Dr. Roger Davis
professor of history, 308.865.8771
UNK– Eight University of Nebraska at Kearney history students are presenting papers at a regional conference in Omaha this week.
The eight are members of Phi Alpha Theta (PAT) history honor society, and they are presenting at the Nebraska PAT Regional Conference Thursday – Saturday, March 4-6. The conference includes a total of 52 panel sessions that discuss a wide range of history topics. Special emphasis is placed on local and regional history.
“The PAT Regional Conference is part of the larger Missouri Valley History Conference (MVHC) held annually in Omaha,” said UNK Phi Alpha Theta chapter president Kelli Cavenah from Rapid City, S.D. “Each year, a section of the conference is reserved for Phi Alpha Theta members to present papers. However, students can also choose to present in the MVHC as well.”
The students will compete for Best MVHC Undergraduate Paper, Best MVHC Graduate Paper, Best PAT Undergraduate Paper and Best PAT Graduate Paper. The awards will be presented at the Phi Alpha Theta luncheon on Thursday, March 4.
History faculty members will also be presenting their research. Dr. Doug Biggs, UNK history faculty member, will present his research on “Henry of Bolingbroke, 1367-1399: A King in Waiting or a Playboy of the Medieval World?”
“These students have been working on their papers for about six months,” said Dr. Roger Davis, UNK history professor and UNK Phi Alpha Theta adviser. “All of the students did a very good job presenting during their practice speeches last week and, as for content, the papers are very strong.”
“Students who wish to join Phi Alpha Theta must meet the national requirements that include 12 hours of history courses with a 3.1 grade point average (GPA), and have at least a 3.0 average in two-thirds of all other course work,” Cavenah said.
“The most interesting part of this group is getting to know the history faculty at UNK better and having the opportunity to network within the history field,” Cavenah said. “I’ve learned a lot about the history field and have made some great connections while being a part of Phi Alpha Theta.”
Phi Alpha Theta members who are competing at the conference are listed below alphabetically by hometown followed by their topic:
Arapahoe– Shane Riley. “The Massacre Canyon: The Last Buffalo Hunt.”
Gering– Andrew Hermes. “Final Resolution: The Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan.”
Gibbon– Harold Smallcomb. “Benedict Arnold: Justifiable Treachery?”
Kenesaw– Lacey Mack. “The Matrimonial Politics of King Henry VII.”
Maxwell– Ruth Christensen. “Catherine of Aragon.”
Winside– Zeke Brummels. “Che Guevara and the Pop Culture of the U.S.A.”
COLORADO
Falcon – Jennifer Chaloupka. “Queen Elizabeth I: Martial Politics.”
SOUTH DAKOTA
Rapid City– Kelli Cavenah. “The American View of the Holocaust.”
