The Western History Association would like to announce that the WHA's past president and award-winning historian Patricia Limerick was nominated by President Obama and confirmed by the United States Senate to join the National Council on the Humanities.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Three New Members to Join the National Council on the Humanities
Distinguished Computer Scientist; Historian; and University Administrator to help review grant applications and advise the Chairman

WASHINGTON (January 11, 2016) — The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), an independent federal agency that awards grants, announced today that three prominent and accomplished individuals --  Francine Berman, Patricia Limerick, and Shelly Lowe -- will join the Endowment’s advisory board. The board, called the National Council on the Humanities, consists of 26 distinguished citizens who make recommendations on grant applications and advise the Chairman.

The three new Council members were nominated by President Barack Obama in the spring of 2015 and confirmed by the U.S. Senate in November 2015.

After being sworn in, the new members can begin their service. The National Council on the Humanities meets three times a year in Washington, DC. The next meeting is in March.

Chairman William D. Adams praised the new members. “Francine Berman, Patricia Limerick, and Shelly Lowe are distinguished, prominent leaders in their respective fields of study and I look forward to their insights and contributions. Their expertise will help NEH strengthen and promote excellence in the humanities for all Americans.”

Here are biographies and quotes from each new member:

Francine Berman, Ph.D., has been a leading thinker and pioneer in the field of computer science for decades. She is the Hamilton Distinguished Professor in Computer Science at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) in New York. She is also a Fellow of the Association of Computing Machinery (ACM), Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) and American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS).  In 2009 she received the ACM/IEEE-CS Ken Kennedy Award for "influential leadership in design, development and deployment of national-scale cyberinfrastructure." She is the U.S. lead of the Research Data Alliance, an international organization created to accelerate research data sharing.  She is also Chair of the Anita Borg Institute Board of Trustees, co-Chair of the National Science Foundation (NSF) Advisory Committee for Computer and Information Science and Engineering, and a member of the Sloan Foundation Board of Trustees.  Previously, Dr. Berman served as Director of San Diego Supercomputer Center and Vice President for Research at RPI. Dr. Berman has been recognized by the Library of Congress as a "Digital Preservation Pioneer”.

On her appointment to the National Council on the Humanities, Dr. Francine Berman said, "Digital information is transforming the landscape in all areas, including humanities research, education and preservation.  I am tremendously honored by this appointment and look forward to contributing and learning as a member of the NEH Council.”

Patricia Limerick, Ph.D., is the Faculty Director and Chair of the Board of the Center of the American West at the University of Colorado, Boulder, where she is also a professor of environmental studies and history. She is the author of the books Desert Passages, The Legacy of Conquest, Something in the Soil, and A Ditch in Time. A frequent public speaker and a columnist for the Denver Post, Limerick has dedicated her career to bridging the gap between academics and the general public, to demonstrating the benefits of applying historical perspective to contemporary dilemmas and conflicts, and to making the case for humor as an essential asset of the humanities. A recipient of a MacArthur Fellowship and the Hazel Barnes Prize (the University of Colorado’s highest award for teaching and research), she has served as president of the American Studies Association, the Western History Association, the Society of American Historians, and the Organization of American Historians, as well as the vice president for teaching of the American Historical Association. In January of 2016, Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper appointed Limerick to the post of State Historian. Limerick received her B.A. from the University of California, Santa Cruz, and her Ph.D. from Yale University.

On her appointment to the National Council on the Humanities, Patricia Limerick said, "My two older sisters were cheerleaders in high school, and I was not.  Thus, this appointment to the National Council for the Humanities gives me a chance to make up for lost time. I am eager to do everything I can to cheer for the under-utilized power of the humanities to benefit the nation and the world This is a cause I have believed in since the bookcases of my hometown public library provided my habitat of preference, while my sisters were out on the field, energetically rallying our fellow citizens in Banning California to a common cause."
 

Shelly C. Loweis an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation.  She is Bilagaana, born for Náneesht’ézhí Tách’iinii. Her paternal grandfather’s clan is Tábaahá.  Ms. Lowe grew up on the Navajo Reservation in Ganado, Arizona.  She is currently the Executive Director of the Harvard University Native American Program and was previously the Assistant Dean for Native American Affairs in the Yale College Deans Office and Director of the Native American Cultural Center at Yale University.  Prior to her position at Yale, she spent six years as the Graduate Education Program Facilitator for the American Indian Studies Programs at The University of Arizona.  During her time at The University of Arizona she was actively involved in the Native American Student Affairs Office and the American Indian Alumni club.  She has served on the board of the National Indian Education Association and as a Trustee for the National Museum of the American Indian.  She currently serves on the board of the Beantown Cats Alumni Chapter.  Ms. Lowe has presented and published in the field of American Indian higher education and is completing her doctorate in Higher Education with a focus on American Indian student success and services.  

On her appointment to the National Council on the Humanities, Shelly Lowe said, “To me humanities is about place and time.  It’s the essence of a city and its people.  It’s the feel of the land and the people who move through it daily. It’s the beauty of community and the energy encompassed within it. It’s a piece of time that is captured, shared, and then forever ongoing through memory, story, and learning.  Humanities is what we see, smell, hear, and feel when we engage with the diversity of our country.  I am honored to join the National Council on the Humanities in their work to support, award, and share the cultural heritage of our diverse communities and to further promote America’s rich traditions, history, and cultures.”

