Student Opportunities
There are many opportunities for students studying history to get involved on at the University of Idaho. Being involved in activities outside the classroom allows you the opportunity to develop meaningful relationships with new friends, faculty, staff and others who will be important to your college success.
In particular, students have various opportunities to explore their interests, conduct research, and gain public-history experience through our internship program. During the academic year, these opportunities include working with the Primary Source (our department newsletter), the Black History Research Lab, the Latah County Historical Society, and the Women’s Center. Students typically earn course credit for these internships.
During the summer, the department offers paid summer internships in collaboration with the Idaho Black History Museum and the Ketchum Community Library.
Please explore these opportunities below.
Student Opportunities
About
Phi Alpha Theta is a professional society whose mission is to promote the study of history through the encouragement of research, good teaching, publication and the exchange of learning and ideas among historians. The society seeks to bring students, teachers and writers of history together for intellectual and social exchanges. Phi Alpha Theta also publishes The Historian, a journal for graduate and undergraduate articles, as well as book reviews from professional scholars.
At The University of Idaho
Pi-Theta Chapter of Phi Alpha Theta International Honor Society was established at the University of Idaho in 1970. The chapter, with approximately 800 student and faculty members, has been awarded two "Best Chapter" awards. Membership is based on grade point average. The initiation of new members occurs once a year in the spring.
In addition, the chapter attends the annual Northwestern Regional Conference, where each attending student presents a 20 minute research paper. Awards are given for best undergraduate paper, best graduate paper and best overall paper. The student with the best overall paper is chosen to attend the annual Phi Alpha Theta West Coast branch conference and present her/his paper there. University of Idaho students have won this honor twice in the past 15 years.
Membership Requirements
The U of I chapter of the national honor society is managed entirely by the students, and welcomes undergraduate and graduate students into its roster. If a student meets the membership requirements and has paid the initiation fee of $40, that student is a member for life. Members are presented with their membership certificates at the students’ fall initiation dinner; some students receive theirs at the spring banquet if they join later in the year.
Undergraduates must have a minimum of 12 semester hours (4 courses) in history, achieve a minimum 3.1 GPA in history and a 3.0 or better GPA overall.
Graduates should have completed a minimum of 12 semester hours toward their master’s degree in history, have a GPA of better than 3.5, and shall have completed approximately 30 percent of the residence requirements for the master’s degree.
For more information, visit the Phi Alpha Theta requirements page or contact U of I's Phi Alpha Theta advisor, Professor Ellen Kittell.
Undergraduates
Merrick Bonar
- Worked on a project for Professor Ellen Kittell translating original medieval French documents.
- Did an independent research project on ancient Hellenistic coins and presented it at NYU’s Fourth Annual Interdisciplinary Undergraduate Conference on the Ancient World.
- Currently extending his project from last year with Professor Kittell to work on a capstone project on Christine de Pizan.
- Plans to present at Phi Alpha Theta conference.
Tori Stevenson
- Working on a project with Professor Sydney Freeman, Jr., plans to present on it at Phi Alpha Theta.
- Working on a capstone project with Assistant Professor Alyson Roy and Assistant Professor Johanna Gosse on surrealism that she wants to use as her writing sample to apply for grad school in art history.
- Is studying abroad in Germany in the Fall.
Kayla George
- Interned last summer at the Black History Museum in Boise.
Kierra Smith
- Primary Source co-editor.
- Working with Professor Sydney Freeman, Jr. on a project about Black history at UI.
Graduate Student Highlights
Renae Campbell
- Site director for the Poly Bemis Ranch excavation.
- Continuing to intern for the Gay Rodeo Oral History project.
Dusty Fleener
- Working with CDIL to organize and digitize the MosCon collection.
Alumni
Two history alums, Derick Higgins and Brody Gasper also worked with Professor Sydney Freeman, Jr. to help create the Black History at UI exhibit.
