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NEWS & EVENTS

Alumni Spotlight Interviews

Karen Cox

Karen Cox, M.A. 1988

Dr. Karen Cox is an award-winning historian who has authored three books and many articles and essays about Southern history and culture and has written op-eds for publications such as the New York Times and the Washington Post. She is a professor of history at UNC Charlotte. Her latest book is Goat Castle: A True Story of Murder, Race, and the Gothic South.

  1. When did you first develop an interest in history?

    My interest in history may have first developed when my mother bought me and my brother a set of the World Book Encyclopedia; it was a great source of inspiration. I think the first time I realized how intrigued I was by history was in the 8th grade at Allen Junior High School in Greensboro. I had a great teacher whose enthusiasm inspired my own. I think my first paper was on Thomas Jefferson.

  2. What do you value most about your history degree?

    What I value most about it is that it gave me a broad knowledge of the world and different cultures, as well as about the vast differences among people and what motivates them to act, or stay silent, during a particular historical moment in time.

  3. How would you say that you have used the skills and knowledge you developed as a history major in your career? These can be in your day-to-day activities or in long-term planning and/or strategizing your professional path.

    I knew that I wanted to be a historian, regardless of what that looked like. I took courses that first prepared me to become a public historian and my first professional job was with a museum. In addition to working at museums, I've also worked in special collections and for a non-profit in Washington, DC. I also worked in a for-profit heritage marketing firm. Of course, now I'm a professor of history. Throughout, however, studying history has meant that I don't jump to conclusions, but think critically about a problem. History has also been important to making me a good writer. Never underestimate the importance of good writing. It will take you places!

  4. What advice would you give a graduating history major setting out in today's job market?

    History majors should market themselves as critical thinkers who can problem-solve AND who can communicate informed responses to problems as writers and speakers. These kinds of skills are useful in a variety of jobs--from business and government to the non-profit sector.

  5. What advice would you give a first year student considering majoring in history?

    Do what you love. If history is what you love, then make it your major. Fill it in with other kinds of classes, of course. Learn some digital skills, for example. Also, by all means, get yourself an internship. It gives you experience, skills, and adds to your professional network. Whatever you do, do not run away from a history major because your parents don't think you'll find a job. That's simply not true. Over the course of their lives, history majors often have very fine careers.

  6. Is there anything else you would like to share with our students about your passion for history and/ or its relationship to your professional experience?

    I have had one of the most rewarding careers because I majored in something I love: HISTORY. I've met fascinating people, traveled to interesting places, and held jobs in a variety of workplaces where I've been able to engage with history. I cannot tell you how many people I've met in my life who said they wished they'd majored in history. Don't be one of those people.


Rebecca Lowe

Rebecca Lowe, B.A. 2012

Rebecca Lowe received a B.A. with disciplinary honors in history and anthropology. She is currently a park ranger at Guilford Courthouse National Military Park in Greensboro, NC.

  1. When did you first develop an interest in history?

    When I was a child I had a history coffee table book that was a survey of world history. I would read different sections and write essays on the topic. I was also fascinated by National Geographic and discovering different cultures. These early experiences set me on the path for enjoying history classes from elementary through high school and taking the initiative to contact professors at UNCG to discuss the possibility of a history degree.

  2. What do you value most about your history degree?

    My Bachelor's degree in history from UNCG, and my Masters in Public History from NCSU provided a strong foundation in historical theory and established the importance of a person's agency whether historical or current. I also value my connections with the professors who recognized my interest in pursuing a history career professionally, and that they took the effort to guide me towards a career. Take the time to visit your professors in their office hours, and learn about their journey. Take a leap to develop a project with them! I worked with Dr. O'Brien to research the Iroquois Nation's involvement in the American Revolution, and he brought an entire microfilm collection to the Jackson Library permanently.

  3. How would you say that you have used the skills and knowledge you developed as a history major in your career? These can be in your day-to-day activities or in long-term planning and/or strategizing your professional path.

    I use my skills of historical interpretation and research, as well as my knowledge of historical time periods from my studies at UNCG in my position as a Park Ranger Interpreter with the National Park Service (NPS). Thanks to the knowledge I developed about different time periods, and the historiography I was exposed to, I can combine my degree and field experience to interpret history to different age groups.

  4. What advice would you give a graduating history major setting out in today's job market?

    Strongly consider applying to federal and state government history jobs. Even though these are competitive, you will be placed into a broad network of people, and once you make a great impression and develop strong ties for your coworkers, they will help you look for work in the field. As a seasonal park ranger with NPS, I have to move from one park to another, and it is very difficult to get your foot in the door on your own, but thanks to my coworkers and supervisor I know that I have a greater chance to succeed because of networking. To successfully place in a federal position, say with the National Park Service or other Department of Interior (DOI) agencies, you can consider a pathways internship with DOI while in school.

