Dale Center for the Study of War and Society
Graduate Alumni Placement
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Dale Center faculty, former faculty, graduate students, and alumni at the Society for Military History's annual meeting in Arlington, Virginia 2024.
PhD Students:
2023
Hasik, Hayley Michael. "The Helicopter War: Unraveling the Myth and Memory of a Vietnam War Icon." Chair: Dr. Heather M. Stur.
- Current Placement: Historian with the , Fort Leavenworth, Kansas
2022
Peterson, Lindsey R. "The Expansionist Cause: Union Civil War Commemorations as Tools of Western Colonization." Chair: Dr. Susannah J. Ural.
- Current Placement: Digital Humanities Librarian at and C--Director of the . Managing Director for .
Somers, Lucas. "Embattled Learning: Education and Emancipation in the Post-Civil War Upper South." Chair: Dr. Susannah J. Ural.
- Current Placement: Assistant Professor of History at , Columbia, Kentucky.
2021
Mortimer, John. 'We Seek A Stable Structure: Détente', Human Rights, and National Security Policy, 1974–1981.” Chair: Dr. Heather Stur
- Current Placement: Historian at , Ft. McNair, D.C.
2020
Hazzard, Wesley. “The Face of Intervention: Military Humanitarianism during the 1965 Dominican Crisis.” Chair: Dr. Heather Stur.
- Current Placement: Historian at , Ft. McNair, D.C.
2019
Doidge, Michael. "An Army Worth Fighting For: The U.S. Army’s Battle for Relevance in National Security from 1946 to 1964." Chair: Dr. Heather Stur.
- Current Placement: Director and Supervisory Historian for the , California
2018
Cantrell, Kelly. "Consuming Victory: American Women and the Politics of Food Rationing during World War II." Chair: Dr. Andrew Haley.
- Current Placement: Director of the Honors College and History Professor at , Scooba Mississippi
Colbourn, Colin. "Esprit de Marine Corps: The Making of the Modern Marine Corps through Public Relations, 1911-50." Chair: Dr. Andrew Wiest.
- Current Placement: Lead Historian,
Engle, Jason. "The Schützenwesen and the Roots of Austrian Paramilitarism in the First Republic." Chair: Dr. Andrew Wiest
- Current Placement: Historian with the , Dayton, Ohio
2017
Fitzmorris, John. “Bearing the ‘Double Burden; Chaplains in Combat during the Vietnam War.” Chair: Dr. Andrew Wiest.
- Current Placement: Instructor at , New Orleans, Louisiana
Taylor, Samantha A. "'Gosh, I Miss the Cold War': Post-Cold War Foreign Policymaking in the United States, 1989–1995." Chair: Dr. Heather Stur.
- Current Placement: Assistant Professor Military and Security Studies, and Adjunct Assistant Professor, in Washington, D.C.
2016
Thompson, Robert. "A Facade in Phu Yen: American Pacification Efforts in a South Vietnamese Province" Chairs: Drs. Heather Stur and Andrew Wiest
- Current Placement: Historian with the , Fort Leavenworth, Kansas
2015
Hemmis, Timothy Christopher. “Trading Identities: National Identity, Loyalty, and Backcountry Merchants in Revolutionary America, 1740 – 1816.” Chair: Dr. Kyle F. Zelner.
- Current Placement: Associate Professor of History (Tenured), , Killeen, Texas
Bius, Joel Richard. “The Soldier and the Cigarette: 1918 – 1986.” Chair: Dr. Louis Kyriakoudes.
- Current Placement: Headmaster, , Montgomery, Alabama
2014
Wieland, Robert. "Reagan's Disraeli: Caspar Willard Weinberger as Secretary of Defense, 1981-87." Chair: Dr. Andrew Wiest.
