Social Sciences

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Department News

Keith Heller and Daniel Pfleging of the Killeen campus received their MA degrees in History at the Summer 2009 Commencement Ceremony.

The following students from the Stephenville campus received the BA degree in History at the Summer 2009 Commencement Ceremony:  Nalise Gaither, Shandy Joplin, and Michael Lewis.   Leah Fiffie from the Killeen campus received the BA degree in History at the Summer 2009 Ceremony.

Kyle Parsons of the Stephenville campus received the BA degree in Political Science at the Summer 2009 Commencement Ceremony.  Joseph Haynes of the Stephenville campus  received the BS degree in Political Science at the Summer 2009 Commencement Ceremony. Paul Kreiling of the Killeen campus received the BS degree in Political Science at the Summer 2009 Commencement Ceremony.

History graduate students, Tiffany Lowe (Political Science) and Jennifer Brewster (History), will serve as graduate assistants in the Department of Social Sciences for the 2009-2010 academic year.  Ms Lowe will work with the faculty in Stephenville while Ms Brewster will assist Dr. T. Lindsay Baker at the W.K. Gordon Center for the Industrial History of Texas.  Mr. David Buster and Ms Mary Adams also have graduate assistantships with the W.K. Gordon Center for the Industrial History of Texas.

History major Nalise Gaither was commissioned into the United States Army as a Second Lieutenant at the Summer 2009 Commencement Ceremony.

Remodeling of the O.A. Grant Building was completed by the beginning of the Spring 2009 semester.  The building received an entirely new paint job and color scheme, the lobby was refurbished, and all the classrooms were redone with new chairs, carpeting, desks, and Smart technology.  Many thanks to Dean Minix for spearheading this effort. 

A number of Social Sciences faculty were involved in the inauguration of President Dottavio on October 2, 2009.  Dr. T. Lindsay Baker served on the planning committee for the event, Dr. William Eugene Atkinson represented Phi Beta Kappa at the ceremony, and Dr. Janet Schmelzer represented the Texas State Historical Associaion.

Taylor Anderson, who received both his B.A. and M.A. degrees in history from Tarleton (he also taught for us as an adjunct for several years), has published a three-volume series of science fiction with RoC Press, entitled Destroyermen.  Set during World War II when a naval vessel accidently enters an alternative universe, the series (which includes Into the Storm, Crusade, and Maelstrom, has received good reviews and has enjoyed excellent sales.  Taylor is currently working on a fourth volume in the series.

Allegra Watson, who received her B.A. degree in History at the Fall 2006 commencement ceremony, has obtained a position with the Historic Preservation Commission of Granbury, Texas.  She recently designed a web-site for the Commission and it can be found at http://www.granbury.org (click on "Departments," then "Community Development," then "Historic Preservation Commission," and then, finally, "Granbury Historical Landmarks")

Dr. Malcolm Cross, associate professor of Political Science, continues to serve as head of the Department of Social Sciences.  Dr. Cross also sits on the Stephenville City Council and serves as mayor  pro tem for the city of Stephenville.

Dr. Donald Zelman was re-elected to the Stephenville City Council in the May 9 city election.  He received 72% of the votes cast in that election.

Dr. Dean Minix, dean of the College of Liberal and Fine Arts and professor of Political Science, was elected to the school board in Morgan Mill in the May 9 election.

Dr. Greg Atkinson currently serves as the representative of the Department of Social Sciences on the Tarleton State University Faculty Senate.  He was named President-Elect of that organization in May 2009.

The Department of Social Sciences has added a "Public History" option to the MA program in history.  If you are interested in this exciting new program, please contact Dr. T. Lindsay Baker at  (254) 968-9021 or go to http://www.tarleton.edu/~publichistory.   

The Department of Social Sciences is also now offering graduate history and political science classes at the Fort Worth campus of Tarleton State University.  For more information, see http://www.tarleton.edu/~fortworth/index.htm or contact Dr. Janet Schmelzer at schmelz@tarleton.edu  or (254) 968-9918.

