Endowed Awards

Our generous alumni have made the following awards available to current Department of History graduate students. Funds are competitive and notification of awards is made at the end of every spring semester. To endow a new award please contact the department chair.

Don Lammers Graduate Award

  • This award honors former professor of history and Head of the Honors College, Donald Lammers by recognizing graduate students who plan a teaching career at the college or university level as exemplified by Prof. Lammers, a scholar and teacher of British empire and international relations. The graduate student in good standing who receives the award, promises – through their research interests and related activities – to improve our knowledge and historical understanding of the nature and dynamics of international and intercultural relationships in any geographical region or time period.
  • For consideration: Please submit a letter indicating your interest in the award and a current CV.
  • Past award winners: Lucy Austin 2022, Akil Cornelius 2021, Caitlin Barker 2020, Tara Reyelts 2019, David Glovsky 2018, John Doyle-Raso 2017, Jorge Felipe Gonzalez 2016, Shaonan Liu 2015, Brian VanWyck 2014, Ella Fratatuono 2013, Jill Kelly 2012, Harry Odamtten 2010.

Fred Williams Graduate Award

  • This award honors emeritus professor of history Dr. Fred Williams and is intended to recognize a graduate teaching assistant who plans a teaching career in History at the college or university level (with preference given to the teaching of American history).
  • For consideration: Applicants should submit a cover letter, teaching philosophy, student evaluations of their teaching, and a syllabus.
  • Past award winners: Ramya Swayamprakash 2022, Jen Andrella 2021, Alyssa Lopez 2020, Eddie Bonilla 2019, Aaron Luedtke 2018, Ryan Huey 2017, Sara Bijani 2016, Christine Neejer 2015, Jewell Debnam 2014, Laura Cuppone and Natalie Rose 2013, Rebecca Koerselman, 2012, Erika Jackson & Lauren Kientz 2010.

Muelder-Lowe Graduate Award

  • This award is designed to recognize assistants who plan a teaching career in History (with preference given to the teaching of European history) at the college or university level.
  • For consideration: Please submit a letter indicating your interest in the award, a sample syllabus, and a current C.V.
  • Past award winners: Marlo Buser 2022, McKayla Sluga 2021, Lucy Austin 2020, Sarah Jacobson 2019, Heather Brothers 2018, Liao Zhang 2017, Emily Elliott 2016, Brian Van Wyck 2015, Alison Kolodzy and Douglas Priest 2014, Devlin Scofield 2013, Laura Cuppone & Benjamin Bruehwiler, 2012, Benjamin Sawyer (Fall), Bethany Hicks (Spring), 2010.

Harry Brown Graduate Fellowship in American History

  • Awards a graduate student of American history who has demonstrated academic excellence. Applicants will be assessed on their accomplishments at MSU (GPA, academic citizenship, time-to-degree trajectory) as well as on evidence of external recognition (grants and fellowships, participation in major conferences, peer-reviewed and invited articles).
  • For consideration: Please provide a cover letter explaining your suitability for the award, a C.V., and a dissertation abstract.
  • Past award winners: McKayla Sluga 2022, Jasmin Howard 2021, Jen Andrella 2020, Aaron Luedtke 2019, Eddie Bonilla 2018; Jorge Felipe Gonzalez 2017, Kathryn Lankford 2016, Jacob Jurss 2015, Christine Neejer 2014, Jewell Debnam 2013, Jennifer Gonzalez, 2012, Jennifer Barclay, 2010.

Jeff Rooney Paper Prize

  • This award is given to a graduate student who writes the best paper in a seminar in the year of the award.
  • For consideration: Please submit the original seminar paper. The paper should not be revised, but rather identical to the one that was submitted during the seminar.
  • Past award winners: Jayson Otto 2022, Ajamu Dillahuntholloway 2021, Abdoulie Jabang 2020, Bernard Moore 2019, John Doyle-Raso 2018; Robin Crigler 2017, Anh Le 2016; Tara Reyelts 2015, Elizabeth Timbs 2014; Christine Neejer and James Porter 2013, Laura Cuppone 2012.

Dr. Kwan-Wai So Memorial Scholarship Fund in History

  • Awarded in memory of Prof. So, an internationally known historian and specialist of the Ming dynasty, who for twenty-eight years also taught countless courses on the history of Japan, China, and Korea here at MSU. The award is given to a graduate student, preferably one with a focus or concentration in Asian History, who is in good standing with the department, has an exemplary academic record, and is also recognized as an effective and motivational teacher.
  • For consideration: Please submit a cover letter explaining your suitability for the award, a C.V., dissertation abstract, teaching philosophy, and student evaluations of their teaching.
  • Past award winners: Yun Zou 2022, Erica Holt 2021, Patrick Buck 2020, Adam Coldren 2019, Shaonan Liu 2018, Helen Kaibara 2017, Anh Le 2016, Liao Zhang 2015, John Somerville 2014, Elizabeth Dutridge-Corp 2013, Helen Kaibara, 2012