- Current Placement: Curator, , Montgomery, Alabama
2013
Conklin, Dennis Blair. “Conflict and Controversy in the Confederate High Command: Johnston, Davis, Hood, and the Atlanta Campaign of 1864.” Chair: Dr. Susannah Ural.- Current Placement: History Teacher, , Jackson, Mississippi
2007
Spurgeon, Ian Michael. "Man of Douglas, Man of Lincoln: The Political Odyssey of James Henry Lane." Chair: Dr. Bradley Bond
- Current Placement: Historian, Europe-Mediterranean Directorate, (DPAA), Washington, D.C.
2006
Chappo, John Fabian. “William H. Mahone of Virginia: An Intellectual Biography, 1830-1890.” Chair: Dr. Bradley Bond.
- Current Placement: Instructor of History and the History of Technology at , Williamsport, Pennsylvania
2005
Boler, Jaime Elizabeth. “City Under Siege: Resistance and Power in Natchez, MS 1719-1857.” Chair: Dr. Greg O’Brien.
- Current Placement: , Ellisville, Mississippi
2003
Catino, Martin Scott. “Mussolini’s March on America: Italian-Americans and the Fascist Experience, 1922-1941.” Chair: Dr. R. Geoffrey Jensen.
- Current Placement: Assistant Professor and Department Chair, , Dubai, United Arab Emirates
2001
Vaughn, William Ashley. “Natchez during the Civil War.” Chair: Dr. William K. Scarborough.
- Current Placement: Independent Researcher in Jackson, Mississippi
1999
Robins, Glenn M. "Leonidas Polk and Episcopal Identity: An Evangelical Experiment in the Mid-Nineteenth Century South." Chair: Dr. William K. Scarborough.
- Current Placement: Professor of History and Chair of the History Department, , Americus, Georgia
1998
Barbier, Mary Kathryn. “D-Day Deception: Operation Fortitude and the Normandy Invasion.” Chair: Dr. Andrew Wiest.
- Current Placement: , Starkville, MS and Co-editor,
Apel, John Patrick. “A Window of Opportunity: A History of the Mobile Army Surgical Hospital in the First Half of the Korean War.” Chair: Dr. Andrew Wiest.
- Current Placement: Lawyer, Portsmouth, Ohio
MA Students
2023
Bishop, Christopher. "'I Was Looking for God': A Study of Wehrmacht Personnel and their Personal Relationships with Religion." Chair: Dr. Andrew Wiest.
- Current Placement: PhD student in History at in College Station, Texas.
Cloys, Emily. "Negotiating National Identity: A Study of Nationalist Rhetoric during the British Voluntary Recruiting Movement, 1914-1916." Chair: Dr. Andrew Wiest.
- Current Placement: Analyst, , Mississippi Legislature, Jackson, Mississippi
Jarrell, Joseph. "The King and His Court: The Culture of Royal Power and the Creation of the Angevin Empire Under Henry II." Chair: Dr. Courtney Luckhardt.
2022
DeLee, John. "Henry Knox: The American Frontier as a Foreign Policy Arena, 1785-1794." Chair: Dr. Kyle Zelner.
- Current Placement: Instructor of History at in McComb, Mississippi.
Losen, Maeve. "Emotions in Work and War: Comparisons of Emotional-Cultures of New Deal CCC Enrollees and WWII U.S. Army Enlistees, 1933-1945." Chair: Dr. Kevin Greene.
- Current Placement: Manager, Center for Digital Humanities, School of Humanities, University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, Mississippi
Singleton, Michael. ""Conserving" The Middle Ground: Tennessee's Unionist Press in Secession Crisis, 1860-1861." Chair: Dr. Susannah J. Ural.
- Current Placement: Employed by the , Washington D.C.
Washam, Brian. "Validation in Vietnam: Motivation and Experiences of Vietnam Veterans Who Returned to Vietnam as Tourists." Chair: Dr. Andrew Wiest.
- Current Placement: PhD Student at the University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, Mississippi
2021
Abulawi, Amanda. "Higher Command: An Examination of African American Leadership in the Vietnam Era." Chair: Dr. Andrew Wiest.
- Current Placement: Processing Assistant, Historical Manuscripts & Archives at , University of Southern Mississippi
DeFazio, T. Michael. "For Cause and Countries: Initial, Sustaining, and Combat Motivation in the Royal Air Force Eagle Squadrons, 1940-1942." Chair: Dr. Andrew Wiest.
