Jonathan Michaels, one-time chef and longtime lecturer at UConn Hartford, has written one cookbook and two excellent historical studies of McCarthyism. His new book project is on leftist politics and the International Ladies’ Garment Workers Union, under contract with Routledge. This week, with the election of a democratic socialist as mayor of New York, he returns to the vibrant world of immigrants, leftists, and union struggles in early 20th century New York for a piece in Jacobin about Morris Hillquit, “The Socialist Who Helped Bring Marx to America.”

The Rutgers Climate Symposium fosters collaboration among researchers and students across all disciplines from institutions in the Mid-Atlantic region who are interested in climate change, renewable energy, energy efficiency, or other approaches to reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

More info and attendance registration here.

“WHY CONCORD? The geological origins of the American Revolution” by Robert A. Gross and Robert M. Thorson recently appeared in The Atlantic. They were also interviewed about their work and featured in a UConn today article entitled “Place Matters. History Is the Result” by Elaina Hancock which can be found here.

Professor Rozwadowski’s research on Arthur C. Clark and ocean exploration in the second half of the 20th century has been featured in the September 26, 2025 blog post of JSTOR Daily.

Blog post:

Arthur C. Clarke’s Scuba Adventures and Ocean Frontiers – JSTOR Daily

Article:

Arthur C. Clarke and the Limitations of the Ocean as a Frontier on JSTOR

Helen Rozwadowski is Professor of History and Maritime Studies at UConn’s Avery Point campus. The talk, titled “Fathoming: How History Can Help Save the Oceans” will be delivered at 12:30 p.m. in Leonard Hall on UNE’s Biddeford, ME campus. Further details can be found here.

She will be presented with the medallion by the Association for the Study of African American Life and History at their 110th meeting in Atlanta later this month.

Professor Sinha appeared on the podcast to discuss her recent book The Rise and Fall of the Second American Republic.

On August 8th, Katharine Beene successfully defended her dissertation, “Women’s Acquisition and Transmission of Knowledge in Early Modern Ireland, 1600-1750”. 

From the abstract: 

This dissertation expands understandings of scientific and political advancement in Ireland from 1600-1750 by examining the often-overlooked informal learning networks of early modern Irish women, focusing on their correspondence and kinship relationships.  It reveals how these women were not merely passive recipients, but active contributors to the formation and distribution of foundational knowledge in fields like medicine, science, mathematics, and politics across Western Europe.  Early modern Ireland’s experience as a colony offers valuable insights into how colonial systems shape the transmission of knowledge.  This dissertation argues that despite the limitations imposed by formal colonial controls on access to education, women’s informal networks played a unique role in the transfer of knowledge… Investigating women in Ireland knowledge acquisition in a kingdom-colony context provides a methodological approach to investigate informal networks and the circulation of knowledge among marginalized communities.

Congratulations to Katharine Beene on this impressive achievement!

Professor Alexis Dudden appeared on BBC World News to share insight into how the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki 80 years ago have affected politics in Japan and elsewhere, as well as wars since.

Link to segment here.