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History Faculty
Faculty
- Allan W. Austin, Ph.D.
- Brian F. Carso, Jr., Ph.D.
- Thomas Hajkowski, Ph.D.
- David Wright, Ph.D.
- Amanda L. Van Lanen, Ph.D.
Adjunct Faculty
Allan W. Austin, Ph.D.
Professor of History
E-mail: aaustin@misericordia.edu
Phone: 570 674-6793
B.A., M.A., Bowling Green State University
Ph.D., University of Cincinnati
Classes taught: Immigration and American Ethnic History/Post-1945 United States History/Film and History/Race and Graphic Narrative in United States History/Seminar on History (Twentieth-Century United States Historiography)/Research Seminar/National Security History/United States History survey
Allan Austin is an immigration historian primarily interested in investigating the contested meanings of race and American identity, especially in the 20th-century United States. He has explored these issues in his book, From Concentration Camp to Campus: Japanese American Students and World War II (University of Illinois Press, 2004), as well as in articles in various scholarly journals and anthologies. In his book, which blends institutional histories and personal stories, Dr. Austin examines how resettled Japanese American college students created their own meanings for their wartime experiences, working both to integrate themselves into the wider American society and to maintain strong connections to their ethnic community as well as their cultural heritage. Dr. Austin has also published Asian American History and Culture: An Encyclopedia (M.E. Sharpe, 2010, with Huping Ling) and Space and Time: Essays on Visions of History in Science Fiction and Fantasy Television (McFarland, 2010, with David Wright Jr.).
Dr. Austin received the Louis and Barbara Alesi Excellence in Scholarship Award in 2006, and he continues to pursue a number of research interests. He is currently researching and writing two projects, Quaker Brotherhood: Interracial Activism and the American Friends Service Committee, 1917-1950, which is under contract with the University of Illinois Press, and All New, All Different?: A Graphic History of Race and the American Super Hero, which examines comic books and other forms of popular culture in exploring how Americans have struggled in the past and continue to wrestle today with vexed issues of race, ethnicity, and multiculturalism.
The recipient of the Max and Tillie Rosenn Excellence in Teaching Award in 2008, Dr. Austin teaches a variety of courses at Misericordia, with an emphasis on hands-on learning at all levels. Dr. Austin has encouraged students to develop historical skills through on-site experiences in Service Learning courses at Misericordia. He has also received several grants that allowed undergraduates to serve as research assistants on his AFSC project, providing important opportunities for students to enhance their research skills. Dr. Austin’s past work as Book Review Editor for the Journal of American Ethnic History also opened additional opportunities for students to get first-hand experience in the field of United States history.
Dr. Austin’s office is located at 319 Mercy Hall. He can also be reached by phone at (570) 674-6793 or via email at aaustin@misericordia.edu.
For Dr. Austin’s complete CV, click here.
Brian F. Carso, Jr., Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
E-mail: bcarso@misericordia.edu
Phone: 570 674-6395
Assistant Professor of History
and Pre-law Program Director
B.A., M.A., University of Rochester
J.D., SUNY Buffalo School of Law
Ph.D., Boston University
Classes taught: The American Founding, 1620-1789/ The Presidency/ The Civil War/ The American West/ Constitutional Law I & II/ Introduction to American Law/ The Trial in American Life/ U.S. History survey
Brian Carso is interested in how political, intellectual, and legal ideas developed throughout the American experience, and in how these ideas came to be expressed in broadly accessible political discourse and popular American culture. In his book,
Dr. Carso’s interests spread throughout the American experience and incorporate legal, intellectual, political, and cultural history. He is currently working on two projects: one concerns espionage during the American Revolution (a natural offshoot of his treason research), while another involves 20th century war photography. Dr. Carso is also keenly interested in American government and politics, from the first partisan presidential election of 1796 through today’s political campaigns.
In addition to teaching classes in history, Dr. Carso directs MU’s Pre-law program for those students interested in a career in law, government, or a related field. Dr. Carso brings a wealth of legal and governmental experience to MU that he is happy to share with his students. He has worked as an attorney at a large New York law firm, as well as running his own private practice, and he is admitted to the bar in the State of New York and before the United States Supreme Court. In addition, he has been twice elected to public office and most recently served in the administration of former New York Governor George Pataki.