- Current Placement: U.S. Air Force, in Wichita Falls, Texas
Loper, Billy. "Paradoxes of the Heart and Mind: Three Case Studies in White Identity, Southern Reality, and the Silenced Memories of Mississippi Confederate Dissent, 1860-1979." Chair: Dr. Susannah J. Ural.
- Current Placement: Analyst, , Mississippi Legislature, Jackson, Mississippi
Stobaugh, Lindsey. "Recognizing Race: The Impact of Twentieth-Century Feminist Movements on Race Relations in West Germany." Chair: Dr. Allison Abra.
- Current Placement: Academic Advisor, , Greeley, Colorado
Turnbaugh, Cody. "'My Bruises Are Inward:' A Study of Mental Trauma in the American Civil War." Chair: Dr. Susannah J. Ural.
- Current Placement: History Instructor, , Fort Lauderdale, Florida
2020
Coffey, Regina. "'You Must Live, and Show to the World What They Have Been Doing Here': The Survival of the 'Rabbits' of Ravensbrück." Chair: Dr. Andrew Wiest.
- Current Placement: PhD student in History at , Tallahassee, Florida
Lewis, Taylor. "Helmand: The U.S. Marines and Counterinsurgency in Afghanistan, 2010-2012." Chair: Dr. Andrew Wiest.
- Current Placement: History Teacher, , Friendswood, Texas
Major, Justin. "The Unknown War: Army of the Republic of Vietnam Combat Operations 1962-1963." Chair: Dr. Andrew Wiest.
- Current Placement: PhD student in History at the University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, Mississippi
Myers, Amy. "A Call to Arms: A Comparative Study of Mississippi and Kentucky Citizens During the Secession Crisis, 1859-1861." Chair: Dr. Susannah J. Ural.
- Current Placement: Review and Compliance Assistant for the Historic Preservation Division, , Jackson, Mississippi
2019
Price, Brannon. "The Fighting Blue Ridgers: Combined Arms Capabilities of the US Army's 80th Infantry Division in World War II, 1944-1945." Chair: Dr. Andrew Wiest.
- Current Placement: Social Studies Teacher, , Anderson, South Carolina
Sarvela, John. "Soldaten des Westens: An Analysis of the Wartime Experiences of Three German-American Regiments from the St. Louis-Belleville Region." Chair: Dr. Susannah J. Ural.
- Current Placement: PhD student in History at , Stillwater, Oklahoma
2018
Partain, Aderian. "Cornerstone of Union Victory: Officer Partnerships in Joint Operations in the West." Chair: Dr. Susannah J. Ural.
2017
Barnett, Tracy L. "Maligned 'Milish:' Mississippi Militiamen in the Civil War." Chair: Dr. Susannah J. Ural.
- Current Placement: PhD Student at the , Athens, Georgia
- Current Placement: History Instructor at
- Current Placement: PhD Student at
Martin, David. "Mr. Jefferson’s Army in Mr. Madison’s War: Atrophy, Policy, and Legacy in the War of 1812." Chair: Dr. Kyle F. Zelner.
- Current Placement: United States Air Force.
Nelson, Anna Rikki. “Shaken, Not Stirred: Espionage, Fantasy, and British Masculinity during the Cold War.” Chair: Dr. Allison Abra.
- Current Placement: Archives Technician at
2014
Ward, Samuel Howard. “Jackson’s Flying Dutchmen: The Significance of the Royal Netherlands Military Flying School.” Chair: Dr. Andrew Wiest.
- Current Placement:
White, Ruth Poe. “A Tale of Two Cities: Vicksburg and Natchez, Mississippi during the American Civil War.” Chair: Dr. Susannah Ural.
- Current Placement:
2013
Branstiter, Eugene Allan. “Madness, Scalawagery, and Reconstruction: Dr. William M. Compton and Civil War Era Politics.” Chair: Dr. Susannah Ural.
