2024 News and Events
Spring 2024
On Tuesday, April 30, UMass Lowell's Center for Women & Work and the History Department hosted a book launch to celebrate the publication of Prof. Jane Sancinito's recently published monograph, "The Reputation of the Roman Merchant." The event took place from Noon-1:30 p.m. at 150 Wilder Street.
On Friday, April 26, The Academic Minute posted a short comment by Prof. Abby Chandler on some of the research in her second book, “'Seized with the Temper of the Times': Identity and Rebellion in Pre-Revolutionary America." Prof. Chandler reflected on how two Rhode Island colonists, Martin Howard and Stephen Hopkins - both committed to their shared sense of identity as British subjects - responded differently to the Sugar and Stamp Acts. Howard remained a loyalist during the American Revolution but Hopkins believed that it was necessary to break away from the British Empire.
On Saturday, April 13, two faculty presented research papers at the New England Historical Association (NEHA) conference at St. Anselm's College in New Hampshire. Prof. Joshua Morrison gave a paper on "Massachusetts's Triangular Trade: The Shifting Economic Fortunes of Salem, Boston, and Lowell, 1790-1830."Prof. Andrew Drenas gave a paper on "The Memoirs of a 'Spiritual Warrior': St. Lawrence of Brindisi's Commentariolum (1612) and Reflections on Catholic Missions in the Holy Roman Empire."
On Thursday, April 11, Prof. Jane Sancinito and students in her Roman History and Pirates of the Mediterranean courses participated in this year's Wikipedia Edit-a-thon, which was organized by the UMass Lowell Library. The goal this year was to raise the profiles of Asians, Pacific Islanders, and Asian Americans. The thirteen student and faculty editors worked on sixteen articles, making ninety-five edits and adding sixty references. Among the Wikipedia pages created was one for UMass Lowell Chancellor Julie Chen. Within the first month, the articles from the edit-a-thon had been viewed nearly 10,000 times by Wikipedia users around the world. The UML 2024 Edit-a-thon was the subject of a university article published online on May 10: "Students Sharpen Research Skills at Wikipedia Edit-a-thon."
On Tuesday, April 2, from 4-5 p.m. in McGauvran 318, History graduate Kelley Leonhard ('21) returned to UMass Lowell to give a talk: "From UMass Lowell to The Boston History Company: Life after a History Major." ;Kelley worked for Revolutionary Spaces before becoming the COO for the Boston History Company in 2023. Kelley reflected on her life in Boston’s dynamic public history world, and then students were able to ask her questions as they think about their lives and careers after UMass Lowell.
On Monday, April 1, Prof. Christoph Strobel gave a talk on Native American history for the Medieval & Renaissance Studies program: "The Indigenous Old World: An Exploration of Ancient and Medieval North America." The talk explored the worlds of the Indigenous peoples of North America before European colonization. It focused on subjects such as the Indigenous peoples' cities, architectural traditions, methods of agriculture, and how they managed their environment. The lecture was given in Dugan Hall 208 from 4-5 p.m.
On Thursday, March 14, Johanna Hanink (Brown University) gave this year's Zamanakos Lecture: “Athens in America: Ancient Greece and the Making of the New Nation.” It considered early America's fascination with ancient Greek architecture, art, and culture - the "Greek Revival" - and its enduring significance, in the context of both the recent bicentennial (in 2021) of the Greek Revolution and the upcoming commemorations of the 250th anniversary of the American Declaration of Independence. The lecture took place in Coburn Hall 255 at 6 p.m.; a reception followed.
In commemoration of Black History Month, the History Department co-sponsored "Black History on Stage: Blending the Past with the Present." This performance on February 29 included a one-woman show presenting a range of historic figures, with a second artist acting as liaison to the audience. These guest speakers were Brandi LaShay and Krasel Morales. Performance times were 12:30-1:30 p.m. and 6-7 p.m. at the Comley-Lane Theatre. Between performances, there was a talk-back with the actors, which took place at the Allen House Gallery from 4-5 p.m.
On Monday, January 29, as part of their "Curious Kids" series, The Conversation published an article that Prof. Jane Sancinito wrote about the long history of the alphabet, and how the ancient Egyptians, Phoenicians, Greeks, and Romans all contributed to its evolution. One can read Prof. Sancinito's article on the history of the alphabet online.
On January 4, "The Conversation" published an article written by Prof. Abby Chandler about two Rhode Island colonists, Martin Howard and Stephen Hopkins, contemporaries who lived during the American Revolution. Prof. Chandler considers how both men, despite their similarities, came to very different conclusions about how to align themselves during the conflict. Their individual approaches to the issues of the time shed light on the decisions thousands of British colonists had to make before the American Revolution. One can read Prof. Chandler's article on Martin Howard and Stephen Hopkins online.
In January, Prof. Jane Sancinito published a monograph: "The Reputation of the Roman Merchant". This book examines the strategies Roman retailers, craftsmen, and other workers used to succeed and develop good reputations, despite the stigma associated with their work. It was published by the University of Michigan Press.