火博体育美国研究系的历史

火博体育学院的美国研究项目成立于1956-1957年，使得 它是美国最古老的美国研究项目之一. 美国研究开始了 作为一个跨学科的项目，包括美国各学科的课程 social science and humanities departments, including Art, Economics, 英语, Government, 历史、哲学和社会学. 到1960年，学生对跨学科的需求 major in “American Civilization” led to the appointment of a coordinator of American Studies, Donald Baker, and the creation of core seminars that integrated various American 主题课程. 1964年，大卫·马塞尔(David Marcell)博士. D. 耶鲁大学美国研究硕士) 被聘为美国研究中心主任，他负责一个三人顾问小组 委员会和大约25个大三、大四专业. 马塞尔重新设计了核心 courses, supplemented other departmental American subject offerings, and registered 作为美国研究协会的机构成员. 与约 forty majors in the Program and many non-majors in American Studies courses, a second 教授项目任命，斯图尔特·布鲁明博士. D.美国宾夕法尼亚大学教授 历史)，于1967年增加，并扩大了核心产品. 同年，马塞尔 delivered a paper on “Courses and Programs in American Studies” at the first national 1967年，美国研究协会举行了一次特别会议 到“美国的美国研究.那次演讲提供了知识 rationale for a proposal to create a Department of American Studies at Skidmore, which 于1968年获得批准.

美国研究系在过去的五十年里稳步发展. 1968年，课程主要集中在两个入门课程——am 101 and AM 102—which surveyed the development of American society and culture in its historical context, giving special attention “to various kinds of imaginative and intellectual expression especially art, architecture, literature and philosophy and their convergence 在美国历史的不同时期.这个介绍性调查得到了补充 by courses on American Documents, a Junior Seminar and several required courses in “欧洲背景.报名情况良好，团队教授了AM 101和 AM 102每学期吸引70-80名学生. 玛丽C. 林恩(Ph值. D.大学 从历史系转到终身教职 line in American Studies in 1970 (the department’s second along with Marcell’s), and 乔安娜·桑格兰多(博士. D. 乔治华盛顿大学(美国研究)成立 1976年担任第三行. 和部门的威尔玛·霍尔一起 作为客座助理教授25年)，他们帮助建立了课程 Women’s Studies, Material Culture, Religion in American Culture, and a wide variety 冬季学期的课程. 格雷格·菲兹(博士. D.(哈佛大学美国研究专业) joined the department in 1989, occupying the tenure line vacated by Marcell who became 学院教务长. 辉瑞开设了哈德逊河地区文化的新课程， 《火博体育》和《火博体育》. 1996年的一次自学领先 to a reconfiguration of the curriculum: two new required courses were added, AM 221: 方法和途径和am374:高级研讨会. 自学也产生了第四个 tenure-track line, as the department successfully argued for a more permanent replacement 当威尔玛·霍尔决定退休时. 丹·内森博士. D.爱荷华大学， American Studies) filled that line in 2002, adding courses in sport history, film, 并将流行文化纳入系里的课程，除了新版的 美国自传和AM 102.

The four-person department has retained its basic shape and size since Nathan’s hire, although additional supplemental personnel have helped to deliver the curriculum over 过去几十年. 1998年，美国研究学院为纽约大学揭牌 Minority Dissertation Fellowship for the purpose of attracting to Skidmore doctoral candidates who aspired to be teachers and scholars at small, liberal arts institutions such as our own and who wished to be mentored by established American Studies faculty 成员. 在秋季学期，研究员的行政职责较轻，以便允许 论文工作和课程准备. 在春天，他们开设了两门课程， 包括小组授课部分的美国研究:方法和途径 在论文领域或其他专业领域的课程. 阿隆德拉·纳尔逊， Jerry Philogene, Sujani Reddy, Richard Kim, and andré carrington—offered courses on 20世纪美国的民权运动.S.; African-American Women in the Visual Arts; Caribbean American Identities; Black Feminist Thoughts; Race, Ethnic, and Migration; Sex, Gender 和你.S. Empire; AIDS and the Public Sphere; and Gender and Sexuality. 他们都有 继续做重要的工作. 不幸的是，纽约大学少数族裔论文的经费 Fellowship evaporated in 2009, and the position has not been restored, despite numerous 试图说服政府这么做.