- Current Placement: Training Specialist at
Foster, Aaron Edward. “Inconspicuous but Indispensable: Charles Anderson Dana as Assistant Secretary of War.” Chair: Dr. Susannah Ural.
- Current Placement:
Seal, Stephanie Anne. “Victims of Liberty: Virginia’s Response to Loyalists and Loyalism in Williamsburg, 1770 – 1781.” Chair: Dr. Kyle F. Zelner.
- Current Placement: Customer Enablement Manager, , Hattiesburg, Mississippi
2012
Riotto, Angela Maria. “Furnish the Balance: The 1863 Roots of Hard War Strategy in the American Civil War.” Chair: Dr. Susannah Ural.
- Current Placement: Historian with the Documentary Team,
Wilson, L. B. “Perception and Realities of the Irish Republican Army during the Second World War.” Chair: Dr. Andrew Wiest.
- Current Placement:
2011
McGrew, Matthew Robert. “Beneath the Surface: American Culture and Submarine Warfare in the 20th Century.” Chair: Dr. Andrew Wiest.
- Current Placement: Education Coordinator,
Nicholls, Nancy Nicole. “The Last Victorian Knight: A Study of T.E. Lawrence and the Arab Revolt.” Chair: Dr. Amy Milne-Smith.
2010
Lazenby, Kaci Joanne. “A New Road to Peace? Jimmy Carter’s Middle East Diplomacy: The Break-Up of Pan-Arabism and a New Cold War Balance of Power.” Chair: Dr. Heather Stur.
- Current Placement: History Teacher,
2009
Colbourn, Colin Michael. “Espirit de Marine Corps: The Making of the Modern Marine Corps through Public Relations, 1898-1929.” Chair: Dr. Michael Neiberg.
- Current Placement: Lead Historian,
Hollifield, Kimberly Lanell. “Galvanizing a Nation: Political Rhetoric that Drove America Toward Civil War.” Chair: Dr. William K. Scarborough.
Jonathan Daniel. “A Manufactured Rebellion: An Assessment of the Seizure of the West Florida Convention and the 1810 West Florida Rebellion.” Chair: Dr. Brian LaPierre.
- Current Placement:
Urbanak, Anthony Otis. “The Changing Nature of the Army As Seen Through the Lens of Enlisted Personnel Recruitment.” Chair: Dr. Michael Neiberg.
2008
- Current Placement:
Obinalli, Kelechi. “American Foreign Policy and the Internalization of the Biafran War, 1967-1970.” Chair: Dr. Deanne S. Nuwer.
2006
Cantrell, Kelly Elizabeth. “We Can Do It! Hollywood Feature Films, American Servicemen, and the Second World War.” Chair: Dr. Stephen Sloan.
- Current Placement: Director of the Honors College and History Professor at
Coleman, Rebecca Leigh. “European Violence and the Papal Dream: A Study in Medieval Peace Initiatives.” Chair: Dr. Phyllis G. Jestice.
French, Wesley Tyler. “Changes and Trends in the American Film Industry and their Impact on the Vietnam Subgenre, 1965-1990.” Chair: Dr. Bradley Bond.
Hession, William David. “Turpentining in the Piney Woods: Hattiesburg and the Naval Stores Industry.” Chair: Dr. Bradley G. Bond.
2004
Hall, David Bradley. “Combat Medical Soldiers: US Army First Echelon Medics in the European Theater of Operations during the Second World War.” Chair: Dr. Andrew Wiest.
Overby, Lee T. “The Most Horrible War: The Impact of Technology, Logistics, and Disease on the Anglo-Asante War of 1873-4.” Chair: Dr. James Patterson Smith.
Stewart, Jason Andrew. “Comforting the Vanquished: A History of the Beauvoir Soldiers’ Home.” Committee Chair: Dr. William K. Scarborough.
- Current Placement: , Raymond, MS
2003
Walters, Andrew Howard. “Initiative in Command: The Learning Curve in the British Army during World War I.” Chair: Dr. Andrew Wiest.
