The MSU Department of History would like to congratulate Joe Karisny on his reception of the 2024-25 College of Social Science Graduate Student Teaching Award. This award recognizes a graduate student who has demonstrated their dedication to instruction through innovative techniques and who has shown excellence in teaching with evidenced impacts on student learning. In addition to this honorific, Karisny will receive a $500 fellowship in recognition of his accomplishments.
Karisny earned his bachelor’s degree in history from Michigan State and focuses on Modern European history in a broad scope, in addition to the studies of interwar France and Italy. His research also centers around the study of transnational fascism and the “modern” right; the political imaginaries constructing ideas of Europe and race; the politics of population, consumption, and nutrition; and French and Italian political culture more generally.
Karisny teaches a variety of courses in the history department, from United States business and economic history to an examination of modern labor and working-class history in our country from 1863 forward. His World History class covers a broad scope of the development of world civilizations and empires up until the year 1500, while his United States and the World course emphasizes major issues in development of U.S. society and culture, presented in an international and comparative context.
Aminda Smith, Director of the history department’s graduate program, had glowing praise for Karisny’s work in the classroom:
“Joe is a talented educator who strikes that perfect balance between giving students high levels of support while challenging them to reach their highest potential. Although Joe can easily articulate all of the ways students benefit practically and professionally from History courses, he advocates, first and foremost, that students should value learning for learning’s sake. Reflections from his students suggest that he is successful in that regard — they regularly praise the way he sparks their desire to go beyond the course content and to further develop their own knowledge.”