Emmanuel Ennin - Ph.D. Student

M.A. History, 2023

Emmanuel Ennin received a full scholarship to pursue his doctoral studies at Princeton university in the Fall 2023.

View the news release for the full story.

At Western, I have taken 33 credit-hour courses that have prepared me methodologically and honed my writing, speaking and research skills," said Ennin. "In my first semester, I took two research seminars, and one reading seminar, and I wrote two research papers, of which one was nominated for publication in the Western Illinois Historical Review (WIHR)—a peer-reviewed journal operated by the History department. I have also served on the WIHR as a co-editor and continue to do so.

Frank Kalisik - Ph.D. Student

M.A. History, 2022

Frank Kalisik is thriving in his Ph.D. program in History at the University of Wisconsin in Milwaukee. On May 8, 2023 Frank published the essay, The Revolutionary Language of Black Abolitionists . The essay was published in an important, widely-read History Blog, The African American Intellectual History Society (AAIHS) .

Nancy Benz, Assistant Curator

M.A. History, 2018

Nancy works as the Assistant Curator at the Quincy Museum in Quincy, IL. I also manage our volunteers, provide tours of the home, and manage our social media. She gave a keynote speech for the local Preservation Committee in May 2023, and collaborated on a local women’s history coloring book.

WIU's history program and professors have honed my critical thinking and public speaking skills. I write on a daily basis at work and for my history blog; the writing skills the program instills in its students is superb! I hope to move on to a bigger institution in the near future and to continue partnering on projects that make history more inviting, inclusive, accessible, informative, and fun!

Victoria Stewart, Associate Professor

M.A. History, 2011

Victoria is an Associate Professor of History at Northwest Florida State College where she began teaching in 2017. In 2022, Victoria earned tenure and was promoted to associate professor.

Many thanks to the amazing history faculty at WIU! You all provided a strong foundation and constant encouragement!