Irene Steindler Endowment in History

  • The award goes to an undergraduate or graduate student who has helped promote a culture of diversity on campus, or activities related to the History Department’s participation in or collaboration with the university’s Jewish Studies Program.
  • For consideration:  Please submit a letter explaining why you should receive this award and submit two letters of recommendation, at least one from a member of the History Department faculty.
  • Past award winners: McKayla Sluga 2022, Robin Crigler 2021, Ashley Highland and Sean Wright 2019, Janelle Edwards 2018, Anna Cumming 2017, Bradley Isakson and Micaela Procopio 2016, Elizabeth Timbs 2015, David Walton 2014, Lindsey Gish 2013, Jennifer Marlow 2012.

The Madison Kuhn Award

  • This award is intended to fund a second or third-year graduate student’s pre-dissertation research. By doing so, it seeks to encourage students who have demonstrated the capacity to achieve educational and professional goals, the motivation to achieve these goals, and the initiative to seek opportunities to further their progress.
  • For consideration: Applicants must have a min. GPA of 3.75 and submit two letters of recommendation along with a proposal for the pre-dissertation research to be conducted. In the case of a tie, preference will be given to an Americanist.
  • Past award winners: Samantha Smith 2022, Christopher Shell 2021, Dani Willcutt 2020, McKayla Sluga 2019, Jennifer Andrella 2018; Ramya Swayamprakash 2017, Janelle Edwards 2016, Kathryn Lankford-Hutcheson 2015, David Bennett 2014, Caroyln Pratt 2013, Jewell Debnam 2012.

Milton E. Muelder Graduate Fellowship in History

  • Milton E. Muelder Fellowship is awarded to a graduate student pursuing a Ph.D. in a field of European, Middle Eastern, and/or history of the Arabic/Islamic World. Recipients of the fellowship must be U.S. citizens and have received their Master’s degree or its equivalent. Preference will be given to applicants with reading knowledge of two European languages.
  • For consideration: Please submit a cover letter explaining your suitability for the award, a dissertation abstract, and a research or writing plan for the year in which the funds will be used.
  • Past award winners: James Chrislip 2022, Joe Karisny 2021, John Vsetecka 2020, Judith Marshall 2019, Brian VanWyck 2018, Sarah Jacobson 2017, Heather Brothers 2016, Emily Elliott 2015.

The Sinclair and S. Suzanne Powell Schoarlship in Transportation History

  • The Sinclair and S. Suzanne Powell Scholarship is designed to support an undergraduate or graduate student in the Department of History who has a strong interest in Transportation History.
  • For consideration: Please submit a letter indicating interest and a C.V.
  • Past Recipients: Katie Carline 2022, Dani Willcutt 2021, Ramon Miranda-Beltran 2020, Liao Zhang 2019, Ramya Swayamprakash 2018, Anthony Padovano 2017, and Duncan Tarr 2016.

Blight History Scholarship Fund

  • Professor David Blight is a distinguished professor and scholar of History and alumnus of the MSU History Department. The Scholarship is intended to support students in the History Department and encourage students who have demonstrated the capacity to achieve educational and professional goals, the motivation to achieve these goals, and the initiative to seek opportunities to further their progress.
  • Undergraduate and graduate students pursuing a degree in History with high financial need will be considered for the Scholarship. The award will rotate and will be given to undergraduates in odd years and graduate students in even years.
  • For consideration: Please submit (1) a letter of application, stating your interest in and eligibility for the scholarship, (2) proof of your financial need, and (3) two letters of recommendation. At least one of the letters of recommendation should be from a professor in the Department of History; the other should be from someone who can also tell us about your academic performance.
  • Past Recipients: Moses Massenburg 2022

James Waltz Fellowship in HST

  • This award is for the recruitment of new graduate students with demonstrated financial need as determined by the federal government.” for study in HST at MSU.  Preference shall be given to applicants with a focus or concentration in European (esp. pre-1789) History.
  • Past Recipients: Zachary Cho 2022, Yun Zou 2020, Marissa Knaak 2019, Joseph Karisny 2018, Ramon Miranda-Beltran 2017.

Richard E. Sullivan Endowed Award for Teaching Excellence 

  • The Department of History has established the Richard E. Sullivan Endowed Award for Teaching Excellence to honor members of the faculty who exemplify excellence in teaching and perform duties of advisor and mentor at an extraordinary level.
  • Past award winners: Michael Stamm 2022, Peter Knupfer 2021, Ronen Steinberg 2020, Pero Dagbovie 2019, Susan Sleeper-Smith 2018, Lewis Siegelbaum 2017, Karrin Hanshew 2016, Peter Alegi 2015, Leslie Page Moch 2014, Laura Fair 2013.