Former graduate students, Joe Grimshaw and Jeffrey Meador both presented papers at the recent meeting of the Texas State Historical Association.  Mr. Grimshaw presented a paper on the population of Desdemona, Texas before, during, and after its oil boom.  Mr. Meador presented a paper on the "Brownwood Mafia," a group of local leaders who tried to save Brownwood after the Camp Bowie training facility closed down after World War II.

Mr. Micah Adkinson, a recent graduate with a degree in Political Science, is currently a captain in the United States Marine Corps.  He serves as an instructor at the Marine's training facility at Quantico, Virginia.  

Mr. Aaron Smith, who received his MA in History in Spring 2006, is now stationed with the 10th Mountain Division at Fort Drum, New York.  He is a Kiowa Warrior helicopter pilot who will be deployed later in 2008.

Mr. Gene Rhea Tucker, who received his M.A. degree in History in May 2006 under the direction of Dr. T. Lindsay Baker, is in the Ph.D. program at the University of Texas at Arlington.  He presented a paper, entitled "Booze and Bootlegging in Thurber," at the W.K. Gordon Center for Industrial Center in July 2009.  Another paper, entitled Coronelli's Texan Mississippi: A Reinterpretation of the American Settentrionale of 1688," won The Jenkins Garrett Award (best student paper using Special Collections at the UT-Arlington library) and was published in Terrae Incognitae, 40 (2008), pp. 82-101. Mr. Tucker was named to Who's Who in American Colleges and Universities for this year.

Mr. Michael McLatchy, who received his MA in History in 2005 and a MA degree in Political Science in 2007 assumed a teaching position at Claredon College in 2007.

Mr. Kenneth Davis, who graduated with a B.A. in History in May 2006, has obtained a job teaching World and Texas History at Roby High School (Roby, TX). 

Ms Cynthia Johnson, who obtained her MA degree in history in May 2001, teaches world and American history at Cisco Community College and has just been awarded tenure there.

Mr. William Hagood, who earned his M.A. degree in history in May 2005, teaches U.S. History part-time for Cisco Community College.  He also works with Jennifer Green, who received her masters degree in history in 2004, in the Upward Bound program at Tarleton.  Ms Green is the director of the program 

Mr. Michael Silverman, who earned his M.A. degree in Political Science from Tarleton in 1996 achieved the rank of lieutenant colonel in the United States Army.  He served two years with the CIA Office of Military Affairs.  In 2006,  Mike commanded a tank battalion out of Fort Stewart, Georgia, and served 15 months in Iraq where he played a crucial role in the Battle of Ramadi.  Mike has recently retired from the army and lives in Midway, Georgia where he is working on a book on the battles of Ramadi and al Anbar as well as teaching at Armstrong Atlantic State University.

Ms Paula Martin, who earned her MA in history in 1998 under the direction of Dr. Christopher Guthrie, has completed her dissertation  on  Dr. Suzanne Noel, an early 20th century French plastic surgeon and an influential feminist leader, and earned her Ph.D. in history from the University of Nevada at Reno.  She has obtained a tenure-track teaching position at Georgia Southern University. 

Mr. Douglas Franklin, who received his BA in history from Tarleton in Spring 2004, is now pursuing his MA degree in history at the University of North Texas.

Mr. Joe Grimshaw, who recieved his M.A. in history under the direction of Dr. T. Lindsay Baker in Summer 2004, is attending Texas Christian University  and working on a Ph.D. in American history.  

Mr. Christopher Lehman, who earned his BA degree in history in Spring 2004,  completed his masters degree in Public History at Texas State University-San Marcos.  

Mr. Jason Newton, who also earned his  B.A. degree in history in Spring 2004, has just completed his M.A. in history at Texas State (with a minor in anthropology).  He specialized in ancient and medieval history and plans someday to earn another advanced degree in archaeology in the United Kingdom.

Mr. John Bretthorst, who received his BA in history from Tarleton in Spring 1999, is a captain in the United States Army and  served his country in Iraq until his return home in January 2005.

Mr. Nathan Gillis, who recieved his BA in history from Tarleton in the Spring of 2001, has also completed his tour of duty in Iraq as a lieutenant and currently resides in Granbury, Texas.