Faculty Spotlight
Getting in Tune with History
By Meghan Lewit
Assistant Professors of History Sara Haviland and Eric Platt have a message for the
college community: history can make a difference in your future.
A
s the College’s two full-time historians,
Platt and Haviland also emphasize the value
they are both participants in the
of studying in the middle of history-rich
“ had a student who told me that
I
American Historical Association’s
she now looks at all the historical Brooklyn. Platt has led programs in collaboraTuning Project. The three-year program—
tion with the Brooklyn Historical Society and
markers on the buildings she
funded through a grant from the Lumina
has taken classes on walking tours of New
passes… There is such a wealth of Amsterdam—the colonial settlement at the
Foundation—brings together approximately
6 0 educators from research universities and
southern tip of Manhattan that later became
history right around the corner.”
colleges around the country to meet and
New York—for a course focusing on early
—Sara Haviland
collaborate on standards and goals for students
New York history and the Dutch influence.
studying history.
Haviland has brought her students to visit a
The overarching goal of the Tuning Project is to better define and
historic African burial ground in lower Manhattan.
communicate the skills that students gain from completing a history
“I had a student who told me that she now looks at all the historical
major. The professors say these are the same skills that companies look
markers on the buildings she passes,” she said. “There is such a wealth
for in new employees. And Professor Haviland wants undergraduates
of history right around the corner.”
pursuing or considering a history degree to talk about their experiences
Platt said his own interest in history developed from a course he took
after they graduate.
in the second semester of his freshman year of college. He completed a
“We want to give students the tools to explain the value and what
double major in history and communication, but realized that history was
they’re actually learning to prospective employers,” she said.
his passion and decided to pursue a Ph.D. at the University of Wisconsin.
History majors, the professors noted, learn the critical thinking,
Platt came to St. Francis in 20 0 9, drawn by the small class sizes and
communication, writing, and research skills that are necessary in a
the ability to work directly with students. Much of his work is focused on
wide range of professions.
the history of early modern Europe and the Atlantic World, particularly
“History is more than just a series of events,” Platt said. “I think
the Dutch Republic.
history does better than any other major in [teaching these skills].”
“I enjoy the research, but the interaction with the students is something
While a degree in history can be a conduit to teaching, it also provides
that you just don’t get at a major research institution,” he said.
a foundation in civic engagement and cultural understanding that
Haviland didn’t initially set out to study history. After transferring
prepares students for careers in law, government, business or diplofrom a large state school to a small liberal arts college, conversations
macy. But because a number of students at St. Francis are the first in
she had with her professors steered her toward that field. She went on
their families to attend college, they may face pressure to choose majors
to get her Ph.D. in U.S. History at Rutgers University then completed
with what appear to be more direct career paths, he noted. Platt added
a post-doctorate study on the papers of women’s rights luminaries
that it’s important for undergraduates to understand the benefits of a
Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony. Haviland joined B