The Modern Scholar Podcast

My guests today are Katelyn Knox and Allison van Deventer, who recognized each other as kindred spirits during grad school at UCLA. Katelyn went on to land a tenure-track job at the University of Central Arkansas and eventually published a book based on her dissertation. She developed a "Dissertation-to-Book Boot Camp" to help other authors get through the difficulties she experienced during this process. After the first year, she brought Allison in to help. Together they ran the course for several years, revising it along the way, and then pitched it as a book to the University of Chicago Press. That project became The Dissertation-to-Book Workbook, and is the subject of our conversation today!

Join me for a fascinating tour through the Napoleonic era this week with the professor who has made it his life's work, Dr. Alexander Mikaberidze. Alexander Mikaberidze is Professor of History and Ruth Herrin Noel Endowed Chair at Louisiana State University-Shreveport. He has written and edited over two dozen books, including the award winning The Napoleonic Wars: A Global History (2020) which has been translated into five languages. He has served as one of the editors of the multi-volume Cambridge History of the Napoleonic Wars (2023).

Welcome to Season Six of The Modern Scholar Podcast! In this episode we nerd out with our FIRST EVER repeat guest—the wonderful and creative Alycia Asai from the Civics and Coffee podcast! Alycia first appeared during Season Two, and I would encourage you all to taken a listen to that conversation here. Since that time, Alycia completed her MA in History from Sonoma State University, and in this episode we explore her graduate journey, her work as a podcaster, and her plans for the future! Also—take a listen to Alycia's episode exploring history conferences, which we reference near the end of our conversation. It is a fantastic discussion of steps we can all take to make the most of our conference experience. For more information about the show, visit our website here. Learn more about your host, Philip Shackelford, at his website here, as well as his book, Rise of the Mavericks. As always, thank you all for listening!

Celebrate a milestone as the host reflects on a hundred episodes filled with engaging conversations. Discover how to maximize your academic conference experience with tips on networking and effective communication. Learn the art of crafting an elevator pitch and navigating professional connections. The emphasis on community shines bright with inspiring messages from past guests, highlighting the power of collaboration in the academic world. Tune in for insights that will transform how you approach conferences!

Join me for a little bit of a different episode this week as we mark Episode 99 with a Q&A, some brief cameos from previous guests, and a quick reminder about National Library Week coming up April 7-13!

David Johnson has been a proud Fayetteville community member for over 20 years. Originally from Little Rock, he received his undergraduate and masters degree from the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville and his Master of Library Science degree from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. In 2012, he returned to the nationally recognized Fayetteville Public Library after fifteen years with Tyson Foods where he held various leadership positions in information systems, sales and marketing, and research and development. Along with the wonderful staff at the library, Johnson shares a passion and enthusiasm for serving his community, and strives to provide exceptional library programs and services that Fayetteville citizens deserve and expect. The Fayetteville Public Library was named “Library of the Year” in 2005 by Library Journal and serves the residents of Fayetteville, Washington County, and Northwest Arkansas. Due to the incredible growth of the Fayetteville and Northwest Arkansas region, FPL underwent a large expansion project that was completed in January 2021 and doubled the size of the library to 190,000 square feet The expansion includes the addition of an expanded youth department, the Teaching Kitchen, Center for Innovation, Event Center, Art and Movement Room, and much more!

John Amble is the Editorial Director of the Modern War Institute at West Point and Co-Director of the Urban Warfare Project. He is also a military intelligence officer in the U.S. Army Reserve and a veteran of both Iraq and Afghanistan. Before assuming his current role, John served as managing editor of War on the Rocks, a digital media outlet featuring commentary on global security, foreign affairs, and strategy. He holds a BA from the University of Minnesota and an MA in Intelligence and International Security from King’s College London, where he also conducted PhD research in the Middle Eastern Studies program. He has been featured in print and broadcast media in the United States, Canada, and the Middle East, and his work has appeared in various academic journals and other outlets. He also is the co-editor of Strategy Strikes Back: How Star Wars Explains Modern Military Conflict, which was released by Potomac Books in 2018. He researches and writes primarily on terrorism, intelligence, the Middle East, and the military. We should note, the views that John shares with us today are his alone and do not necessarily represent West Point, the U.S. Army, or the Department of Defense.

M. Girard Dorsey is Professor of History, Program Coordinator of Justice Studies, and core faculty of Medical Humanities, Society, & Ethics at the University of New Hampshire, focusing on military and medical history. Under the name Marion Girard, she is author of A Strange and Formidable Weapon. Her most recent book is Holding Their Breath: How the Allies Confronted the Threat of Chemical Warfare in World War II.

Dr. Sarah Parry Myers is an Associate Professor of History at Messiah University in central Pennsylvania, where she teaches courses on 20th century United States history, gender, public history, and military history. She is the recent recipient of a Dialogues on the Experience of War grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities, focused on generating dialogue with female veterans. Sarah’s work has appeared in edited collections released by Palgrave Macmillan and Routledge, and her book Earning Their Wings: The WASPs of World War II and Their Fight for Veteran Recognition, recently released from the University of North Carolina Press, explores the history of the Women Airforce Service Pilots—and this book is the subject of our conversation today!

Steve Biernacki is the Executive Director of the South Arkansas Historical Preservation Society, following roles as Executive Director of City Connections in Little Rock, AR and various positions with the Habitat for Humanity of Central Arkansas. Steve is here to talk about the world of nonprofits and community leadership - so don't miss this conversation!