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National Endowment for the Humanities: Celebrating its 50^th anniversary as an independent federal agency in 2015-16, National Endowment for the Humanities brings the best in humanities research, public programs, education, and preservation projects to the American people. To date, NEH has awarded $5 billion in grants to build the nation’s cultural capital — at museums, libraries, colleges and universities, archives, and historical societies—and advance our understanding and appreciation of history, literature, philosophy, and language. Learn more at neh.gov.

Dear Colleagues,

The Nominating Committee seeks your input in creating a slate of candidates for this year's Western History Association election. Please submit nominations for: WHA President-elect, two Council members, and three members of the Nominating Committee.  

From the WHA Constitution and Bylaws:

The President presides at all meetings of the Western History Association and the Council during the President's year of service. The President makes appointments to committees and designates committee chairs. The President encourages the establishment of affiliated organization status between other appropriate organizations and the WHA.

The Council consists of the President, the President-elect, Executive Director, and seven elected members. The Council presents a complete report of actions and activities to the membership at the annual business meeting. Elected Council members serve three-year terms.

The Nominating Committee consists of five elected members each serving two-year terms. The Nominating Committee seeks suggestions from WHA members by February 15 each year and prepares the slate of candidates for President-elect, Council, and Nominating Committee.

Candidates for all elected positions need to be members in good standing.

Please email your nominations for President-elect, Council, and Nominating Committee by February 15 to any member of the Nominating Committee listed below.

On behalf of the Nominating Committee, thank you!

Laurie Arnold, Chair (2016)
Gonzaga University
hilaurie@yahoo.com

Benjamin Johnson (2016)
Loyola University Chicago
bjohnson25@luc.edu

Sarah Carter (2016)
University of Alberta
scarter1@ualberta.ca

Susan Gray (2017)
Arizona State University
segray@asu.edu

Josh Reid (2017)
University of Washington
jlreid@uw.edu

2016 Award information is now available! Please remember that all submission materials are due to committee members by April 1, 2016 to be considered. For more information visit the WHA awards page or contact the WHA office at (907) 474-6509. Good Luck!

Doing Battle with the Zombies of Western History

Referee: Karen J. Leong, Arizona State University

Participants:

Anne Hyde, University of Oklahoma

Lorena Oropeza, University of California, Davis

Kevin Allen Leonard, Western Washington University

Bill Coleman, Notre Dame University

Patricia Nelson Limerick, University of Colorado

The following session took place during the 55th Annual Conference of the WHA, October 2015 at the Portland Hilton & Executive Tower in Portland, Oregon.

Please submit your papers, panels, and poster presentations by January 4, and encourage your colleagues to join us for the fifty-eighth annual Missouri Conference on History. Hosted and sponsored by The State Historical Society of Missouri, the 2016 conference will be held March 9–11 at the Courtyard by Marriott and Conference Center in Columbia.

The Missouri Conference on History is not limited to Missouri history topics. Proposals for papers on other geographic areas and from all historical time periods are invited. 

The conference is particularly interested in proposals for complete sessions, including panelists, chair, and commentator. Anyone wishing to present a paper should submit a short abstract and a one-page curriculum vitae. Panel proposals should include a brief abstract of the panel’s purpose, short descriptions of the individual papers, and one-page CVs for all participants.

All proposals should be submitted online. Details for submission are available at http://shs.umsystem.edu/mch. For additional information, please contact John Brenner, managing editor, The State Historical Society of Missouri, at mch@umsystem.edu or 573.882.7083.

Although the conference typically hosts academics of all levels, the program committee would like to make a special appeal to graduate students. The friendly and inviting atmosphere provides an excellent opportunity for aspiring and young historians to present their work.

Students should also apply for the Student Paper Prize ($250) and the Lynn and Kristen Morrow Missouri History Student Prize ($150). See http://shs.umsystem.edu/mch/awards for more information.

Missouri Conference on History

The State Historical Society of Missouri

2016 Host & Administrative Sponsor
1020 Lowry Street, Columbia, MO 65201
573.882.7083 | shs.umsystem.edu

We are pleased to announce that the 2015 Western History Association Conference panel on "Zombies of Western History," will air on C-SPAN3's American History TV on Sunday, December 13 at 6:30pm ET and again at 10:30pm ET. The annual conference took place in Portland, Oregon this past October at the Portland Hilton & Executive Tower.

Once the program airs it will become available on CSPAN’s website and on this website beginning Monday, December 14.

In addition to this panel, CSPAN interviewed 2015 WHA President Elizabeth Jameson during the Portland conference. This interview aired Sunday, November 8 and is now available online here.

Happy Holidays,

John Heaton, Executive Director

Dear Members,

As you may have noticed, our website is currently undergoing a major renovation process. Please bear with us as we work to bring you an updated, user-friendly website with a more diverse range of online content. As always, we are open to suggestions and are working to accommodate the many diverse fields of study within the association.

Please e-mail all website suggestions to westernhistoryassociation@gmail.com. 

Please look for an updated website at the start of the new year.

Best,

WHA Staff