在2005-2006学年进行的一项自学调查显示，一个系在 过渡. 课程进行了调整，以增加多样性在美国的作用 研究课程，特别是性别，性，阶级，种族和民族的多样性. The department redesigned the gateway course to the major and minor, abandoning the coverage model inherent in AM 101/102 in favor of a new topics-centered AM 101: Introduction 到美国研究. 这些新课程的具体内容因讲师而异， 但所有部分都强调批判性阅读、历史思考和实践 跨学科，承认多样性，建立联系. 学生们 asked to analyze and synthesize multiple kinds of texts (fiction, film, music, art, and other primary sources) and knowledge (sociology, economic, media criticism, etc.) 更好地欣赏美国生活和文化的复杂性. 介绍 American Studies courses have included Basketball, 1968, Nature in American Culture, Becoming Americans, A Humorous (Dis)Course, The Wizard of Oz, Myth and Symbol in American Culture, The Civil War in American Memory, Eating in America, American Cultural Geographies, 酷儿美国和美国巡演.

Personnel decisions since the last self-study have reflected these shifting priorities. 乔安娜·桑格兰多从2005年至2006年开始分阶段退休. D.大学 of Maryland, American Studies) was hired to teach new courses on Diversity 在美国和关键的白人研究，以及修改版本 非裔美国人的经历和美国人的自传. 一段时间后离开 从火博体育，伍德福克最终过渡到副总裁的位置 for Strategic Planning and Institutional Diversity, giving way to another University 马里兰大学校友贝克·克雷廷(Beck Krefting)博士. D.(马里兰大学，美国研究)， who taught courses such as Disorderly Women, Black Feminist Thoughts, and a new version 美国的多样性和批判性白人研究. 温斯顿Grady-Willis, who was hired in 2007 as the Director of Intercultural Studies, had a shared appointment 并开设了美国民权课程.S. 以及 非裔美国人的经历，以及一个火博体育南方地区文化的研讨会. In 2013, 玛丽·林恩在学院工作了45年后退休了. 她的线路被填满了 安珀·威利(Amber Wiley，博士)的三年. D.(乔治华盛顿大学美国研究专业) 谁提供了诸如历史保护、物质文化和 非裔美国人的经历. 威利后来去了罗格斯大学，所以 部门正在招聘她的继任者. 我们在找人 with a specialization in race/ethnic studies and material culture; with the ability to teach courses that cover a broad historical range to a diverse student population; 还有Ph值.D. 如果可能的话. 火博体育后一种偏好， it is important to note that the department has always maintained a strong commitment 聘请有博士学位的教员. D.在美国研究中，无论是在任期线还是在 its adjunct hires, including short-time appointments of graduates of our own program 都在这个领域获得了高级学位，包括布林
霍伦贝克2000 (Ph .. D.(特拉华大学美国研究专业)，梅根·威廉姆斯 ’03 (Ph. D.，堪萨斯大学，美国研究)，和艾玛·纽科姆' 10(博士. D., 波士顿大学，新英格兰和美国研究).

In the decade-plus since the 2006 self-study, the Department has continued to expand 它的产品反映了学科内不断变化的趋势. Nathan介绍了 new courses on the Globalization of American Studies, Reading The Wire, and The Holocaust and American Culture; Krefting has developed offerings on Post-Apocalyptic Film and Literature as well as Eating in America; and Pfitzer added courses on Popular History 和马克·吐温笔下的美国. 这些新产品中的许多都有助于其他项目 across the campus, including Gender Studies, Religious Studies, Environmental Studies, 国际事务、媒体与电影研究. 就像这个广泛的课程列表一样 suggests, during the first sixty-plus years of its existence, the Department of American 研究一直致力于其跨学科的根源-首先建立于 the 1956-57 inaugural year—by offering a substantial variety of topics and theme-based courses that reflect the diverse training of its faculty and the eclectic interests 学生中.