Faculty News

Professor Sudipta Sen Receives Fullbright-Nehru Academic Excellence Award

Congratulations to Professor Sudipta Sen, who has received the 2020-21 Fulbright-Nehru Academic Excellence Award for research on his next book project, “The Making of Puppet Nabobs: The Reinvention of Sovereignty in Early British India”!

Professor Eric Rauchway's New Book Featured in New York Times Op-Ed

Congratulations to Professor Eric Rauchway, whose new book, "Why the New Deal Matters", features prominently in an op-ed published in today's New York Times!

Professor Perez Melendez Receives Faculty Development Award

Congratulations to Professor José Juan Pérez Meléndez, who received the Faculty Development Award as he completes his book, "Peopling for Profit: Colonization and the Brazilian Empire, 1808-1921”!

Professor Stacy Fahrenthold receives NEH grant!

Congratulations to Professor Stacy Fahrenthold, recipient of a prestigious NEH research grant for her project, "Syrian Textile Workers in the Arab Atlantic, 1890–1934"!

Professor Holloway Wins 2020 CLAH Distinguished Service Award

Congratulations to Tom Holloway for receiving this honor from The Conference of Latin American History for his contributions to Latin American and Brazilian scholarship!

Professors Andres Resendez, Gregory Downs, and Colleagues Discuss the Role of Public Monuments

UC Davis researchers weigh in on the role of public monuments as protestors and public officials throughout the nation tear down statues and memorials.

Professor Baki Tezcan's Newest Article Published and Quoted Internationally

Professor Tezcan's critical piece on the conversion of the Hagia Sophia Museum to a mosque has received international attention--appearing in American, Turkish, and German websites and news broadcasts.

New Article by Professor Baki Tezcan

Published in the Jadaliyya ezine, Baki Tezcan connects recent amendments of the Turkish Higher Education Law to the increasing authoritarianism of the Turkish government.

History Department Statement on COLA Movement

We the undersigned officers of the History Department recognize the serious problem many graduate students face in paying increased costs of housing and support efforts to improve their conditions. We call on the administration to refrain from any retaliation against graduate students involved in current actions. We also call on the administration to pursue subsidizing graduate student housing, including in housing currently under construction.

Professor Downs becomes editor of the Journal of the Civil War Era

The Journal of the Civil War Era and the Richards Center at Penn State announced their new JCWE co-editors, Greg Downs and Kate Masur, who will assume the position effective January 15, 2020.

Professor Lorena Oropeza interviewed on New Books Network!

Professor Oropeza spoke about her book, The King of Adobe: Reies López Tijerina, Lost Prophet of the Chicano Movement (University of North Caroline Press, 2019) for the network's New Books in Latino Studies podcast series.

Professer Kathy Olmsted writes op-ed on the impeachment inquiry in the Washington Post

Professor Olmsted's op-ed discusses what Watergate can tell us about the current impeachment inquiry and what lies ahead.

Check out Professor Baki Tezcan's Op-Ed in the LA Times

Professor Tezcan comments on Kurdish oppression amidst Turkey's cease-fire in Syria for the LA Times.

Professor Kathy Olmsted chronicles Robert Arneson's Anti-Nuke Art for New York Exhibit

Professor Olmsted has written an essay in a newly published catalog for New York’s George Adams Gallery exhibition of Arneson’s work. Robert Arneson/The Anti-War Works: 1982-1986 is on view at the Manhattan gallery through Oct. 26.

Professor Sudipta Sen's New Book Reviewed in the New York Review of Books!

Professor Sen's recently released book, Ganges: the Many Pasts of an Indian River has been reviewed by the New York Review of Books

Read Professor Greg Downs' analysis of the impeachment inquiry

Professor Greg Downs offers his take on the impeachment inquiry for the Washington Post:

Professor Chuck Walker featured on Al Jazeera Media View

In this interview, Professor Walker provides context for the political crisis unfolding in Perú this week:

New York Times Op-Ed by Professor Kathy Olmsted

Check out Professor Olmsted’s piece, “Impeaching Trump Will Be Harder Than Impeaching Nixon” published in the October 2, 2019 edition of the New York Times:

Professor Olmsted hosts podcast series "States of Conspiracy"

Delve into popular conspiracy theories this month with a new podcast from Kathryn Olmsted, professor of history in the UC Davis College of Letters and Science.

Professor Howard Chiang's book, After Eunuchs, wins International Convention of Asia Scholars (ICAS) Book Prize!

Howard Chiang's book, After Eunuchs: Science, Medicine, and the Transformation of Sex in Modern China (Columbia University Press, 2018) was awarded the 2019 Humanities IBP (ICAS Book Prize) at the opening ceremony of the Asian Studies conference in Leiden. The ICAS announced all winners on its website: https://icas.asia/en/shortlist-and-winner-humanities-ibp2019 Leiden University, where the Asian Studies conference was held, also featured a story about the IBS winner and short list books here: https://www.library.universiteitleiden.nl/news/2019/07/icas-book-prize-awarded-at-opening-ceremony-of-the-asian-studies-conference-in-leiden

Professor Ari Kelman wins the Guggenheim Fellowship!

From the Press Release on April 10, 2019: 2019 Fellows—United States and Canada On April 9, 2019, the Board of Trustees of the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation approved the awarding of Guggenheim Fellowships to a diverse group of 168 scholars, artists, and writers. Appointed on the basis of prior achievement and exceptional promise, the successful candidates were chosen from a group of almost 3,000 applicants in the Foundation’s ninety-fifth competition.

Professor Jean-Baptiste wins Chancellor's Award for International Engagement

Congratulations to Professor Rachel Jean-Baptiste on receiving the UC Davis Chancellor's Award for International Engagement.

Professor Decker receives Global Affairs Seed Grant

Professor Corrie Decker has been awarded a UC Davis Global Affairs Seed Grant for International Activities to conduct oral history workshops in Uganda.

Prof. Sudipta Sen's new book on the Ganges making a splash in the media!

Professor Sudipta Sen's new book, Ganges: The Many Pasts of an Indian River (Yale University Press, 2019), has made a big splash in the media since it came out in January. Click here for links to the reviews and more.

Professor Chiang wins the Yu Ying-shih Award in Humanities Research

Professor Chiang won the Yu Ying-shih Award in Humanities Research (Monographic Book Category) to write his next book on the history of Chinese psychoanalysis and transcultural psychiatry.

Department of History's Statement of Values

This campus and others have periodically been the target of hateful posters and other media designed to incite fear and loathing of various groups of people. Recent incidents have attempted to encourage anti-Semitic, anti-Muslim, anti-LGBTQ, anti-immigrant, and anti-African-American hatred, among others. As historians, we are all familiar with the frightful history of this type of dehumanizing rhetoric, and aware of its devastating cost to the communities in which it is mobilized and tolerated.