Graduate students and History faculty of the War, Diplomacy, and Society (WDS) MA program recently converged at the 2024 Society for Military History (SMH) Conference for robust conversations and panel discussions devoted to furthering the study of military history.

Talisa Flores ‘24 presented “Las Otras Rosas: Latina War Workers and World War II” at the Whose War? Exploring WWII Through New Actors Young Scholars Panel.

Laura Neis ‘24 and Kelly Taylor ‘24 also presented their research at the “War Stories: Narrating and Experiencing Conflict” Young Scholars Panel. Neis presented her work, “Celebrating Assimilation: Holiday Celebrations in World War I,” and Taylor presented “The Evolution of the Modern War Memoir and its Definitions.”

Program Co-Director Dr. Kyle Longley (History) served as a commentator on the panel “Changing Perceptions: Political Activism, Presidential Speeches, and the Reinvention of the Vietnam Veteran Image.” He also serves as the executive director of the SMH.

Associate Dean and Associate Professor of History Dr. Charissa Threat was a discussant on the roundtable titled “Women at War with America: A 40-Year Retrospective on the Work of Dr. D’Ann Campbell and the Study of Women and War,” as well as chaired the above mentioned “War Stories: Narrating and Experiencing Conflict” Young Scholars Panel.

Finally, Wilkinson College Dean and Professor of History Dr. Jennifer D. Keene moderated a roundtable discussion titled “War Stories: Documenting World War I Experiences,” and was a commentator on the panel “Not All was Quiet on the Entente Home Front: An Analysis of American and British Home Fronts during World War One.” Dr. Keene is a past president of the SMH.

Members of the Society for Military History are many of the world’s most prominent scholars in military history–and the WDS program is exceptionally proud of our students and faculty for their continued contributions to the field in this nationally and internationally recognized conference.

(Pictured at top: (Left to right: Laura Neis, Libby Whitlow (Oklahoma State), Kelly Taylor, and Dr. Charissa Threat (History)