History Research Latest News
Welcome to the Purdue History Research page. Here, you'll learn about recent publications, awards, and research initiatives led by faculty in the Department of History.
Research Profiles
Grants Awarded
Faculty Publications
Resources
Assistant Professor Subodhana Wijeyeratne discusses his new short story in 'Analog'
Department of History Assistant Professor Subodhana Wijeyeratne recently published a short story in Analog magazine, one of the Big Three science fiction magazines. In addition, Analog featured an interview with Professor Wijeyeratne. Learn more at this link.
Two Department of History faculty win EXCEL Research Grant competition
Two Department of History faculty were selected as winners of the EXCEL Research Grant Competition by the College of Liberal Arts. Associate Professor Silvia Mitchell and Assistant Professor Andrew Bellisari will receive funding to accelerate high-impact, interdisciplinary scholarship. Learn more at this link.
Professor Michael G. Smith featured as Purdue University Press celebrates 65 years of scholarly publishing
Professor of History Michael G. Smith is featured in a November 17 interview with Purdue University Press as they celebrate 65 years of scholarly publishing. Read the complete interview at this link.
Professor Tithi Bhattacharya receives AHA’s 2025 John F. Richards Prize in South Asian History
Department of History Professor Tithi Bhattacharya has been selected by the American Historical Association (AHA) to receive the 2025 John F. Richards Prize in South Asian History for her recent book, Ghostly Past, Capitalist Presence: A Social History of Fear in Colonial Bengal (Duke Univ. Press, 2024). Learn more at this link.
Dr. Kathryn Maxson Jones featured in recent 'Smithsonian' magazine article
Dr. Kathryn Maxson Jones, assistant professor in the Department of History, is featured in a recent article in Smithsonian magazine. The Sept. 26 article spotlights the vampire fish, a sea lamprey, that is helping researchers gain a better understanding of the human nervous system. Read more at this link.
Dr. Jonathan Lande explores Lincoln’s recruitment of Black soldiers during Civil War in recent article
In his recently published journal article, Dr. Jonathan Lande, assistant professor in the Department of History at Purdue University, probes the political and societal forces influencing President Abraham Lincoln’s recruitment of Black soldiers during the American Civil War. Learn more at this link.
Department of History welcomes Professor Erik Conway
Welcome to Dr. Erik Conway, Professor of History. Dr. Conway is a historian of science and technology and was previously the historian at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Learn more at this link.
Professor Tithi Bhattacharya receives 2025 Bochhorer Best Award for 'Ghostly Past, Capitalist Presence'
Department of History Professor Tithi Bhattacharya was recently honored at the prestigious Anandabazar 2025 Bochhorer Best Awards ceremony as "Year's Best Historian/Author" for her book, Ghostly Past, Capitalist Presence: A Social History of Fear in Colonial Bengal (Duke University Press, 2024). Learn more at this link.
Dr. Stanislav Pejša receives 2025 CLA Distinguished Dissertation Award
Dr. Stanislav Pejša, a recent PhD graduate of the Department of History, is recipient of the 2025 College of Liberal Arts Distinguished Dissertation Award. Learn more at this link.
Dr. Austin Cooper receives Fulbright Award for NATO Security Studies in Belgium
Dr. Austin Cooper, assistant professor in the Department of History, received the Fulbright Award for North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Security Studies. Dr. Cooper will conduct research in Belgium and the European Union during the Fall 2025 semester. Learn more at this link.
Purdue Cornerstone program goes global
Purdue's Cornerstone Integrated Liberal Arts program and the Teagle Foundation are holding an international symposium later in June at Oxford University’s Oriel College to discuss the state of the humanities, reaching students across campuses, and the future of liberal arts education. Learn more at this link.
Purdue Today features Dr. Wendy Kline as part of 'In Print' series
Dr. Wendy Kline, professor in the Department of History and the Dema G. Seelye Chair in the History of Medicine, was featured in Purdue Today as part of its In Print series for her recent book, Exposed: The Hidden History of the Pelvic Exam. Learn more at this link.
New book on global space age features chapter by History faculty Dr. Subodhana Wijeyeratne
Department of History Assistant Professor Subodhana Wijeyeratne is author of a chapter in the newly released book, Cosmic Fragments: Dislocation and Discontent in the Global Space Age. Learn more at this link.
Purdue Today features Dr. Jonathan Lande as part of 'In Print' series
Dr. Jonathan Lande, Assistant Professor in the Department of History, was featured in Purdue Today as part of the "In Print" series for his recent book, Freedom Soldiers: The Emancipation of Black Soldiers in Civil War Camps, Courts, and Prisons. Learn more at this link.
'How We Oversimplified the History of the Vietnam War': Dr. Andrew Bellisari
Dr. Andrew Bellisari, Assistant Professor in the Department of History and Faculty Fellow at the Center for American Political History and Technology (CAPT) is author of a recent piece in Time Magazine Made by History. "How We Oversimplified the History of the Vietnam War" explores the memory and legacy of the complex war and its many different narratives. Learn more at this link.
