Five Central College history students traveled to Chicago in January to attend the 139th annual meeting of the American Historical Association, the largest gathering of historians in the world.

Students that attend were Steel (Reese) Anderson, Class of 2028 political science and history major; Caelin Barbour, Class of 2026 history and political science major; Chris Little, Class of 2026 history and sociology major, Josh Kuhlers, Class of 2028 history major; and Lauryn Venema, Class of 2026 history major. The students were accompanied to the conference by associate professor of history Lori Witt. At the conference, students attended scholarly sessions, receptions, and an undergraduate orientation designed to introduce students to professional historical research. Central faculty also were represented on the national stage. Associate professor of history Tim Olin participated in a panel discussion titled “Seeking People, Keeping People: Migration Policy as Political-Economic Strategy,” which examined immigration from historical and global perspectives.

The trip provided students with a firsthand look at the professional world of historians while highlighting Central’s commitment to undergraduate research and experiential learning.