Kevin M. Kain of Humanistic Studies and History just published “Alexander S. Gumberg and the Development of American-Soviet Print Relations 1917-1930,” Slavic & East European Information Resources vol. 12, no. 1. (2011): 3-36.  This article investigates Alexander S. Gumberg’s (1887-1939) pioneering role in the development of US-Soviet print relations between 1917 and 1930. The article is based on analysis of records from Gumberg’s personal archive in the Wisconsin State Historical Society Archive and has two parts. The first considers Gumberg’s collection of documents concerning the founding of the Soviet state in revolutionary Russia, their presentation in the American press, and their deposit in the New York Public Library. The second examines Gumberg’s establishment of bilateral exchanges of print materials in the 1920s and offers insights into their theoretical and practical aspects from American and Soviet perspectives.

Congratulations, Professor Kain!

Kim Nielsen is the latest History faculty member to weigh in at a national blog site with a first-person essay from the front lines of Wisconsin’s budget battles. Nielsen writes of her support for the pro-union cause in a piece posted to the site maintained by Beacon Press, a national publishing house, at this link.

Great essay, Professor Nielsen!

David Voelker has published a co-authored article, “The End of the History Survey Course: The Rise and Fall of the Coverage Model,” in the March 2011 issue of the Journal of American History. Voelker and his co-author Joel Sipress (UW-Superior) provide the first historical analysis of the introductory history course (going back over a century) and attempt to provoke college history instructors to design introductory courses to prioritize the teaching of historical argumentation over coverage for the sake of coverage.  To link to the journal, click here.

Congratulations, Professor Voelker!