History News

Sisk wins writing award, April 2002

Katie Sisk (2001) received the Margaret Watson Local History award given annually by the South Carolina Confederation of Local Historians for the best paper written by a undergraduate student. Sisk's paper, "With All Deliberate [lack of] Speed": The Desegregation of Cherokee County Schools, was nominated for the award by Carmen Harris, who directed the senior seminar for which the paper was written. (Both Sisk and Harris are Cherokee County natives.) Katie received her award, which included a monetary award of $300, at the Confederation's annual banquet held at Erskine College. Katie married in June and plans to go to graduate school. Congratulations, Katie!!


Ray Sigmon (left) presents the award to Katie Sisk (center) at the
annual meeting of the South Carolina Confederation of Local Historians. Carmen Harris is on the right.

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Welcome, Dr. McCormick, August 2002

The history faculty welcomed Dr. Rob McCormick to its ranks in August 2002. He received his Ph.D. from the University of South Carolina. For the past six years he has taught at Newman University in Kansas. Dr. McCormick is a specialist on the Balkan region. He will teach European upper-division courses as well as Introduction to Non-Western Civilization. Welcome, Dr. McCormick!

Harris elected to Humanities Council, November 2002

Carmen Harris was recently notified of her election to a three-year term on the Board of Directors of the South Carolina Humanities Council. The Council promotes the arts and scholarly endeavors designed to educate the public. Harris has served as a humanities scholar on three projects approved by the council during 2001.

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Steffen leaves USCS, December 2002

The history faculty is saddened by the resignation of friend and colleague Dr. Lisa Steffen. Lisa, who taught women's history, general early modern surveys, and courses on Britain, was with USCS for four and a half years. She and her new husband, Dr. Siva Nadarajah, are taking up residence in Montreal, Quebec. We wish them both well in this new stage of their lives.

It's Dr. Harris, December 2002

Carmen Harris defended her dissertation, "A Ray of Hope for Liberation": Blacks in the South Carolina Extension Service, 1915-1970 on November 14, 2002 at Michigan State University. Her committee was chaird by Dr. Darlene Clark Hine, John A. Hannah Distinguished Professor of History. In December, the graduate school accepted her dissertation. As of January 2003, Harris was elevated to the rank of assistant professor.

Myers and Harris present papers at the Citadel Conference, March 2003
Dr. Andrew Myers, Assistant Professor of American Studies and Dr. Carmen Harris, Assistant Professor of History, presented papers at the Citadel Conference on the Civil Rights Movement in South Carolina. Myers presented "Black, White, and Olive Drab: Integration at Fort Jackson and its Effect on the Civil Rights Movement in Columbia". Harris presented “On the Losing Side of the Battle”: Desegregating the South Carolina Extension Service in the Civil Rights Era, a study of the impact of the civil rights movement on the autonomous status of South Carolina's black extension agents. The conference received extensive coverage from The State newspaper. Many of the papers are on-line (see Citadel link) and videos of some sessions are available.
HARRIS AWARDED POST-DOCTORAL FELLOWSHIP, April 2003
Dr. Carmen Harris was notified in April that she had been awarded a Ford Foundation Post-Doctoral Fellowship. The award was one of 24 given nationwide to minority scholars who showed professional promise. Harris will be on leave next year and in residence at Clemson University where she received a B.S. in accounting and an M.A. in history. She plans to spend the year converting her dissertation into book form and gathering materials for a second book project.

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Welcome, Dr. Loar, August 2003

Dr. Carol Loar joins the USCS  history faculty this year. She will teach Introduction to Europe, courses on Britain, Women's history, and other courses on the early modern era. Dr. Loar comes to USCS from the University of Central Arkansas where she has been a Visisting Assistant Professor. Dr. Loar's research specialty is on crime in early modern England. Welcome, Dr. Loar!