For graduate students going stir crazy in Tallahassee, my experiences can serve as a cautionary tale or a note of (chaotic) inspiration. After living in Tallahassee for three years, I was itching to get away. The climate was heaps and bounds too hot and humid for this northeasterner, and I missed the mountains and valleys of Upstate New York.
News and Features
Beatrice Dain and Jacob Bloch both applied for and were awarded IDEA grants in spring 2020. Below they describe how they crafted their successful applications.
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Applying to IDEA Grant can be daunting – you need to write a project proposal and personal statement, compile a budget, and request 2 letters of recommendation. But before you get caught up in the components of the application, it is important to take a step back and think about what you are interested in studying.
There are a few things you need to know about me: I did almost everything wrong, but I did a few things right and that made all the difference. I studied Middle East history under Peter Garretson beginning in January 2002. I earned three degrees from FSU (BA 2001, MA 2004, PhD 2011) and one from the University of Arizona (MA 2006). August 2020 I applied for promotion to Full Professor.
We mourn the passing and celebrate the life of our dear mentor, former colleague, and friend Jean Gould Bryant. Jean joined the FSU History Department in 1972. A leader and trailblazer, she became an inspiration to aspiring young women who dreamed of a career in academia. Jean introduced the first Women’s History courses at FSU, and was instrumental in the creation and development of what is now the University’s interdisciplinary Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies Program.
I graduated with an M.A. in Public History in the Spring of 2020 and am currently working in FSU Libraries Special Collections & Archives based in the Claude Pepper Library.
The last two years have been an incredible journey, and it’s great to take a moment to reflect on my experiences since I left Tallahassee. Initially, I wasn’t sure where I should start.
I obtained my MA in History from FSU in May 2016 and immediately found work as a high school teacher for Miami-Dade County public schools. At Florida State University I had the pleasure of teaching in the Humanities Department while researching the Napoleonic era.
Each student’s academic path is unique, but Emile Boghos’ path to graduation has been especially so. After taking a few years off to work on political campaigns, Emile is graduating this Fall 2020 semester with a bachelor’s degree in history.
I didn’t start out in history. I completed BAs in English and Anthropology at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. From there I went to the University of West Florida for an MA in Anthropology. At around that time, I decided to pivot and shift my focus away from historical archaeology to history. To that end, I began another MA at Florida State University, this time in American History.
My name is Sebastian Mejia, and I was part of the Moore Undergraduate Research Apprentice Program cohort in the summer of 2019. At Florida State, I obtained a B.S. in Latin American & Caribbean Studies, another B.S. in International Affairs with a concentration in History, and a Minor in Portuguese. I graduated in Spring 2020. I took several Latin American & Caribbean History courses and wrote an honors thesis with Dr. Hicks as my advisor.