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K-State Today

September 23, 2022

History graduate student attends international graduate academy

Submitted by Andrew Orr

Whitney in Poland

History graduate student Zane Whitney attended the Instytut Pileckiego's prestigious Totalitarianism in East-Central Europe 1939-1989, History and Memory Graduate Academy during summer 2022.

The Warsaw-based institute selected Whitney in a nationally competitive search process and has helped to fund his dissertation research on the 6 Polish Troop of the No. 10 Inter-Allied Commando Unit during World War II. No. 10 operated from 1942 to 1945 and conducted operations against Germany and its Axis allies in support of Allied offensives in Western Europe and the Mediterranean.

As part of the institute's graduate academy, Whitney participated in workshops, debates and classes with scholars from around the world and Poland, which helped to expand K-State's profile in Eastern Europe. The highly selective program provided mentorship and funded research trips to Poland and London so that Whitney could conduct primary-source research in government archives that will jumpstart his dissertation research. During their time in Poland, Whitney and the other fellows were guests of the Warsaw Uprising Museum, European Solidarity Centre and European Second World War Museum.

He will present his initial findings in November at a conference sponsored by the Instytut Pileckiego at Valdosta State University.