This post is authored by the new Chair of the History Department, Dr. Casey Stark.
Taking on the role of Department Chair is quite a transition. Since officially assuming these responsibilities on July 1st, I have learned more than I ever anticipated. In many ways, I had the luxury of time to prepare, as the transition was decided more than a year in advance. My predecessor, Amílcar Challú, graciously continued in the role for an extra year, allowing me to take a sabbatical before stepping into the position.
This post is guest-authored by MA Student Roberto Rios, who presented a talk at the Clyde Public Library in early July, 2026. His unique background in archaeology made him the perfect fit to discuss The Raiders of the Lost Ark. We thank the Clyde Public Library for hosting this event, and Roberto for taking the time to share about his talk with the History Department.
As a part of the Unearth A Story program the Clyde Public Library is connecting readers of all ages to fascinating new books of adventure and discovery through topics that follow the theme of unearthing the past. Libraries have brought in experts in anthropology, archaeology, geology, history, and paleontology. These professionals are brought in to discuss the theme of the books that are being read within the given time frame.
Our final Internship Spotlight of the summer features a reflection written by graduate student Lochlyn Ramsey. Join us as we continue to hear from our students who recently completed internships in their field of study.
I have now spent approximately five years of my life working at and researching historic sites related to the War of 1812. However, up to this point, I most of my time has been spent focusing on the navy. I have waited for an opportunity to learn more about the army and the land battles that were fought in the region. I had that opportunity this past spring semester, when I worked as an intern at Fort Meigs Historic Site in Perrysburg. Going into the internship, I had three goals: do my job well, further expand my knowledge of the War of 1812, and to foster a connection between myself and the fort’s staff.
One of my favorite parts of the internship was getting to open up the fort by myself one day. It happened to be a beautiful day and I got this great shot of the sun over the fort from the Grand Battery.
The following post is written by now former Chair, Dr. Amílcar Challú. We greatly appreciate his time and leadership over the past 9 years, and we hope he enjoys the change of pace while he’s on his sabbatical!
On June 30th, I completed my term as chair of the Department of History—nine rewarding and productive years, made possible by the trust and support of my colleagues, college and university leadership, students and friends of the department. The two photos here are the bookends of my tenure: summer 2017 and summer 2026, both in the wilderness of western Wyoming (the first a family vacation, the second a professional workshop; same grizzly look but more gray hair).
Join us as we continue to hear from our students who completed internships this past spring semester! Both graduate and undergraduate student worked in the field of historical spaces in a variety of capacities. This blog post is authored by History student, Burkart, whose internship involved cataloging the first and only costume-mask manufacturer before World War II.
I am a first year graduate student for the Department of History and will be graduating next May. I gained my Bachelors of History from BGSU as well last year. I am interested in a wide range of history, including ancient and social and cultural history. My graduate program includes a public history certificate and my capstone will be tied to this internship. I interned from February to April in 2026 at the Hancock Historical Museum in Findlay, Ohio, under the curator and archivist, Joy Bennett.
This blog post was written by Dr. Michael Carver, who was one of Dr. Forsyth’s students while he was working on his PhD in History.
The History Department at BGSU bids a fond and wistful farewell to Dr. Douglas J. Forsyth, who recently completed his final semester as one of the university’s preeminent professors and now enters a well-deserved retirement after decades of distinguished teaching, scholarship, and mentorship.
School is typically out for the summer in early June, but not for the twenty-eight K-12 teachers that participated in the inaugural CIVICs 250 Scholars program. Made possible by a Department of Education grant to promote civics education, the teachers have been gathering virtually once a month throughout the spring to discuss how to use primary sources and civics documents in their classroom. The program culminated in a five-day long seminar held on BGSU’s campus, where the K-12 teachers had the opportunity to learn from faculty and each other about how to add to their civics instruction in their classrooms. Throughout the summer, the teachers will take what they’ve learned and create lesson plans to be taught in their classrooms next school year.
≈ Comments Off on Internship Spotlight: Cassie Smalls
Join us as we continue to hear from our students who completed internships this past spring semester! Both graduate and undergraduate student worked in the field of historical spaces in a variety of capacities. This blog post is authored by History student, Cassie Smalls, whose internship will impact future generations of archival research. Her reflection has been lightly edited for clarity.
Why are archives important? As I started working at BGSU’s Music Library and Bill Schurk Sound Archives (MLBSSA), for my internship, I started to think about why it actually mattered. For me, it’s more than just aiding with research, or hoarding old objects, it’s about legacy. People, groups, and ideas will never die as long as someone remembers them, and that hits hard with me. That has been my philosophy as I have been involved with history at BGSU: I want to remember things, like people and ideas which have made either massive or miniature waves in our world’s lifespan.
Join us as we continue to hear from our students who completed internships this past spring semester! Both graduate and undergraduate student worked in the field of historical spaces in a variety of capacities. This blog post is authored by History BA student, Ava Rybka, who also helps run the Department’s social media channels, and has been an active member of the BGSU Latino Issues Conference steering committee.
I am a history major with a Latin minor. I have a strong research interest in 20th century Latin American history, especially its relation to Catholicism, indigeneity, human rights, and grassroots organization. I hope to pursue a postgraduate degree in Latin American and Caribbean studies.
≈ Comments Off on Undergraduate Course Offerings, Fall 2026
The BGSU History Department offers a robust array of classes each semester, and we are pleased to announce the course offerings available for Fall 2026. These undergraduate courses are broken into several core areas. The last number of the course indicates the core content area, and the first number of the course indicates the progression of learning outcomes.
Undergraduate students majoring or minoring in History should consult with Dr. Michael Carver if they have questions regarding the classes they should enroll in during their time at BGSU. His email address is mcarver@bgsu.edu.
History Content Core (course # ends in 0)
1510: World Civilizations 1520: The Modern World (H) 1200: Foundations of American History (formerly 1250) 1260: Modern America 2010: Introduction to Canadian Studies (o) 2210: North American Indigenous People (o) 2250: Replaying the Past: Replaying the American Revolution (H) (cl: POLS 4000)
History Professional Core (course # ends in 1)
1001: The Historian’s Craft 2001: Historical Writing 4001: Professional Practices in History
Local, Regional and Public History Core (course # ends in 2)
3062: History of Ohio (o) 3892: Internship
Societal and Cultural Core (course # ends in 3)
3153: Slavery and Atlantic Slave Trade (o) 3683: Premodern Japan 4463: The French Revolution (cl:HIST 5820) 4803: African American Thought (H)
Military and Diplomacy Core (course # ends in 4)
3014: American Military History (o) 3334: The Vietnam War 4214: US and World I: American Imperialism (cl: HIST 5820 and INST 4700)
Political and Economic History Core (course # ends in 5)
No courses offered this semester
Transnational Core (course # ends in 7)
3567: Genocide and Holocaust 4027: Colonial Africa (o) 4807: Europe Today (cl: POLS 4000, INST 4700, ES 5010, GERM 4800, GERM 5800)
(o) – indicates a class is offered only online (H) – indicates a class also has an Honors option (cl:) – indicates a class is cross-listed with another undergraduate or graduate course
For current students, you may find more specific information about times, locations and who is teaching each of these courses on the BGSU Course Catalogue.
