Visit The History Department
Learn more about our programs and meet our faculty.
Impactful Research
FSU history students present their original research at annual conferences at FSU, the University of Massachusetts-Amherst, and beyond.
Studying the Past
Studying history prepares students to pursue dynamic careers in many fields and to make meaningful contributions to our democratic society.
Mancuso Center
The Mancuso Humanities Workforce Preparation Center (MHWPC) at Framingham State University promotes the value of the humanities for creating vibrant thinkers, engaged citizens, and skilled professionals.
Cutting-Edge Original Research
History major Samantha Frost’s honors thesis on the gender implications of the homespun movement during the American Revolution has earned the prestigious Nels Andrew Cleven Founder's Prize from the Phi Alpha Theta History Honor society.
The national award is for outstanding papers written by members of the honor society.
Frost transferred to Framingham State from Quinsigamond Community College because of the strong reputation of the History Department and Museum Studies minor. A summer internship at Old Sturbridge Village following her junior year provided her with valuable experience photographing and archiving some of the living museum’s more than 40,000 artifacts. It also solidified her desire to work as a museum curator after graduation.
"It was an incredible experience," says Frost.
History in the Making Series
History majors Willow Versackas '24 and Danni Marquez '24 launched the History in the Making Series in 2023 to bring discussions of important historical topics to the greater FSU community.
"History is important," says Versackas. "We have to learn from the past so we can do better in the future.”
Some of the topics they have organized discussions around include how Germany commemorates the Holocaust compared to how the U.S. remembers slavery, Native American History, and the Israeli conflict with Hamas.
Leading Scholars
A group of noted historians that include Framingham State History Professor Joseph M. Adelman filed an Amicus Brief to the United States Supreme Court last year related to two cases with First Amendment implications.
The cases - NetChoice, LLC v. Paxton and Moody v. NetChoice, LLC - weigh in on the constitutionality of controversial laws in Texas and Florida that would regulate how large social media companies like Facebook and X (formerly known as Twitter) control content posted on their sites. Dr. Adelman and the other historians went into deep background of freedom of the press/speech at the founding moment to argue that both laws violate the 1st Amendment. A Supreme Court Decision is expected over the summer.
Meet Our Faculty
Maria Alessandra Bollettino, Ph.D.
Lori Gemeiner Bihler, Ph.D.