Dr. Carso’s office is located at 363 Mercy Hall. His office phone number is (570) 674-6395, and his email address is bcarso@misericordia.edu.
For Dr. Carso’s complete CV, click here.
Thomas Hajkowski, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
E-mail: thajkows@misericordia.edu
Phone: 570 674-8083
Assistant Professor of History
and Associate Director, Honors Program
B.A., Seton Hall University
M.A., Villanova University
Ph.D., Northwestern University
Classes taught: Western Civilization I and II, History of Early-Modern England, History of Modern Britain, History of Modern Latin America, History of Nazi Germany, Cultural Geography
Thomas Hajkowski is an historian of twentieth-century Britain whose research interests lie at the intersection of media history, nationalism and national identity, and imperialism. His book manuscript,
Dr. Hajkowski’s research continues to be focused on the relationship between media and national identity, and he is beginning a research project that explores how the British mass media interpreted and represented decolonization. This project will provide valuable insights into the impact of decline on British identity and culture and the relationship between the mass media and the British government in the twentieth century.
Dr. Hajkowski has a broad range of teaching interests. In his classes, Dr. Hajkowski prioritizes active learning and student engagement with primary source materials. In addition to knowing “what happened,” Dr. Hajkowski tries to instill in his students an understanding of what historians do and why history matters.
Dr. Hajkowski also serves as Associate Director of Misericordia University’s Honors Program, an interdisciplinary learning community based in a common sequence of enriched and intensified core curriculum courses. For more information about Misericordia University’s Honors program visit: http://www.misericordia.edu/misericordia_pg_sub.cfm?sub_page_id=1162&subcat_id=157
Dr. Hajkowski’s office is located at 303 Mercy Hall. He can also be reached by phone at (570) 674-8083 or via email at thajkows@misericordia.edu.
For Dr. Hajkowski’s complete CV, click here.
David Wright, Ph.D.
Professor
E-mail: dwright@misericordia.edu
EDUCATION
Ph.D., University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1991
M.A., University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1979
B.A., Kenyon College, History, 1973
RECENT COURSES
History of Western Civilization I and II
Modern French History
Contemporary French Culture (interdisciplinary)
Modern European Cultural Movements
History Seminar (Modern European Intellectual History)
Film and History
Research Seminar
Soviet History
Atomic Age America
HONORS, AWARDS, AND FELLOWSHIPS
Misericordia University Strategic Initiative Grant for an innovative interdisciplinary course: Contemporary French Culture, 2003-2004
Misericordia University Summer Research Grants, 1993, 1995, 2002, and 2005
Phi Alpha Theta, 1999
Misericordia University Faculty Development Committee Travel Award, 1989, 1990, 1992, 1994, 1996, and 1998
National Endowment for the Humanities Summer Fellowship, Cornell University, 1992
Dane County (Wisconsin) Cultural Affairs Grants, 1981 and 1984
Wisconsin Humanities Committee Grants, 1982 and 1983
University of Wisconsin - Madison, History Department Foreign Travel Grant, 1978
RESEARCH INTERESTS
Modern French History
Modern Intellectual History
Urban History
Film and History
Social Movements
Contemporary Popular Culture
SCHOLARLY PRESENTATIONS
Conference Presentations"Space and (Social) Place in Gibson's Neuromancer," Joint Conference of the National Popular Culture and American Culture Associations, San Diego, 2005.
