Marc Reyes Successfully Defends Dissertation; Accepts Stanford Fellowship

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On June 4th, Marc Reyes successfully defended his dissertation, “In the Circle of Great Powers: India and the Postcolonial Atomic State, 1947-1974.” Next, he will begin a postdoctoral fellowship at Stanford University’s Center for International Security and Cooperation (CISAC). During his appointment, Marc will present his research at CISAC weekly seminars, revise his dissertation chapters into journal articles, and participate in the fellows’ policy workshops and simulations.

From Marc’s dissertation abstract:

This dissertation examines the diplomatic, political, and intellectual history of India’s atomic energy program, using its research of the atom as a lens to better understand the country’s thinking and actions during the Cold War and beyond. It sheds light on how Indians, from public officials to security strategists to academics, preached the necessity of atomic energy’s peaceful uses while also issuing ambiguous statements regarding the development of nuclear weapons. Incorporating sources from multiple countries and over a dozen archives and libraries, the project views India’s atomic energy program as a transnational project shaped by Indian and non-Indian actors. The study concludes that India’s pursuit of the bomb went beyond scientific prestige and recognition as a modern state. After India’s decisive victory over Pakistan in a 1971 war, Indian leaders, such as prime minister Indira Gandhi, embraced the concept of an Indian bomb. Upon its 1974 “peaceful nuclear explosion,” Gandhi believed her country now had the mettle to stand in line with the world’s great powers.

Congratulations Dr. MaMarc Reyes defense poster for June 4 2026rc Reyes on these impressive achievements!

“The Second American Revolution” exhibit curated by Manisha Sinha to open at Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum on June 5th

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Professor Sinha will give a talk on the exhibit and her work as a Reconstruction Historian on June 4th at a special preview of “The Second American Revolution”. The exhibit will be open from June 5 through January 17 and explores the Reconstruction era’s early efforts to give newly freed and free Black Americans full citizenship and rights, and the ways in which this mission was largely eroded leaving America with consequences that have followed the nation into the 21st century. 

You can read more about this exhibit on the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum website here:

New exhibit on Civil War’s aftermath coming to ALPLM

Liberation Summer by Professor Micki McElya Published to Rave Reviews

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Professor McElya’s 2026 book Liberation Suliberation summer by Micki McElya cover showing women holding up a large caricature figure of a pageant contestantmmer, about a key moment in the women’s liberation movement surrounding the 1968 Miss America pageant and the reactions and protests it was surrounded by, has been widely recommended by the New York Times, the Boston Globe and Kirk’s reviews. Her last book about the history of Arlington National Cemetery was a finalist for the Pulitzer.

The Nonfiction Everyone Will Be Reading This Summer – The New York Times

75 favorite books and best summer reads to check out this season

Micki McElya | Kirkus Reviews

 

 

Announcement: Fall 2026 Draper Workshop

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The University of Connecticut History Department is pleased to announce that the Fall 2026 Draper Workshop will take place on November 16th, from 4:30 – 6:00 PM in Herbst Hall rm. 1o1, with a reception to follow. The event will focus on the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution, and will feature a panel discussion from professors Maya Jasanoff (Harvard University), Robert Parkinson (Binghamton University), Mark Peterson (Yale University), Karin Wulf (Brown University), and Andy Horowitz (University of Connecticut). Prof. Manisha Sinha (University of Connecticut) will moderate.

Full event details here.

Three-Minute Thesis Competition

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Congratulations to Lincoln Hirn and Daniela Domínguez Tavares for competing in the Three-Minute Thesis Competition this year! Both participants made it to the final round. Lincoln Hirn’s presentation was titled “Worthy to be Counted”: The Postbellum Slave Narrative, 1865-1915. Daniela Domínguez Tavares was the Runner-up in the “Arts, Humanities, and Social Science Ph.D” category with her presentation titled “Imaginaries of Mexican Infrastructure.”

Up to the Three-Minute-Thesis Challenge

Dept Head Mark Healey Receives Academic Leadership Award

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The annual CLAS Faculty and Staff Awards recognize outstanding achievement across several categories.

The Academic Leadership Award honors exemplary leadership by an individual who oversees a CLAS department, school, center, institute, or program. At this year’s CLAS Faculty and Staff Awards, Department Head Mark Healey was recognized for his leadership in strengthening departmental climate, transparency, and academic success. 

For the complete citation and list of award recipients, please see the UConn Today coverage at “CLAS Honors Faculty and Staff for Excellence in 2026.”

The Society for Historians of the Gilded Age and the Progressive Era awards 2026 President’s Book Prize to Manisha Sinha for The Rise and Fall of the Second American Republic

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The prize was awarded at the Organization of American Historians meeting in Philadelphia on April 17, 2026. The prize citation reads:

Following a multi-tiered selection process, the committee selected The Rise and Fall of the Second American Republic: Reconstruction, 1860–1920 by Manisha Sinha as the recipient of the SHGAPE President’s Book Prize.

 Manisha Sinha’s The Rise and Fall of the Second American Republic offers a sweeping and compelling reinterpretation of Reconstruction, significantly expanding both the temporal and geographic boundaries traditionally associated with the period. Sinha provides a major new synthesis of Reconstruction scholarship—one that will stand alongside the seminal works of Eric Foner and W. E. B. Du Bois as a benchmark for a new generation of historians. The book will serve as a central text in graduate seminars on nineteenth-century U.S. history for years to come. Grounded in extensive archival research but driven by a clear and persuasive argument about the broader scope and significance of Reconstruction, it will shape how historians and their students understand this critical era. It is a powerful and important work and fully deserving of the SHGAPE President’s Book Prize.