Weather Closure Open or Close Alert Message
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Due to the expected winter storm, the University will close campus beginning at 10:00 a.m. on Sunday. The campus will remain closed through Monday, and we expect to resume normal operations on Tuesday morning. If conditions change, we will share updates promptly. 

Campus Services During the Closure 

While most in-person activities will pause, essential services will remain available. Public Safety and Facilities will be on campus throughout the storm, and the following services are expected to remain open or staffed: 

  • Residence Halls (RDs/RAs on duty) 
  • Dining 
  • Computer Labs 
  • Facilities/Housekeeping 
  • University Operator 
  • Health Services (TBD by Director) 

Students living on campus should expect regular support from Residence Life and Public Safety. 

Classes and Work During the Closure 

Students 
Scheduled face-to-face classes will not take place on campus. At the discretion of faculty, some in-person classes may be held remotely. Faculty will communicate directly, so please check your email and course site for updates. 

Classes that are already scheduled to be fully remote will continue as usual unless otherwise communicated by your instructor.  

Staff 
Staff who are able to work remotely should coordinate with their supervisors as appropriate. 

Staying Informed 

The University’s Inclement Weather Policy is available on the WNE website via the homepage banner. We will communicate any changes or reopening details through WNE Alert, email, and the University website.

 

John Baick

John Baick headshot
History, Philosophy, Political Science & Economics
Professor of History
44 Valley Rd
Phone: 413-782-1571

Education

BA, History, Columbia University
MA, American History, New York University
PhD, American History, New York University

Background

Although he was born and raised in Southern California, John Baick (pronounced “back”) considers himself a Northeasterner because of his many years in New York City and Massachusetts. He is a Yankees and Dodgers fan, but he has a respect for the cultural significance of the Red Sox in New England.

Interests

  • Modern U.S. History
  • The Intersection of Ideas, Politics, and Popular Culture in the United States and the Modern World
  • Urban History
  • East Asian History

Scholarly Works

Journal Articles

Nineteenth Century Urban Immigration: Between the Melting Pot and the Jungle, A Companion to American Urban History, edited by David Quigley (Blackwell, tba)

United States History Since 1865 (Collins College Outline Series, 2006)

Lost in the Shadows of the Reagan Revolution: Bruce Springsteen, Public Enemy, and the Meaning of American Culture, Northeastern Political Science Association Conference, 2005

A Strong Oriental School: Franz Boas, Columbia University, and the Weak Roots of East Asian Studies in America, JSAC/EAS Conference, 2005

Teaching Platoon in the Social Science Classroom, NEPSA, 2004

Cracks in the Foundation: Frederick T. Gates, the Rockefeller Foundation, and the China Medical Board, The Journal of the Gilded Age and Progressive Era (3:1, January 2004).

Review of Philip J. Pauly Biologists and the Promise of American Life for H-Ideas (2001)

Review of T.J. Jackson Lears No Place of Grace for the 20th Century Retrospective in Intellectual History, H-Ideas (2000)

Rose Hum Lee, American National Biography (Oxford University Press, 1998)

Expanding Elite Culture in New York: Franz Boas and the American Museum of Natural History, American Historical Association Conference (PCB), 1998

Converting Missionaries With Science, ARNOVA Silver Anniversary Conference, 1996

Courses Taught

  • HIST 357 History of New York
  • HIST 358 History of the United States since 1945
  • HIST 112 United States Since 1878
  • HON 102 Cities and Societies
  • HIST 355 Watching War
  • HON 290 American Popular Culture in a Global Matrix
  • LA 100 Freshman Seminar
  • HIST 495 Senior Thesis in History
  • HON 495 Seniors Honors Project