On April 22, the History Department held its annual Excellence in History awards presentation the Bowen Thompson Student Union.  The event celebrates the excellent work done by undergraduate and graduate students in the department.  In addition, the department’s chapter of the honor society Phi Alpha Theta initiates new members at this event.  Allison Francis, who received the department’s Undergraduate Research Excellence in History award, gave a presentation based on her senior capstone research paper, “The War Against the High Cost of Living:  How a Community of Polish-American Women Fought to Better their Lives,” while Joe Lueck, the recipient of the Outstanding Graduate Seminar Paper award, presented “Hog Wild:  Shifting Livestock Control Policies in 17th-century New England.”   Other award recipients included Dillon Barto, of the John Schwarz Essay award, Elizabeth Hile, of the Outstanding Senior in History award, Lindsay Bauman, of the Outstanding Graduate Teaching Assistant award, and Joe Lueck, of the Outstanding Departmental Citizen award.  Lueck, who is also the president of the department’s Gamma Upsilon chapter of Phi Alpha Theta, inducted eleven new members into the Society:  Lindsey Marie Bauman, Zachary Burton, Danya Marie Crow, Amanda Catherine Dreyer, Heather Hines, Michael Horton, Grant Calvin Joy, Brandon J. Leal, Amber Lewis, Daniel K. Rossignol, and David Staub.  After the awards, students, family members, and faculty enjoyed a reception in the History Department.  Congratulations to all the honorees, and thanks to the Undergraduate Curriculum Committee, faculty, and Tina Thomas for organizing the event and reception.