Graduate Student Council

The Graduate Student Council of the SHA (the GC) strives to meet the needs of graduate students of Southern History at all stages of their academic journey. The GC encourages all graduate students with an interest in the history of the southern United States to participate in its events, take advantage of its resources, and even serve as a member of the Council! The GC works to foster community and collegial collaboration as graduate students navigate the ebbs and flows of graduate school. For more information, email us at [email protected]!

Some ways that graduate students can get involved with the Council’s work are:

  • Southern Exchanges: At this twice yearly virtual event, graduate students share ‘elevator pitches’ of their ongoing research, dissertation, or thesis work. Southern Exchanges provides the opportunity for students to receive supportive feedback on their work in a conversational setting and make connections with other graduate students in their field.
  • Southern Historical Association International Graduate Network (SHAIGN): SHAIGN aims to bring together graduate students studying the South who are based outside the United States by promoting events to SHA members based abroad and building trans-Atlantic connections. International students are a vibrant component of the SHA’s graduate community, and SHAIGN provides them with ways to connect with one another and colleagues in the US.
  • Travel Grants: The GC provides application-based funding to support graduate students travelling to the SHA’s annual conference. Graduate students who are members of the SHA and eager to attend The Southern are encouraged to apply for funds to help subsidize their travel and conference attendance. Additional funds are available to support those traveling from outside the contiguous United States.  
  • SHA Graduate Student Luncheon: At every SHA conference the Council hosts a luncheon for graduate students in which experts speak with a table of graduate students to discuss topics ranging from dissertation research strategies to publishing, the academic job market, how to stay sane in graduate school, and more. The luncheon provides an opportunity for networking and community building among graduate students and experts in the field.
  • Collaborative events with other graduate communities and caucuses: In 2024 the GC was thrilled to collaborate with the Western Historical Associations Graduate Student Caucus at the joint SHA/WHA conference and to host a collaborative SouthxWest Exchanges event in the weeks leading up to the in-person gathering. The Council is excited for even more collaboration in the future!

How to stay up to date and contact the Graduate Council:

  • Email us at [email protected]
  • Follow us on BlueSky at @shagradcouncil.bsky.social
  • Follow us on Twitter at @shagradcouncil
  • Keep an eye on this webpage and the SHA’s newsletters for updates, events, and helpful links!

Who are we?

The GC consists of five rotating members serving two-year terms. Applications to serve on the Council are made available every year, so keep an eye on the SHA newsletter, this webpage, and our social media!

  • Tim Case (2024-2026): Tim is a PhD student at William and Mary where he studies the memory of the Civil War and emancipation with a specific focus on late nineteenth and early twentieth century commemorative traditions and the intersection of race and space in the postwar South. Before William and Mary, Tim earned his BA at the Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College of Florida Atlantic University, an MA in History from San Jose State University, and an MA in Educational Leadership from Santa Clara University.
  • Thomas Cryer (2023-2025, Outgoing) : Tom is a PhD student at University College London, where he explores the intellectual history of the twentieth-century United States through the lens of the life and legacy of the historian John Hope Franklin. Tom is interested in themes of education, liberalism, memory, and race and racialisation. Before UCL, Tom earned a BA(Hons) in History and MPhil in American History from the University of Cambridge.
  • Roraig Finney (2024-2026): Roraig is a PhD student at the University of Tennessee studying the politics of immigration in the South during the nineteenth- and early twentieth centuries. Roraig is particularly interested in the intersection of political economy, labor, and ideology. Before UT, Roraig earned his MA from the University College London and a BA from the University of Virginia.
  • Emily Lampert (2024-2026): Emily is a PhD student at Rice University. Her interests lie at the intersections of race and gender in the eighteenth- and nineteenth centuries. Emily is particularly interested in enslaved motherhood reproduction, especially trans-Atlantic conversations about enslaved midwifery and reproduction in the Anglo-Atlantic world. Before Rice, Emily earned an MA and BA at Western Washington University.
  • Emily Morrell (2023-2025, Outgoing): Emily is a PhD student in the Department of Religion at Princeton University and studies the histories of religion, labor, and race in the southern United States during the late twentieth century. Emily is particularly interested in the role religion played in efforts to organize among workers and farmers in the context of deindustrialization and globalization agriculture. Before Princeton, Emily earned an MA in History from West Virginia University, and MDiv from Columbia Theological Seminary, and an MA in Religion and History from Centre College.

Travel Grants

In 2023, the SHA Graduate Council established a fund to assist graduate students with the cost of attending the SHA Annual Meeting. All applications from Graduate Students will be considered. Grant amounts are based on the fund balance and typically range from $200–$500. Support is prioritized to those traveling from outside of the contiguous United States. Our Travel Grants are typically advertised in the Summer preceding the Annual Meeting and typically have a deadline of late September. For the latest information on this year’s scheme, please visit our BlueSky at @shagradcouncil.bsky.social. Our Travel Grants could not exist without the generous donations of SHA Members. Please consider joining and donating!

Recent Travel Grants Winners:

  • Roraig Finney, University of Tennessee (2024)
  • Samuel Niu, Columbia University (2024)
  • Cassandra Jane Werking, University of Kentucky (2024)
  • Lewis Johnson, University of Edinburgh (2024)
  • Thomas Cryer, University College London (2023)
  • Benjamin Young, University of Notre Dame (2023)

Southern Exchanges

Each year you can join us for Southern Exchanges, a biannual virtual event where graduate students present concise "elevator pitches" of their ongoing research, dissertations, or thesis projects. This dynamic forum fosters a supportive and conversational environment, offering participants feedback to refine their ideas while building connections with peers across Southern History. Whether you're a long-standing SHA member or new to our community, Southern Exchanges is the perfect space to engage with the vibrant work of early-career scholars of the American South.