History Department

Overview

SUNY Cortland’s History Department offers two majors, a minor and a graduate program. We have a world-class faculty offering classes ranging from Revolutionary America to Ancient Greece, from Medieval Europe to Modern China, from the South Asia to Native American History, from World Environmental History to Public History, and dozens more. In our history courses, students don't just study the past — they become historians.

Check out these additional resources on why majoring in history brings a lifetime of opportunity, career choice, and excitement:

• Why Study History? This guide will give you the answer, plus list skills you will hone and additional resources about careers/future options. 
• Loren Collins, Entering the Job Market with a BA in History
• The American Historical Association's Guide to Careers for History Majors

Departmental News

Student News

• Taylor Weigand ('10) received the 2024 Yale Educator Award!
• Emma Efing('24) received a Fulbright award to teach English in Spain during the 2024-2025 academic year.
• Two History majors (Emma Efing and Joshua Bates) participated in the Global Model European Union conference in Brussels, Belgium in January 2024. 

Faculty News

• Dr. Laura Gathagan will present on her book, The Queenship of Mathilda of Flanders: Embodying Conquest, at the upcoming SUNY Brockport History Lab on October 23, 2024.
• Dr. Randi Storch and Dr. Kevin Sheets will once again be leading Forever Wild, a NEH-funded professional development program for teachers, at Camp Huntington during summer 2024. 
• In August, the Department will be welcoming Dr. Tyson Luneau, who will be working closely with our Social Studies Adolescent Education majors. Dr. Luneau recently received his Ph. D. from the University of Albany. 
• Dr. Scott Moranda recently published a chapter, "Ecotourism," in the Oxford Handbook of Tourism History. 
• Dr. Anisha Saxena published an article in South Asian Studies entitled "'I Curse You on Her Behalf': Narratives of Sexual Assault from Sanskrit Literature." Dr. Saxena also contributed to ten pages for the Great Questions Foundation, including one on The Metamorphosis and another on The Mahabharata. 
• Dr. Bekeh Ukelina received a Carnegie Diaspora African Fellowship, which took him to Ajayi Crowder University in Nigeria for a three-month project on history curriculum development.