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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:

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. 

Majors

Graduate Programs

News

History Professor Sanford Gutman to Retire

May 20, 2009
Sanford Gutman of Ithaca, N.Y., who has served on the SUNY Cortland faculty for 37 years, will retire on Aug. 31. He has earned the designation of professor emeritus of history. Gutman, who grew up in Detroit, Mich., focused on history as an undergraduate at Wayne State University and earned his master of arts and doctoral degrees at the University of Michigan, specializing in modern European history.

Community Roundtable on May 7 to Focus on Laws Promoting Democracy

April 30, 2009
SUNY Cortland Associate Professor of History Girish Bhat will offer his thoughts about whether democracy has stood the test of time in the modern political climate at a community roundtable on Thursday, May 7, at the College.

Seven Valleys Writing Project Application Workshops on April 8

April 6, 2009
SUNY Cortland's Seven Valleys Writing Project (SVWP) is seeking applications for its 2009 Summer Institute, a professional development seminar for kindergarten through 12th grade teachers from across the region in all fields of study. Applications are due Monday, April 20. Two application-writing workshops will be held on Wednesday, April 8, to provide information about the application process.

Jewish Historian Looks at Israeli-Arab Conflict on April 6

April 6, 2009
SUNY Cortland Professor of History Sanford Gutman will deliver the College's Phi Kappa Phi lecture on the subject of Jewish-Arab relations on Monday, April 6. Titled "Opposing Loyalties?: A Progressive, Jewish Historian Confronts the Arab-Israeli Conflict," the talk begins at 4:15 p.m. in Old Main on the third floor mezzanine. The lecture is free and open to the public.

Award-Winning Filmmaker to Show Women's Cultural Similarities on March 18

March 13, 2009
Jennifer Fox, an internationally acclaimed, award-winning filmmaker, will speak about her experience traveling the globe to document women's lives, on Wednesday, March 18, at SUNY Cortland.

Clubs/Societies

The History Club is one of SUNY Cortland’s most active organizations on campus! Its goals are to provide a social setting for developing interests in historical topics and to establish a better relationship between faculty and students.

Contact History Club at: historyclub@cortland.edu or www.instagram.com/historyclubsunycortland and www.instagram.com/sc_history_archaeology_club

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