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).

Collectively, we accomplished a lot: we revamped our undergraduate major, refocused our graduate degree on public history, and grew our online presence without compromising our in-person programs. We said goodbye to colleagues who retired or moved on, and welcomed new ones—our faculty now stands at 15 full-time members, plus affiliates who expanded our offerings in high-need areas. This was organic growth, sustained by steady demand for history classes and a solid number of majors and minors. Despite the broader misperception of history’s value, we’ve demonstrated ours and held our strength. As chair, I also witnessed our students earn scholarships, internships, and national recognition, making a powerful impact through their work and service.

Something that surprised me: peers often assume that taking an admin role means severing your brain from the habits of good scholarship—and sometimes shifting your moral compass, too. I’ve joked about becoming a bureaucrat and switching to the dark side, but the reality is quite different. So much of what I cherish as a historian came into play. In 2019, I faced a (very collegial) faculty insurrection over a document, and after the initial shock, I recognized how neatly it fit the theory of collective action I’d studied in grad school. The historian’s knack for empathy and emphasizing agency mattered, too. And the byzantine ways of higher-ed budgets? Not so different from 18th-century Mexican budgets, with their endless earmarkings and restrictions. (Got [alcabalas]?) I didn’t stop being a historian while becoming a manager. Historical thinking is truly a habit of mind that reaches well beyond “history.”

What’s next? I’m on sabbatical, pursuing research travel in Argentina, Mexico, and Rhode Island on markets, inequality, and living conditions. I’m also applying AI to sources documenting environmental change in America, tied to a renewed focus on experiential, place- and work-based learning. If you work in business or nonprofits and are curious, drop me a line. I look forward to applying all this to my teaching in fall 2027!

I can’t believe how lucky I am—colleagues devoted to the mission, students whose hope, playfulness, and intelligence bring joy to the work. Thank you, alums, colleagues, and students, for these rewarding years.