In Recent News...
Dr. Kristen Epps Featured on "Ask a Kansan" Podcast
(July 2026) There was a time when what happened in Kansas was front page news on the east coast. This week, Sydney and Gus sit down with historian Dr. Kristen Epps, professor at Kansas State University and editor of Kansas History: A Journal of the Central Plains, to dig into Bleeding Kansas, the people slavery's expansion actually affected, and why the messy, complicated version of our state's story matters more than the tidy one. Kristen shares how she stumbled into Kansas history research, what it's really like editing an academic journal, and the wildest things she's found in dusty courthouse archives (John Brown's actual handwriting included). She also gives us a first look at her upcoming narrative history of Kansas, co-written with Jim Leiker, and reflects on resilience, reform movements, and why she finds hope in the next generation as the country marks its 250th anniversary. Watch it on YouTube here.
Two Undergraduate students present in Campus-wide Research Symposium
(April 2026) We are proud that two of our undergraduate students, Eva Naab and Zeonix Crew, presented at the Campuswide Undergraduate Research Symposium on April 23. Eva Naab's presentation was titled "Consistent With Public Interest?", reflecting research on how a small community in Tennessee protested the economic effects of the Embargo Act of 1807 on their fragile frontier economy. Zeonix Crew's presentation was titled "Black History Versus Government Historical Narratives", reflecting research on historical erasure in public history on marginalized communities.
Congratulations to Zeonix and Eva!
Congrats!
(January 2026) Congratulations to PhD student Lt. Colonel Korey "Bounce" Lantes for winning the Air and Space Forces best article prize for "REFORPAC’s Pacific Playbook: Survive, Surge, Sustain and Synchronize to Win". The article was published in the Journal of the Air Force Historical Foundation. Fall 2025, Vol. 72 Issue 3, p7-20. Read the article here.
Hands-on History
(January 2026) Dr. Eric Brandom's HIST 410 class was highlighted in K-State Today! "Through hands-on experience with materials from the Richard L.D. and Marjorie J. Morse Department of Archives and Special Collections, students in the History of K-State Workshop course are finding new ways to tell the university's history." Read the article here.
History undergraduate alumni featured "From Classroom to Career"
(January 2026) From discovering her academic path to stepping into a leadership role soon after graduation, Kimberlee Westcott's ('22) journey reflects how hands-on learning and mentorship at K-State prepare students for meaningful careers. Now directing a rural Kansas museum, Westcott's story highlights strong employment outcomes and the lasting value of a K-State education. Read the article here.