    Most importantly, BE FLEXIBLE! Realistically it will take a long time for you to find a position and move up the ladder, but that is ok! By volunteering and interning, and then in your first paid position, you will develop critical skills that will take you higher in the field. Also consider pursuing a Masters Degree, but only when you are 2000% sure that you are ready to take your studies further, and that it will pay off in your professional career.

  5. What advice would you give a first year student considering majoring in history?

    As soon as you begin your classes and college career find a volunteer position or internship with a museum, library, historic park, anything related to your major, or consider a school club! Not only will you begin creating your skills in networking, you will be exposed to different ideas, interesting theories and practices, and you will begin developing an idea of what you want to do in the future with this degree.

    History is not a fluff degree! With these skills you will build through the UNCG history program you will find it easier to become more engaged in society, and offer historical insight to current events and issues. You can use these skills in plenty of jobs, but if you want to be a historian, you absolutely must explore the field to know what you want to to do, and how that will effect your life in terms of cost of living, job availability, etc. You can look at these federal and state agencies websites or go to Volunteer.gov to look in your local area. Be willing to look at youth programs such as the Student Conservation Association, where you might be working a bit outside of your field, but you could spend the summer in a new place gaining special hiring authorities to apply to a federal career.

  6. Is there anything else you would like to share with our students about your passion for history and/ or its relationship to your professional experience?

    History has always been my first love, and I am thankful to be in the Public History field because I can create historical conversations with the public and the volunteers I manage. I believe in shared authority where the historian collaborates with their audience to interpret and discover history. As a historian, it is my civic duty to empower the public and my volunteers to explore the past and the present. Looking back I wish I had known about federal historical agencies and began my volunteer experience sooner. Also, I've learned from my field experience and from my degree that you can't always reach people through books, so it is important to explore other methods of interpretation. If you have a passion for history, and you want to connect with people no matter where you may live or how long it takes to get to where you want to be, pursue this path and you will feel the reward when you connect with audiences, students, and your coworkers.


Penelope Muse Abernathy

Penelope Muse Abernathy, B.A, 1973

Penelope Muse Abernathy is the Knight Chair of Journalism and Digital Media Economics at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. After graduating from UNCG, she went on to earn an M.B.A. and an M.S. from Columbia University. Dr. Emily J. Levine, career liaison for the department, interviewed her in 2016.

  1. When did you first develop an interest in history?

    From my mother, a junior high school social studies/language arts teacher and graduate of UNCG, 1939. Plus, the history professors at UNCG were amazing storytellers. I honestly looked forward to every lecture in every history class I took.

  2. What do you value most about your history degree?

    As Winston Churchill once said, "The farther backward you look, the farther forward you can see." From my days at UNCG, I developed a lifelong passion for the perspective that history can give you — and continue to read books and listen to history lectures regularly. In the past month, I have listened to a series of lectures on Spain in 1492 and the lasting significance of Machiavelli. I also incorporate world and U.S. history into the upper-level and graduate courses (Digital Media Economics and Behavior, and Leadership in a Time of Change) that I regularly teach in the School of Media and Journalism at UNC-CH.

  3. How would you say that you have used the skills and knowledge you developed as a history major in your career? These can be in your day-to-day activities or in long-term planning and/or strategizing your professional path.

    History gives a unique perspective on leadership through the ages, and I have recalled those lessons on a daily basis as I pursued a career in journalism, rising from cub reporter to an executive at the New York Times, Wall Street Journal and Harvard Business Review. My study of history influenced my own aspirations (personal and professional), as well as the ethics that I honed and refined as I journeyed through life.

  4. What advice would you give a graduating history major setting out in today's job market?

    Be open to the art of possibility.

  5. What advice would you give a first year student considering majoring in history?

    Consider double majoring or minoring in English or Comparative Literature. It will vastly enrich your appreciation of your history courses.

  6. Is there anything else you would like to share with our students about your passion for history and/ or its relationship to your professional experience?

    In 2009 I delivered the History Department Commencement speech. For a full copy click here: Timeless Lessons in Leadership.


Laura Malloy

Laura G. Malloy, M.A. History, 2013

Laura Malloy is currently the historian for the 58th Special Operations Wing at Kirtland Air Force Base in New Mexico. Before she graduated from UNCG with her M.A. in U.S. History, she earned her B.A. in history at UNCG with a minor in art. Dr. Emily J. Levine, career liaison for the department, interviewed her in 2016.

  1. When did you first develop an interest in history?

    I have always loved history, so I would have to say my interest developed as a young child. I used to joke with many in my class that it was in the Stone Age.

  2. What do you value most about your history degree?

    The unique opportunities available and where my degree has taken me.