Dr. John Mulhall receives 2025-2026 Rome Prize in Medieval Studies
Department of History Assistant Professor John Mulhall has received the Rome Prize in Medieval Studies for 2025-2026. Dr. Mulhall will spend the academic year at the American Academy in Rome. Learn more at this link.
Dr. Kathryn Cramer Brownell recognized as a 2025 Andrew Carnegie Fellow
Dr. Kathryn Cramer Brownell, professor of history and director of the Center for American Political History and Technology within the College of Liberal Arts at Purdue University, has been selected for the distinguished 2025 Andrew Carnegie Fellows Program. Learn more at this link.
Dr. Ekaterina Babintseva selected for Ann Johnson Institute Program
Dr. Ekaterina Babintseva, Assistant Professor in the Department of History, has been selected to receive funding from the Ann Johnson Institute for Science, Technology, and Society (AJI) at the University of South Carolina to take part in the institute’s book manuscript workshop program. Learn more at this link.
Dr. Tithi Bhattacharya promoted to Full Professor
The Purdue University Board of Trustees on Friday (April 4) approved faculty promotions, including promotion of Dr. Tithi Bhattacharya to Full Professor. Promotions are effective with the 2025-26 academic year. Learn more at this link.
History faculty contribute to new volume on entanglements among empires in the 17th century
Two Department of History faculty have made significant contributions to a newly published book that explores the entanglements among Spain, Portugal, and the Dutch Republic during the seventeenth century from a global perspective. Associate Professor Silvia Mitchell is co-editor and contributing author, and Associate Professor Dawn Marsh is author of a chapter in the new volume. Learn more at this link.
New Purdue History degree to explore the history of science, technology, and medicine
A new History major will allow students to explore how science, technology, and medicine have shaped and been shaped in diverse contexts across time and geography. Developed by the Department of History, the new major in the History of Science, Technology and Medicine (HSTM) will also be offered as an academic minor. Current students can enroll in the programs immediately. Learn more at this link.
Dr. Michelle LaBonte receives Stanley Jackson Prize for recent journal article
Dr. Michelle LaBonte, Assistant Professor in the Department of History, was awarded the Stanley Jackson Prize from the Journal of the History of Medicine and Allied Sciences for her paper, “Diagnostic Uncertainty, Microbes, and the Isolation of People with Cystic Fibrosis.” Learn more at this link.
Professor Michael Smith publishes new book, 'The Spacefaring Earth: A History of the Space Age'
Michael Smith, Professor in the Department of History at Purdue University, has published a new book, The Spacefaring Earth: A History of the Space Age. Published by Routledge, the book provides an engaging survey of the Space Age, linking science and technology with politics and popular culture, war and peace, and crises and controversies, while examining the history of spaceflight as a mirror of human thought and action across the globe. Learn more at this link.
Dr. T. Cole Jones publishes article in special issue of Early American Studies
Dr. T. Cole Jones, Associate Professor in the Department of History, has published a new journal article in the Winter 2025 edition of Early American Studies: An Interdisciplinary Journal as part of a special issue spotlighting the American Revolution. Learn more at this link.
Dr. Kathryn Maxson Jones selected as CLA Dean’s Faculty Research Fellow
Dr. Kathryn Maxson Jones, Assistant Professor in the Department of History at Purdue University, was recently selected to serve as a College of Liberal Arts Dean’s Faculty Research Fellow for the 2025-2026 academic year. Dr. Maxson Jones was notified of her selection on January 23 by Dr. David Reingold, the Justin S. Morrill Dean of Liberal Arts. Learn more at this link.
Purdue Today features Dr. Tithi Bhattacharya as part of 'In Print' series
Dr. Tithi Bhattacharya, Associate Professor in the Department of History, was featured in Purdue Today as part of its "In Print" series for her recent book, Ghostly Past, Capitalist Presence. Learn more at this link.
Dr. Wendy Kline receives The Huntington's Molina Fellowship in History of Medicine and Allied Sciences
Dr. Wendy Kline, Professor of History and the Dema G. Seelye Chair in the History of Medicine, was awarded the Molina Fellowship in the History of Medicine and Allied Sciences from The Huntington Library (“The Huntington”) in San Marino, California. Molina Fellows receive a stipend during the in-residence program as they pursue scholarship in a field appropriate to The Huntington's collections in the history of medicine and related sciences, including public health. Learn more at this link.
Recent book by Dr. Subodhana Wijeyeratne named as finalist for prestigious award in science fiction
Dr. Subodhana Wijeyeratne, Assistant Professor of History at Purdue University, is author of the science fiction book, Triangulum (Rosarium Publishing, 2024), which was named as a finalist for the prestigious 2025 Philip K. Dick Award in a January 10 announcement. Read more at this link.
Dr. Zachary Loeb featured in national media on 25th anniversary of Y2K
Assistant Professor Zachary Loeb was recently featured by several news media on the 25th anniversary of Y2K. As an expert in Y2K, Dr. Loeb was quoted in The Guardian and in The New York Times, and was interviewed on CBC-Montreal’s program Daybreak and on NPR’s All Things Considered. He also authored a piece for Time Magazine’s “Made by History” highlighting computing risks in light of the new movie, ‘Y2K.’ Learn more at this link.
