From conducting research and sharing with the broader community, to earning prestigious scholarships, WashU History’s undergraduates had a great year! Our students demonstrate creativity, research skills, and impact that contribute to the Department of History.
Senior Mia Powell reflects on choosing history and English literature after first pursuing a pre-law path.
“From my earliest stages of language acquisition, I longed to be someone who told stories. Even writing this article brings the thrill of narrative, of recapitulation, and of the potential for readership and audience.”
Read more ⮞
Q&A with 2025 Living History Scholars
We interviewed the 2025 Living History Scholars on their experience with the program, the lessons they walked away with, and their tips for others who are interested in the program.
Nicole Spangler: "I had the ability to access physical archives that would not have otherwise been available, and I was also able to visit sites and interview people whom I did not have access to just at WashU."
MJ Jones: “I feel much more confident when I approach hurdles to my research, since I have experience navigating issues that came up while conducting research for the Living History Scholar project."
2026 Living History Scholars
For this project, Calvin Crossland, a junior double-majoring in history and economics, produced a podcast series that examines the role that British East African colonies played during World War II. The series is divided into four episodes, emphasizing the mistreatment and racial discrimination these men faced under British colonial authorities.
Senior Jennifer Ong, who double-majored in chemistry and biology, created a documentary short about two well-known St. Louis cemeteries: Bellefontaine and Greenwood. Despite majoring in STEM, Ong said the Living History Scholars program has been extremely beneficial to her education. “the core of science is communicating findings effectively, and the Living History Scholars program has allowed me to explore many modes of communication, particularly through more artistic means,” she said. “It also connects me to the St. Louis community — the population I conduct health research on — helping to contextualize my results and the historical significance behind my data.”
Rising Senior Nicole Spangler Awarded Beinecke Scholarship
In this Q&A, Nicole Spangler shares about how she learned of this opportunity, the process to apply, and how the scholarship will impact her academic goals.
"I learned of this opportunity through the WashU fellowships page. To apply I had to first apply to be nominated, as WashU could only put forward one candidate for the scholarship. The application included an essay, transcript, and letters of recommendation. After I was selected, I worked with the fellowship office to hone the application and then sent it forward to the organization."
She went on to share how the scholarship will impact her academic career. "The funding will open additional opportunities that wouldn't be otherwise accessible, such as travel for research or academic conferences. It also gives me a network of Beinecke scholars to connect with and draw from, which is exciting. I plan on applying for my PhD in History, studying 19th-century social reform topics."
Research
Francisco Perez, an undergraduate in history, recently organized a lecture at the Missouri Historical Society.
How Franscisco acquired the opportunity for the talk -
Francisco Perez: "The opportunity to join MexStl.org, an organization founded by WashU students to uncover the history of Mexicans in the city, came out of the blue in one of my history courses. I just so happened to be classmates with the organization’s founders, Jade Pita del Prado (Class of 2025) and Jonah Zachs (Class of 2025), when they pitched me the organization’s community-driven mission to explore the region’s history; I eagerly accepted.
Preparing for the Missouri Historical Society Library Speaker Series was not a one-man show. Jason Stratman, host and organizer of the series itself, was generous enough to share the library's time and space with our organization. Nicole Ambar de Santos, another MexStl.org colleague (Class of 2026), ardently promoted the event across WashU organizations and departments. Jonah Zachs was kind enough to connect me with St. Louis Public Radio to share the history of St. Louis and the Mexican Revolution, along with some media training! The hospitality of the team behind St. Louis on the Air, from host Elaine Cha to producer Emily Woodbury, and all the staff keeping the show running. And Jade Pita herself, who co-researched and edited my speech for the speaker event. These members of MexStl.org were not history majors or minors, but historians at heart."
Listen to and learn more about the podcast here ⮞
Undergraduate Research Symposium: Hear from Lulu Ingham
Lulu Ingham took part in the Undergraduate Research Symposium in the fall of 2025. Her research interests span topics such as African History and French studies. Twice yearly the Office of Undergraduate Research sponsors the Undergraduate Research Symposium. Students in all academic departments, programs and schools are encouraged to present their original research.
What advice would you give to other history majors considering doing independent research or submitting to future undergraduate symposia?
"My advice would be to take every opportunity given to you! Research for the sake of research itself is very valuable, and getting the chance to share with your community at the symposium is rewarding in and of itself."
Alumni in the News
Mary Bruce, AB ’05: From WashU to the White House
History alumna Mary Bruce, AB ’05, returned to WashU in March as an Arts & Sciences Distinguished Alumni Award recipient and shared her experiences as a journalist with students, faculty, and alumni.
Bruce, who earned bachelor's degrees in history and Spanish, is now ABC News Chief White House Correspondent. During a fireside conversation with History Professor Peter Kastor, she discussed her unconventional path into journalism, beginning with an entry-level assignment-desk job and working through a variety of behind-the-scenes newsroom roles before becoming an on-air correspondent.
Sam Hirst (BA ’04) Receives Two Awards for Recent Publication
Sam Hirst (BA ’04), an alumnus of the History undergraduate program, has recently received two prizes for his book, Against the Liberal Order: The Soviet
Union, Turkey, and Statist Internationalism, 1919–1939, published by Oxford University Press in 2024. The book received the European International History Prize (formerly the George Louis Beer Prize) from the American Historical Association and the Marshall Shulman Prize from the Association for Slavic, East European, and Eurasian Studies.
This publication was awarded the European International History Prize “in recognition of outstanding historical writing in European international history since 1895" (American Historical Association). It was selected for the Marshall Shulman Prize "for an outstanding monograph dealing with the international relations, foreign policy, or foreign-policy decision-making of any of the states of the former Soviet Union or Eastern Europe" (ASEEES).
Hirst earned his BA in history from WashU in 2004 before completing his PhD in history at the University of Pennsylvania. His recognition represents another notable achievement by a WashU History undergraduate alumnus working in the field.
WashU History is proud of the accomplishments of its undergraduate students and alumni and looks forward to celebrating their continued achievements in the years ahead.