"On the Origins and Significance of Jean-Marie Le Pen and the French National Front," Society for French Historical Studies, Ottawa, Canada, 1998
"Agony, Wounds, and Salvific Mission: Edward T. Gargan's France," Society for French Historical Studies, Charlotte, North Carolina, 1996
Panel Commentator, French Historical Studies, Wilmington, Delaware, 1994
"The Transformation of Socialist Politics in Twentieth-Century France," Western Society for French History, Santa Barbara, California 1990
"Socialist Party Leadership in Limoges during World War I and the Post-War Years," Western Society for French History, New Orleans, Louisiana, 1989
"Socialists in City Hall: What Difference for the People of Limoges?" Society for French Historical Studies, Columbia, South Carolina 1988
"Refashioning a Community: Socialist Governance of Inter-War Limoges," Western Society for French History, Las Cruces, New Mexico, 1987
"Racism and Anti-racism in French Popular Culture," Popular Culture Association, Montreal, Canada
"Reform Socialism in the Early Third Republic," Western Society for French History, Baltimore, Maryland, 1986
"Generational Change and the Socialists of Twentieth-Century Limoges," Society for French Historical Studies, Quebec, Canada, 1986
"The Deployment of Tolerance: The Anxiety of Male Elites and Regulation of Prostitution in Nineteenth-Century France," European Studies, Omaha, Nebraska, 1985
"The Pattern of Prostitution in Third Republic France," Social Science History Association, Toronto, Canada, 1984
Other Academic Presentations
Guest Lecturer, French Studies, Wellesley College, 1998
Guest Lecturer, French Studies, Pennsylvania State University, 1995Community Presentations
Faculty Favorites Film Series, Introduced and led discussion of "Bladerunner," Spring 2002
"French Intellectuals Conceptualize Space and Gender," Misericordia University Faculty Development Committee Presentation, Spring 2003 (A PowerPoint presentation)
"Michel Foucault," Misericordia University Faculty Workshop Series on Contemporary Theory, Spring 1998
Presentation (using slides) on women in American History, Women's History Week, Pennsylvania State University - Lehman, Spring 1989
PUBLICATIONS
Book ReviewsReview Essay: "How the Paris 'Red Belt' became Red," French Politics and Society, Fall/Winter 1991, (Vol.9, Nos. 3 and 4).
John Merriman, The Red City: Limoges and the French Nineteenth-Century, Contemporary French History, Fall/Winter 1987, (Vol. XI, No.1).
Jill Harsin, Policing Prostitution in Nineteenth-Century Paris, Social History, January 1987, (Vol.12, No.1).
Dictionary Entries
Dictionary Entries: "Leon Betoulle," "Government: municipal administration and politics," "Marceau Pivert," 'Politics: clubs and political life," "Adrien Pressemane," "Prostitution," "Socialism: municipal," and "Jean Zyromski" in the Historical Dictionary of the French Third Republic, Patrick H. Hutton, ed., (New York: Greenwood, 1986).
Campus Service (Misericordia University)
Chair, History Department, 2003 - present
Chair, Faculty Scholarship, then Awards, Committee, 2000 - present
Faculty Development Committee, 1998 - present, Chair, 1999 - present
Mary Kintz Bevivino Library, Public Services Manager Hiring Committee, 2003
Middle States Governance Committee, 2003
History Department Search Committees, 1992, 1997, 2001, 2003
Foreign Studies Advisor, 1995 - 1999
Home Improvement Task Force, 1997-1998
General Studies Advisor, 1989 - 1998
Honors Program Director, 1994-1998
Presidential Scholarship in the Humanities Committee, 1995-1997
Curriculum Committee, 1991-1996
Technology Integration Task Force, 1994
Middle States Assessment Committee, 1994
Foreign Languages Task Force, 1992
Core Review Committee, 1991-1992
Faculty Senate, 1989-1991
International Club Advisor, 1989-91
Recent Community Service
Wyoming Valley Montessori School, Board of Trustees, 2000 - present, member of the Executive Board, 2003-present, member of Head of School Hiring Committee, 2004
Amanda L. Van Lanen, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
E-mail: avanlane@misericordia.edu
Phone: 570-674-1491
B.A., Southern Adventist University M.A., Ph.D., Washington State University
Classes Taught: American Women’s History, Introduction to Public History, Introduction to Museum Studies, Modern Middle Eastern History, U.S. Survey
Amanda Van Lanen is an American historian whose research focuses on agriculture, the Progressive Era, and the American West. She is interested in how the food economy had shifted from produce grown by small farmers and distributed on a regional basis, to an industrial economy on a national and global scale. Her current book project focuses on the apple industry of Washington state as a case study of how food production became industrialized and the impact of industrialization on farmers and consumers in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The rise of the apple industry in Washington highlights both the shift in farming values in the early twentieth century and changing consumer expectations nationwide.
In addition to working on her current manuscript, Dr. Van Lanen is also a Public historian. Public history is a field that focuses on the applied uses of history in areas such as museums, archives, government agencies, and the community. Dr. Van Lanen has worked on Public history projects for various organizations including the National Parks Conservation Association; Washington State Parks; Tree Top, Inc.; Washington State University Manuscript, Archives, and Special Collections; and Fort Walla Walla Museum in Walla Walla, Washington. She is currently working with the Center for Nursing History at Misericordia University to curate an exhibit entitled “The History of Nursing Education in Luzerne County.”