  3. How would you say that you have used the skills and knowledge you developed as a history major in your career? These can be in your day-to-day activities or in long-term planning and/or strategizing your professional path.

    I use the knowledge, skills, and abilities developed during my time at UNCG every day in my work as the Wing Historian for the 58th Special Operations Wing at Kirtland Air Force Base. I research data, conduct oral histories, safe guard the official records and primary documents and apply it to written histories for the United States Air Force. Additionally, I create specific art products for the wing, manage the Air-park, and maintain the specific artifacts and memorabilia for the wing.

  4. What advice would you give a graduating history major setting out in today's job market?

    Prepare early. Before you graduate start looking at different positions and have patience. Keep pushing forward in where you want to go. Sometimes you may have to settle for a "job" during the short term but always keep your eye on your long term goals and your "career."

  5. What advice would you give a first year student considering majoring in history?

    Carefully consider if this is what you want to do. Be prepared for disappointment but do not let that define you. It is hard work but if you set your mind to success, then you will achieve it.


Charlotte Holder Clinger, B.A, 1965

Charlotte Holder Clinger

Charlotte Holder Clinger is a retired Air Force colonel currently living in Fairfax, Virginia. After graduating from UNCG, she went on to earn an M.A. in Public Administration from the University of Northern Colorado and Education/Teaching Certification from the University of the Americas in Mexico City, Mexico. She is still active with historical organizations. Dr. Emily J. Levine, career liaison for the department, interviewed her in 2015.

  1. When did you first develop an interest in history?

    I enjoyed history from grammar school onto high school and college. I knew I wanted to be a history major.

  2. What do you value most about your history degree?

    I value the historical perspective it has given me regarding both current events and the history which has played a pivotal role in the paths of nations and people.

  3. How would you say that you have used the skills and knowledge you developed as a history major in your career? These can be in your day-to-day activities or in long-term planning and/or strategizing your professional path.

    When I joined the United States Air Force, I specifically asked for Intelligence because I knew that my background as a history major would be a good fit for me. It was. I stayed in Intelligence my entire military career (retired as a Colonel) and also used my degree and the experience of my military Intelligence background to pursue my civilian profession as an analyst and supervisor with the Central Intelligence Agency.

  4. What advice would you give a graduating history major setting out in today's job market?

    Do not think that teaching is the only avenue for a history major. As I have noted, I used my history degree for advancement in both the military and as a government civilian. Also, there are private organizations which specialize in Intelligence which value knowledge in certain areas. It also helps to obtain at least a reading capability in the language of the area which you emphasize during your studies.

  5. What advice would you give a first year student considering majoring in history?

    Consider what you want as a career. If you wish to teach or write, history is a great major. If you wish to go into government or the private sector in the area of Intelligence, history is a great major.

  6. Is there anything else you would like to share with our students about your passion for history and/ or its relationship to your professional experience?

    When I retired, I did not leave history behind. I am a charter member of a historical society in North Carolina (Beech Mountain) and am involved in the Women Veterans Historical Project at UNCG. I also am active in a genealogical and historical society and several military veterans' organizations which are steeped in military history as well as current events. In addition, I became the managing editor of a magazine with a heavy emphasis on history for four years. It was a perfect fit. History is a lifelong pursuit.


Gina Marie Hurley, B.A, English/History, 2011

Charlotte Holder Clinger

Gina Marie Hurley is currently a graduate fellow and part-time instructor in English at Yale University. After graduating from UNCG, she earned her M.A. in English at Purdue University. Now she is a Ph.D. student in Medieval Studies/Literature at Yale University. Dr. Emily J. Levine, career liaison for the department, interviewed her in 2015.

  1. When did you first develop an interest in history?

    I've essentially been interested in history since I was a child. I loved to read, and I quickly developed a fondness for historical biographies.

  2. What do you value most about your history degree?

    Especially through Anne Barton's research seminar, I learned how to effectively evaluate and analyze a variety of primary and secondary texts. Historical research demands a flexibility of mind and creativity of approach that my history professors helped me develop. During my time there, my professors (particularly Asa Eger, Ms. Barton, and Lisa Tolbert) taught me how to make my literary interests an integral part of my approach to history, and those valuable lessons have shaped my path as an academic.

  3. How would you say that you have used the skills and knowledge you developed as a history major in your career? These can be in your day-to-day activities or in long-term planning and/or strategizing your professional path.

    As a literary scholar working in a highly interdisciplinary field, I use the research skills I developed at UNCG on a daily basis. To understand medieval literature, you must have some understanding of medieval history, and much of my research continues to exhibit this historical mindedness.

  4. What advice would you give a graduating history major setting out in today's job market?

    Be creative and open-minded! Humanities degrees are often so widely applicable that it can be difficult to "sell" your skills in such a competitive market. Think deeply about the qualities and skills you bring to the table and how they might connect to different careers in surprising and valuable ways.

