Joshua M. Rice, MA University of Nebraska - Kearney 2008
Leaving
the Pacific Northwest to attend the University of Nebraska at Kearney
for grad school was an excellent choice for my academic career. The
graduate program in history is first rate, with knowledgeable,
friendly, and recognized professors. A larger program could not
provide the level of personal attention and engagement that I
experienced at UNK; the faculty is closely involved in grad students’
research and career aims. At the prompting of my advisors, I have been
able to present several papers at historical conferences, and I am
currently revising two articles for publication in scholarly journals.
Thanks to faculty recommendations and contacts, I have been able to
publish two book reviews and several encyclopedia articles. The small
community of grad students is collegial, supportive, and intimate.
Receiving my Masters’ at UNK has allowed me to learn the historical
profession first-hand from excellent scholars. I am currently applying
to PhD schools and I teach as an adjunct professor at UNK.
Amber Lewis, BA University of Nebraska-Kearney, 2009, MA University of Nebraska-Kearney, 2011
Transferring
to UNK from another Nebraska university after my sophomore year of
college was one of the best things I could have done for my college
career. The sense of community and environment of success that I was
able to see simply from visiting friends who attended school here was
enough to motivate me to make the transition, and it has been enough to
keep me on UNK’s campus for my graduate degree. While attending UNK as
an undergraduate in the history department, I gained a strong
appreciation for what an outstanding program we have here. It was easy
to see that the history professors at UNK have a genuine interest in
student success, and it was because of their encouragement and guidance
that I decided to enter the graduate program and work toward getting a
Master’s. Being a graduate student in history at UNK is something that
I am truly proud of, and I am looking forward to working on my degree
under the tutelage of the excellent scholars that comprise the faculty
of the history department.
Bill Hayes, MA University of Nebraska - Kearney, 2008
“My experience in the UNK history masters’ program gave me the skills to advance my career. I chose UNK because the size of the program, which offered classes similar to a bigger university and at the same time, allowed more personal relationships with professors. I learned how to conduct research, made paper presentations, and improved my writing skills while in the program. Beyond the technical aspects, I also gained intangible knowledge of how to handle myself as a professional within the field of history. I use all the skills I was taught everyday in position as Director of the Mayhew Cabin with John Brown’s Cave Underground Railroad site in Nebraska City. I put forth research and writing in development of exhibits. I use my presentation skills in giving tours and public speeches at our programs. My time at UNK and what I gained there has been invaluable to me as the director of a small museum.”