Dr. Van Lanen teaches a variety of courses, including Women’s history, Public history, and Modern Middle Eastern history. Her Public history and Museum Studies courses are Service Learning courses that provide students a hands-on opportunity to practice history. Dr. Van Lanen is also the advisor for the History Club.
Dr. Van Lanen’s office is located at 364 Mercy Hall. She can also be reached by phone at (570) 674-6793 or via email at avanlane@misericordia.edu.
For Dr. Van Lanens’s complete CV, click here.
Richard Betterly
Adjunct Faculty
E-mail: rbetterl@misericordia.edu
EDUCATION
D.A., Middle Tennessee State University, 1991RECENT COURSES
M.A. Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania, 1984
B.A., Gettysburg College, 1979
U.S. History to 1865HONORS, AWARDS, FELLOWSHIPS
U.S. History since 1865
Pennsylvania Department of Transportation Star of Excellence Award for CRM Consulting (1999, 2001)RESEARCH INTERESTS
Who's Who Among Students in American Universities and Colleges (1991)
Jenning's Scholar (1989-1990)
MTSU Doctoral Summer Fellowships (1988 and 1989)
Teacher of the Year at the MMI Preparatory School (1984, 1986, and 1987)
Phi Alpha Theta (1978)
American 19th century material cultureSELECTED SCHOLARSHIP
American Civil War military history and weapons
Historic preservation and the study of old cemeteries and grave markers
Preservation of historic battlefields and Civil War sites
Conference PapersSocial and Racial Deference in a Tennessee Plantation Graveyard, Association for Gravestone Studies, Poultney, VT (June 2003).
What a Heritage Commission Can Do for Your Community, OSP Annual Planning and Zoning Conference, Concord, NH (April 2001).
Documenting and Recording Gravestones and Graveyards, Association for Gravestone Studies, Groton, CT (July 1996).
Custer's Last Stand: Fact versus Sacred Lore, American Culture Association, New Orleans, LA (April 1993).
Computer Mapping of Cemetery Material Culture, American Culture Association, Louisville, KY (March 1992).
The Lattimer Massacre: A Testament in Blood, Phi Alpha Theta Regional Meeting, Cookeville, TN (October 1989).
Publications
Books:
Touring Old McKendree Cemetery, Cape Gorardeau, MO: Cape River Heritage Press, 1994.
Historic Cemeteries as Material Culture Resources in Heritage Education, Ann Arbor, MI: UM Press, 1992
Articles:
"St. John's Episcopal Churchyard: Material Culture and Antebellum Class Distinction," The Tennessee Historical Quarterly, 1994.
"Seize Mr. Lincoln: The 1861 Baltimore Plot", Civil War Times Illustrated, 1987.
"Blakeslee's Cartridge Box", The Journal of the Company of Military Historians, 1987.
"At Gettysburg with the Iron Brigade", Lincoln Times, 1986.
"Night Passage", Lincoln Times, 1985.
Encyclopedia Entry:
"St. John's Episcopal Church", The Encyclopedia of Tennessee History, edited by C. Van West, Knoxville, TN: University of Tennessee Press, 1996
PUBLIC SERVICE
Gettysburg Battlefield Preservation Association, technical advisor (2002 - present)
Old North Concord Cemetery Preservation Association, board member (2002-2003).
Board member of the Savannah (Georgia) Museums Association (1997-1998).
Board member of the Cape Girardeau (Missouri) Historic Preservation Review Board (1992-1995).
Cape River Heritage Museum and Historical Society's Board of Directors (1993-1995).
Savannah Parks and Trees Department's historic cemetery preservation and planning committee (1991-1992)
National Park Service's Gettysburg National Military Park Re-development Planning Team (1987).
National Park Service's Custer Battlefield National Monument Advisory Board (1984-1990).
Irene Wisnieski
Adjunct Faculty
E-mail: iwisniek@misericordia.edu
EDUCATION
M.A., Marquette University
B.A., Misericordia University
RECENT COURSES
U.S. History to 1865
U.S. History since 1865
American National Government
Global Politics
