Western New England University (WNE) made history of its own this January as nine History and History/Secondary Education majors, along with Professors Meri Clark and Andrea Castonguay, attended the 136th Annual Meeting of the American Historical Association (AHA) in New York City. AHA is the largest professional association of historians in North America and this meeting is a cornerstone event in the field.
Students Molly-Anne Alape (‘27), C. Paige Bailey (‘27), Joshua Goodman (‘27), Jeevan Lizardi (‘27), James Robb (‘26), Isaac Rodriguez (‘27), Meghan Sassi (‘25), Jorge Sejuela Silva (‘25), and Gabrielle Sweet (‘25) joined faculty for a day immersed in the historical profession. With hundreds of panels presented by scholars, students, and independent researchers, the WNE group explored topics ranging from slavery in colonial Puerto Rico and the Black abolitionists of Newport, Rhode Island, to the use of social media in historical studies, propaganda during the Vietnam War, and strategies for preserving endangered archives. Additionally, the enormous popularity of historical non-fiction and video games shows that Americans, among many others, are eager to learn about the past even as History programs in U.S. higher education have faced increased political and financial pressures in recent years.
“Having the opportunity to listen and interact with historians in a professional setting was an experience that I’ll never forget,” said James Robb (History, Class of 2026). “I gained a great deal of insight into the world of historians and their work, and got to see first-hand how research and analysis look in their final forms.”
His classmate Molly-Anne Alape (History/Secondary Ed, Class of 2027) shared similar thoughts: “Attending the AHA provided an incredible opportunity to witness the heart of the profession and the results of advanced academic work. I’ve always aspired to be a lifelong learner, and this conference introduced an exciting new way to work towards that goal.”
Joshua Goodman (History/Secondary Ed, Class of 2027) added, “I actually got to see and hear first-hand historical research from some of the brightest minds in the country. I’ll never forget being in the presence of so much knowledge.”
“It was transformative, being in the presence of so many other scholars and historians,” said Jeevan Lizardi (History, Class of 2027). “I’ll certainly carry this experience with me for the rest of my career.”
Professors Castonguay and Clark expressed their gratitude to the WNE Honors Program and the College of Arts and Sciences, whose funding made the trip possible. “These generous funds allowed a large group of WNE History and History/Secondary Education majors this amazing opportunity to connect with other historians, learn from them, and see the historical profession at work in real-time,” they said.
The department is already looking ahead. “The 101st Annual Meeting of the Medieval Academy of America will be hosted by the nearby Five College Consortium in March 2026,” said Castonguay. “I’m already talking with our majors about going.”
