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History graduate student conference honors memory of prominent NIU faculty member

October 25, 2013
Alfred F. Young

Alfred F. Young

About 45 graduate students and faculty from programs across the country will present their research at the sixth annual History Graduate Student Association (HGHA) Conference from 8 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 1, at Swen Parson Hall on the NIU campus.

This year’s conference honors the work and career of the late Alfred Young, a beloved NIU history professor.

“Alfred Young epitomizes the ideals of the history program at NIU,” said Sean Farrell, associate professor in the Department of History and faculty adviser to the HGSA.

“Here’s someone who produced top-notch scholarship while maintaining a steadfast commitment to being part of an inclusive public university and community,” Farrell added. “The fact that so many people are coming to DeKalb in early November speaks volumes about his impact.”

The conference features a roundtable discussion on Young’s career and impact and the inaugural Alfred F. Young Keynote Lecture, given by noted historian Linda Kerber, May Brodbeck Professor in the Liberal Arts and Professor of History at the University of Iowa.

NIU graduate students played a central role in putting the conference together, organizing panels, contacting faculty and graduate student participants and making sure the logistics of the event are in order.

Ian Burns, a Ph.D. student and one of the chief coordinators of the conference, talked about the sheer amount of work involved: “It’s been a lot of work, but it’s really given me a clear sense of what’s involved in putting on an academic conference.”

Fourteen NIU graduate students will present their work, alongside participants from the University of Georgia, the College of William and Mary, Marquette University, the University of Iowa and others. The conference is open to the public.

For further information, email NIUHistoryGSA@gmail.com.