Dr. Melinda Zook discusses Cornerstone, transformative texts in recent JMC interview
Dr. Melinda Zook, the Germaine Seelye Oesterle Professor of History and Director of the Cornerstone Integrated Liberal Arts program, was recently interviewed by Elliott Drago, Resident Historian at the Jack Miller Center in Pennsylvania. In the interview, Dr. Zook talked about the Cornerstone program, transformative texts, and "books you need to read right this instant." Click here to learn more.
Jonathan Lande publishes first book
Jonathan Lande’s first book, Freedom Soldiers: the Emancipation of Black Soldiers in Civil War Camps, Courts, and Prisons, has just been published by Oxford University Press. The book reveals that formerly enslaved soldiers serving in the Civil War fought for freedom not only on battlefields but also in US Army camps, courts, and prisons. Although military service provided Black troopers the chance to courageously combat their former captors, Freedom Soldiers shows that these armed freedom seekers decamped to secure liberties they deemed essential to liberation and defended their actions in the military justice system.
A book launch will take place on November 12, from 5:00 to 6:30 pm, in the John Purdue Room of Marriott Hall. Please RSVP by November 1 to Jennifer Merzdorf, jmerzdo@purdue.edu.
Reactions to Freedom Soldiers:
“Jonathan Lande’s Freedom Soldiers is a persuasive and unflinching account of what it meant to escape slavery and seek liberation in the highly disciplined world of the U.S. army during the Civil War. Lande’s sensitive reading of Black soldiers’ testimonies reveals an unmistakable truth: That the fight for liberation was all-encompassing and sometimes meant resisting one's own allies too. A welcome and original portrait of the hard-fought battle for Emancipation in the United States.” — Amy Murrell Taylor, Author of Embattled Freedom: Journeys Through the Civil War’s Slave Refugee Camps
“Freedom Soldiers draws on a terrific array of sources to reveal Black Union soldiers as enlisted freedom-seekers whose flight from slavery did not end in the ranks of the Union Army, but rather continued as they contested the terms of their employment and challenged strictures that impeded their sense of what freedom should mean. Jonathan Lande engages scholarly conversations about wartime emancipation, desertion, and labor history and tells us something new about each. Most of all, Lande brings Black Union soldiers alive, not as unidimensional tropes, but as fathers, siblings, husbands, dreamers, protestors, friends, advocates — in short, as fully realized individuals.” — Chandra Manning, Georgetown University
Dr. Kathryn Cramer Brownell Interviewed on "Matter of Fact"
President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump are set to take part in a presidential debate under unique circumstances. First, the event is happening before the Democratic and Republican parties can formally nominate the candidates at their respective conventions. Plus, the Commission on Presidential Debates – the body that oversees and sets rules – will not be involved. Kathryn Brownell teaches history at Purdue University. She joins Soledad O’Brien to discuss the evolution of presidential debates and why it's still important for voters to tune in.
T. Cole Jones Receives Award for "Captives of Liberty"
Read Dr. Jones's For the Honor recognition here.
About the Book (from the publisher)
Contrary to popular belief, the American Revolutionary War was not a limited and restrained struggle for political self-determination. From the onset of hostilities, British authorities viewed their American foes as traitors to be punished, and British abuse of American prisoners, both tacitly condoned and at times officially sanctioned, proliferated. Meanwhile, more than seventeen thousand British and allied soldiers fell into American hands during the Revolution. For a fledgling nation that could barely afford to keep an army in the field, the issue of how to manage prisoners of war was daunting.
Captives of Liberty examines how America's founding generation grappled with the problems posed by prisoners of war, and how this influenced the wider social and political legacies of the Revolution. When the struggle began, according to T. Cole Jones, revolutionary leadership strove to conduct the war according to the prevailing European customs of military conduct, which emphasized restricting violence to the battlefield and treating prisoners humanely. However, this vision of restrained war did not last long. As the British denied customary protections to their American captives, the revolutionary leadership wasted no time in capitalizing on the prisoners' ordeals for propagandistic purposes. Enraged, ordinary Americans began to demand vengeance, and they viewed British soldiers and their German and Native American auxiliaries as appropriate targets. This cycle of violence spiraled out of control, transforming the struggle for colonial independence into a revolutionary war.
In illuminating this history, Jones contends that the violence of the Revolutionary War had a profound impact on the character and consequences of the American Revolution. Captives of Liberty not only provides the first comprehensive analysis of revolutionary American treatment of enemy prisoners but also reveals the relationship between America's political revolution and the war waged to secure it.
Randy Roberts Publishes "War Fever"
Randy Roberts (150th Anniversary Professor) has published “War Fever: Boston, Baseball, and America in the Shadow of the Great War,” (Basic Books, 2020) with Johnny Smith (Purdue PhD).