- Current Placement: Historian,
2002
Cates, Joseph E. “The Fight for an Independent Army: Amalgamation and the AEF in the First World War.” Chair: Dr. Andrew Wiest.
- Oral History Coordinator at Sullivan Museum & History Center at Norwich University
Davis, Edward Harold. “Guadalcanal, 7 August 1942- 26 October 1942. (1) The Battle of the Tenaru River, 21 August 1942, (2) The Battle of Bloody Ridge, 12-14 September 1942, (3) The Battle of Henderson Field and the Lunga River, 24-26 October 1942.” Chair: Dr. Louis M. Kyriakoudes.
Hudson, Janet Maria. “The Hub City Home Front: Women of Hattiesburg, Mississippi during World War II.” 2002. Chair: Dr. Marjorie Julian Spruill.
Loicano, Martin. “An Analysis of the Failure of the Republic of Vietnam Armed Forces.” Chair: Dr. Andrew Wiest.
- Current Placement: , New Orleans, LA
2000
Spencer, David Brett. “Sword of Ulysses: The Unconditional Surrender Doctrine and the Rise of American Imperialism.” Chair: Dr. Kenneth G. McCarty.
1998
Monday, Steve. “The Troubled Color Line: Race Relations in Jackson, Mississippi during World War II.” Chair: Dr. Neil R. McMillen.
Williams, Benjamin Shawn. “Stuck in the Middle: Kentucky Politics and the Confederate Invasion of 1862.” Chair: Dr. James Patterson Smith.
1997
Kimball, Larry Scott. “British Volunteers in World War I: Changing Attitudes and Perceptions”. Chair: Dr. Andrew Wiest.
1996
Dougal, Ian. “Gunboat Democracy: American Exceptionalism and the Military Interventions in Grenada (1983) and Panama (1989).” Chair: Dr. Kenneth G. McCarty.
- Current Placement:
Huff, Edward Eugene. “British and American Policy toward Italian Territorial Claims in the First World War.” Chair: Dr. Andrew Wiest.
1995
Adams, Owen E. Jr. “Confederate Major General Robert E. Rodes: A Civil War Biography.” Chair: Dr. William K. Scarborough.
McDonald, Sam Dawson. “The Civil Thorn: Congressman Ross Collins and the American Military, 1921-1943.” Chair: Dr. Kenneth G. McCarty.
Patterson, Steven. “The Forgotten Army: Morale Problems of the British Fourteenth Army in India during World War II.” Chair: Dr. Andrew Wiest.
- Current Placement:
Stewart, Paula. “Villain of the Peace: The Career and Image of James Longstreet in Southern History.” Chair: Dr. William K. Scarborough.
1994
McLain, Robert A. “At His Majesty’s Request: The Indian Army Corps on the Western Front, 1914-1915.” Chair: Dr. L. Margaret Barnett.
- Current Placement:
1993
Kelly, James R. Jr. “The Confederate Ironclad Program and the Defense of the West.” Chair: Dr. William K. Scarborough.
O’Connor, Patrick Joseph. “To Destroy or Create: American Occupation Policy for Japan, 1945-1952.” Chair: Dr. Kenneth G. McCarty.
Tuepker, John Lee. “The Effects of World War II on Blacks in Harrison County, Mississippi.” Chair: Dr. Neil R. McMillen.
Vaughn, WA. “The Black Militia in the Battle of New Orleans.” Chair: Dr. John Guice.
Zhang, Kemin. “Why They Fought?— An Analysis of the Motives of Non-slaveholding Whites toward the Civil War.” Chair: Dr. William K. Scarborough.
- Current Placement:
1992
Snell, William Halsey Jr. “Union and Confederate Treatment of Prisoners of War during the American Civil War.” Chair: Dr. William K. Scarborough.
1991
Gunn, Mark E. “The Magnolia Cross: The Role of Mississippi Chaplains during the Civil War.” Chair: Dr. William K. Scarborough.
Wedding, Stephen E. “Sherman’s Meridian Expedition: Modern Warfare in Mississippi.” Chair: Dr. William K. Scarborough
- Current Placement:
