of History’s Road to Revolution exhibit.

Next Week!
September 23, 2026
Voices of Pensacola
5:30 reception | 6:00 Event

Seating is limited; registration is required.
Learn more and register at uwf.edu/gulfcoastculture

09/16/2026

Formally Introducing Dr. Nathan Smith, Ph.D.

On Friday, September 4th, Instructor Nathan Smith successfully defended his dissertation, entitled “Whistle While You Work: A Labor History of the Disney Parks from 1955-2005,” at Mississippi State University. His work, which challenges the limitations of southern unionization, reveals a dynamic workforce striving to expand labor protections to all industries.

Dr. Smith's defense committee awarded his dissertation with distinction, recommending no revisions. Not to say he's perfect, but if the glass slipper fits!

Congratulations, Dr. Smith. We are so proud to call you an Argo.

Address

11000 University Pkwy
Pensacola, FL
32514

Website

https://uwf.edu/cassh/departments/history-and-philosophy/

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