  5. What advice would you give a first year student considering majoring in history?

    Consider doing a wide variety of internships and volunteer activities during your time in college to gain an understanding of how your training can be useful in different industries. Above all, take the time to connect with your professors—they really do care about your future and your interests, and they are invaluable sources of advice and encouragement.


Katie Heidsiek, M.A., 2011

Students

A typical day in the museum field is anything but. I have relocated a 700 pound soda fountain, cleaned a rat's nest out of a 100-year-old beet press, and waited tables at a $200-per-plate fundraiser. As the curator at a small, municipal museum in Windsor, Colorado, my responsibilities include developing exhibits, managing the collection, coordinating education programs and materials, and conducting community outreach. This is my first position after earning my Master's degree in history and museum studies from UNCG. I graduated in May, 2011 and took an internship at the Park City Museum in Utah; in August, 2011 I moved back to my home state for my current job.

After completing a Bachelor's degree in history from Carleton College in Minnesota, I looked for graduate programs that offered a good combination of theoretical coursework and field experience. UNCG's museum studies track came through as a unique opportunity for practical experience in the form of internships, hands-on assignments, and community-based projects. In addition, the program's small cohorts made for a close-knit learning environment that has lasted beyond graduation. I regularly exchange emails with fellow graduates, and a classmate even set up a Facebook group for our cohort to ask questions and help one another with museum-related issues. I'm two years into my position as curator, and still using my UNCG classmates - along with the professors, readings, and assignments - for guidance.

The coursework at UNCG and my varied responsibilities as curator for the Town of Windsor Museum have given me a strong, broad foundation in the museum field. I'm grateful to have an academic background that keeps so many options open to me. Eventually, I see myself focusing on a specific area of museum work at a larger institution. In the meantime, I'm enjoying my job as curator and life in Colorado. When I'm not at work I enjoy running, reading, cooking, and international travel with my (brand new!) husband.


Alyce Miller, Ph.D., 2012

Students

I earned my M.A. in History with a major in European History and a minor in U.S. History from UNCG in 2005 and my Ph.D. in History from UNCG in 2012. For me, attending UNCG to complete my graduate education was an incredibly positive experience. If I could do it all over again, I would choose UNCG without a moment's hesitation. The history professors at UNCG are not only important scholars in their fields, but, at least as important is the interest they take in their students. I was lucky enough to have several professors within the department act as both academic and career mentors to me, some formally and some informally. UNCG faculty truly mentor their students and take a real interest in their development and success. The professors are very demanding and the academics rigorous, yet exist within a nurturing and encouraging environment.

My professors at UNCG took an active role in helping me to secure employment within the profession after I completed my M.A. This preparation and assistance by the department and professors was invaluable in my successfully obtaining a full-time visiting lectureship at a public university. Even though I was no longer their student, my professors always had time to answer emails or phone calls from me asking for advice on teaching and my career or just giving them updates on how I was doing. After several years, I returned to UNCG to complete my Ph.D. and was able to secure a permanent, full-time position at a community college in Virginia. I have recently been promoted to Associate Professor and Department Chair. Even though I have graduated and have my Ph.D., I still regularly go to my former professors for advice and continue to receive their mentorship. I have a successful career that I truly love and I owe that to the UNCG Department of History and to my former professors, who always believed in me and mentored me. I can honestly say that the best decision I ever made was choosing UNCG for graduate school.

This is what really sets UNCG's Department of History apart from other graduate programs in History - its faculty. UNCG History faculty have created a truly nurturing environment that is really ideal for molding students into highly qualified and competent historians who are employable and very competitive in today's academic job market.


Tiffany Helton, B.A., 2013

Students

I graduated from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro in 2012 with a B.A. in history with a license to teach. I recently finished my first year of teaching in a North Carolina high school and I've also enjoyed leading our junior varsity softball team this season.

During my time at UNCG the history department was always supportive, never hard to meet with face to face and always in close contact with their counterparts for teaching licensure. UNCG as a whole offered a learning environment that embraced diversity gave the tools for wisdom rather than just knowledge and constantly kept a high standard for education.

Although I enjoyed my time at UNCG, I did not reach full appreciation for my education until I graduated and joined the ranks of North Carolina teachers. As a student teacher I taught United States History, as a first year teacher I was asked to teach World History and Civics and Economics. My education from UNCG allowed me to feel completely confident in all three areas of content. The History department at UNCG provides its students with an opportunity to master the craft they are passionate about in terms of content. However, UNCG also offered an opportunity for students to embrace the past through interaction, discussion and investigation of our lives today. The history department at UNCG truly gave me the tools for a lifetime of learning as well as the tools to lead and teach future generations.

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