Dear alums, students, and friends of the history department at Augustana College,
Now that graduation festivities have died down and we’re solidly into the summer, I figured it would be a great time to share an update.
I often find May to be a bit bittersweet. We get to celebrate our graduates in history and history education…but then they leave the college and so we don’t get to see their smiling faces in our classrooms this fall (but we do see them later on as alums, of course). Another incredible batch of students are out in the world as of this May. Here’s a photo of some of the best of them from our department’s end-of-the-year event.
A photo of some of our many graduating majors and minors. Pictured (from the left) are Katherine Sanders, Hunter Gilbert, Jack Patting, Devlin Harris, Joe Burck, Charlotte Newport, Larissa Horton, Lainey Terfruchte, Hugh Keany
A few of our 2025 graduates gained an amazing experience during a J-term trip to China, led by our own Dr. Elizabeth Lawrence and Dr. Xiaowen Zhang from Political Science.
History students in Tiannamen Square. Pictured from the left are Jacob Brown, Dr. Elizabeth Lawrence, Kay Dix, and Kelsey Kownick.
The next item of news that I should share happened last year, but became lost in the shuffle: the results of a college-wide survey to assess students’ career readiness. The good news is that, based on reports from both students and their internship supervisors, our history majors have shown incredibly well—the best in the college, in fact. They’re clearly outstanding in professionalism, technology usage, teamwork, communication, and critical thinking.
Summary of data about history students’ professionalism off campus. → View full size
This career-readiness certainly shows up in the achievements of our alums. This Spring the Illinois Digital Educators’ Alliance named Alex Mayszak the Tech Leader Educator of the Year. A history education major who graduated in 2013, Alex is currently the Director for Digital Learning and Innovation for the nearby East Moline School District.
Here’s a link to more info about Alex and the award:
The Illinois Digital Educators Alliance has named Alex Mayszak ’13 the Tech Leader Educator of the Year. The state award honors teachers making outstanding contributions to integrating technology in their school district.
Our department has tried to do a better job connecting our outstanding alumni with stellar current students, including through a speakers series this past spring. During each session, we asked three recent alums to visit about their career paths, giving some tips and hints to current students. Thanks to Atticus Garrison (‘17), Rebecca Hopman (‘11), and Rob Williams (‘19) for being our first speakers!
Flyer from our alumni speaker’s series this past Spring.
On that same topic, Viking Connections is a great program that connects alumni with current students. Scroll through the following page to learn more. If you’re an alum, the “how to get involved” section gives a link so that you can become a connector.
I’ll finish this update with some exciting news for one of our faculty. Dr. Lendol Calder has been named a finalist for the top teaching prize in the nation, the Robert Foster Cherry Award for Great Teaching, which is given biennially by Baylor University. We’re all super excited about this well-deserved honor for Dr. Calder and wish him luck on the next stage in the process: a series of lectures at Baylor this fall. The college put together a nice video about the award, which is available below.
Dr. Lendol Calder is no stranger to awards and honors, being named Illinois Professor of the Year in 2010. And now he's a finalist for Baylor University's Robert Foster Cherry Award for Great Teaching, the top teaching prize in the nation.
That’s it for now. Wishing you all a pleasant summer!
Brian Leech
Chair of the Department of History
Dr. Lendol Calder is no stranger to awards and honors, being named Illinois Professor of the Year in 2010. And now he's a finalist for Baylor University's Robert Foster Cherry Award for Great Teaching, the top teaching prize in the nation.
Students in an Augustana Prison Education Program history class curated a new exhibition in the Thomas Tredway Library. “Dynamic Traditions,” which was staged by Augustana’s Center for Visual Culture, will be on display on the library’s second floor until May 23.
Dr. Elizabeth Lawrence, associate professor of history and co-chair, Asian studies, and Dr. Xiaowen Zhang, professor of political science, led a three-week J-term course in China. Dr. Lawrence shares the historical significance of Augustana students traveling in China — again.
