History
History
2022 LAS Awards
Outstanding Undergraduate Students
Nolan Baker
Outstanding Student in History
Originally from Byron, Illinois, Nolan Baker completed the first two years of his college education at Northern Illinois University before transferring to UCCS where he has continued to study history and secondary social studies education. He graduates with a 4.0 GPA. His senior thesis, "Salt War Sanctions: The Hidden Legacies of the Gadsden Purchase in the Rio Grande Valley" was awarded Outstanding Senior Thesis recognition under Dr. Christina Jimenez. She wrote: “Nolan’s senior thesis is among the highest quality theses I have read. It’s publishable in an historical academic journal.” Alongside his academic pursuits, Nolan has pursued his Olympic wrestling dreams in Greco-Roman wrestling with the Olympic Training Center. Nolan will soon complete his student teaching year and look to become a high school history teacher in northern Illinois. He could not have reached this point without the support of his family.
Seth Heyden
Outstanding Student in History
Colorado native Seth Heyden graduated from the John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and currently serves in the Army Reserves. “Reading books about Egypt started my love of history,” he said, and all his history professors at UCCS, historian of imperialism Dominic Alessio, and “Herodotus, of course” turned that love into a major. As a historian, Seth has special interest in mythologies and the transformative effects of warfare; his senior thesis combines these to examine how breakaway provinces during the Third Century Crisis modeled themselves after their idealized conceptions of “Rome.” His thesis shows the qualities that Seth has developed and demonstrated in many courses at UCCS, from ancient to medieval history: careful consideration of sources, leading to thoughtful analysis, producing keen and unique insights. He draws inspiration from “Stoicism, the infinite potential of hungry minds, and the idea that books and literature have been and will always be the keepers of history.” He wishes to thank his parents, siblings, and brother-in-law; his friends from Colorado; and his mischievous cat, Ranger, for their support. He also wishes to thank the History department “for the honor of being picked as a recipient of this award. It means so much to me.”
Jeffrey Mann
Outstanding Student in History
Jeffrey Mann is a veteran of the U.S. Army with many years of service abroad. Upon returning to UCCS, he completed his BA in History and Education, achieving a perfect 4.0 GPA in doing so, and prepared a standout, publishable-quality thesis for Professor Harvey on the history of the sugar beet industry, and its workers, in southern Colorado. He will begin teaching next year at Fountain Fort Carson High School.
Ellie Markley
Outstanding Student in History
Elle Markley graduates summa cum laude with her BA in History and certificate in Civic Engagement through U.S. History. During her undergraduate tenure, Elle has proven herself an exceptional and engaged student. Since 2018, Elle has served as a senior peer reviewer for the University Research Journal; in spring 2021, she interned at the Western Museum of Mining and Industry; and, in 2022, she was a judge for the History Day competition. Since spring 2021, she has worked as a peer consultant in the Writing Center, working with students individually and administering various workshops. In her senior year, Elle served as Writing Fellow for two of Sr. Instructor Headle’s courses, earning students’ respect for her thoughtful insights and guidance. Additionally, Elle is a member of Phi Alpha Theta. While Elle’s senior thesis analyzes the relationship between early Tammany Hall, Free Masons, and early Republic politics, her research interest lies with the history of epidemics, specifically, the epidemiology of cholera in Victorian England and America. To pursue her interest, in fall 2022, Elle begins her Master’s degree at the College of Charleston; her placement comes with a research assistantship and full funding for the duration of the program.
Outstanding Graduate Students
Michael Moody
Outstanding Graduate Student in History
Michael Moody received his B.A. in History from UCCS in 2019. As an undergraduate, his work was already exploring difficult questions of how both internally and externally assigned categories impact the lives of individuals and groups; his senior thesis focused on Rwandan Genocide and how the legacies of colonial policies contributed to the tragedy. As a graduate student, Michael has continued to pursue challenging research questions rooted in intersectional understanding of identity, justice and legal status. His research theses examined indigenous identity and the legal categorization of “Alaskan Native,” U.S. immigration policy in the 1980s and 1990s and the political/social effects on HIV-positive Mexican migrants, and the impact of an imagined and idealized notion of the “American West” on endangered plant life endemic to Colorado. In addition to his own research, Michael has also served as the managing editor of The Springs Online Graduate History Journal and has worked in numerous professional positions at UCCS. His commitment to meaningful scholarship and his supportive and productive service to his peers (as well as the entire UCCS community) are exceptional. Michael will remain in his professional role at UCCS after graduation and is considering pursuing a PhD in History in the future.
Eilex Rodriguez
Outstanding Graduate Student in History
Eilex Rodriguez received their Bachelor of Arts in History at UCCS, when they also received the Cesar E. Chavez scholarship for their paper regarding the 1968 student movement in Mexico City. Entering their graduate studies, Rodriguez received the Graduate Research Fellowship. Rodriguez worked as a Teaching Assistant and Writing Fellow for various faculty. Eilex also completed a graduate internship at the Chinook Center. Their research projects centered on the experiences of the Mexican immigrant and migrant communities in the US. For the future, Rodriguez hopes to take a break from school and gain experience teaching, working at the Pikes Peak Library at Penrose, and further community building in Colorado Springs. Rodriguez could not do any of this alone and wants to thank Dr. Jimenez and Dr. Christiansen for their support, help, and brilliance. Rodriguez wants to thank their family, in particular their parents, Melissa and Juan, their siblings, Joanne and Mercedes, and their abuelita, Amanda. Rodriguez also wants to thank their cat, Teagan, who was hugely supportive, their friends and community members, especially at the Chinook Center and the United Campus Workers Colorado.
Eric Witte
Outstanding Graduate Student in History
Eric Witte came to UCCS a non-traditional student after 20 years as a chef. Now, as a global environmental historian, Eric’s interests and research have navigated time and space, from medieval Iberia to 20th-century American West, always making theoretical, temporal, and geographical connections that are nuanced and inspirational. Eric completed his undergraduate degrees in History and Geography & Environmental Sciences in 2020, earning various awards, including: Recipient of UCCS Student/Faculty Research Grant and Outstanding Undergraduate Student for Humanities. As a graduate student, Eric received a UCCS Graduate Research Fellowship Grant. During his tenure at UCCS, Eric has shared his passion and his knowledge with students, as Writing Center tutor, a six-time Writing Fellow, and a TA for Sr. Thesis; in each of these positions, Eric proved himself an indispensable peer and ally to students. His work as UCCS’s Civic Engagement Professional and numerous presentations in diverse classes and at conferences have also prepared Eric for his next ventures: joining the History Department as a lecturer (fall 2022) and pursuing a PhD in Geography. Most importantly, Eric’s dedication to collegiality and collaboration across disciplines has earned him the respect of students and faculty alike—Eric is a humanity and Humanities scholar.