Introducing Our 2024–2025 Lepage Center History Fellows
The Lepage Center is delighted to announce its Fall 2024-Spring 2025 History Fellows: Cait Graulau, MA ’25, Isaac Smith, MA ’25 and Lucy Simons, BA ’25. The Fellows will assist the Center in communicating historical scholarship and perspectives to various audiences by helping plan and coordinate events, writing here at Hindsights, and helping us grow on social media. Every year we ask our fellows to tell us about themselves, what brought them to Villanova and the Lepage Center, what they want to do, and where they want to go next. Below they introduce themselves by sharing some of their thoughts about the Lepage Center and the practice of studying history.
Why did you choose Villanova?
CG: Villanova’s MA in History interested me because of its faculty, the resources at the Falvey Library, and its proximity to Philadelphia. I will admit — it took me visiting Villanova in person to decide whether I wanted to apply or not. Every university can look great on a webpage or on paper, but I appreciated meeting a few professors, current graduate students, and seeing all of the classroom and studying spaces on campus. I really could imagine myself walking through SAC, hanging out with my cohort/friends in Rofinot, and reviewing for class in Falvey.
IS: Villanova was the only university I applied to. The Villanova History Department offers an Intellectual and Cultural History concentration, and the opportunity to study the history of ideas at a prestigious university located only a few miles out of bustling Philadelphia made the program an excellent choice.
LS: My path to Villanova was not the most conventional, having spent my freshman year at another university and ultimately making the decision to transfer for the remainder of my undergraduate studies. I struggled at my previous school to get engaged in extracurriculars, feeling malnourished outside the classroom in terms of my learning and growth. This experience has only strengthened my appreciation and gratitude for Villanova, understanding the unique ways in which Villanova encourages and allows its undergraduate and graduate community to flourish and thrive in and outside of the classroom!
Why did you apply to be a Lepage fellow?
CG: Throughout the 2023–24 academic year, I attended many of the Lepage Center’s events. I appreciated the diversity in topics, panelists, and questions posed by attendees. I believe that the Lepage Center is successful in their mission of promoting a historical perspective of current events and trends to a public audience. Also, I wanted to work with Kevin Fox and Dr. Paul Rosier. The previous Graduate Fellow, Ryan, spoke very highly of their time with the Lepage Center and convinced me that it was an opportunity I could not miss out on.
IS: The Lepage Center provides its fellows first-hand encounters with scholars conducting original historical research. Fellows also write regularly for the Center’s blog Hindsights. The opportunity to strengthen my writing, meet leading scholars, and learn how they conduct research charged my decision to apply to the Lepage.
LS: Ever since I became a history major at Villanova, I have been familiar with the Lepage Center and the admirable work it does to promote public facing history and engage the community in compelling conversations regarding the relationship between historical knowledge and modern policy innovation. It is truly a dream come true to join Lepage as their Undergraduate Fellow and aid in this movement!
What are you looking forward to this year at the Center, in the History programs, and in life?
CG: I am looking forward to the opportunity to learn from the various academics and scholars who will present on Labor and Democracy over the next academic year. The themes for this year are timely and I find so much joy in learning from people who are both knowledgeable and passionate about sharing their research. The excitement is contagious.
I’m also excited for the Spring 2025 semester because I will be taking the Graduate Writing Seminar!
IS: Labor and democracy are two of my scholarly interests. This year’s event series traverses these important themes, and I look forward to learning more about them. I’ll be writing a historiography on Nelson Mandela and the African National Congress (ANC) in my Empire and Decolonization course this fall. I look forward to getting intimately acquainted with Mandela, his party, and African resistance to settler-colonialism. This is my final year at Nova, so I am entering a transition period. I want to make the most of my final year in the program.
LS: As it is an election year, I am greatly looking forward to being on the front lines of policy research and advocacy. A secondary theme of the Center this year is “Democracy and its Discontents” which I am eager to explore further. Specifically, I am looking forward to attending “American Democracy on the Eve of November’s Election” on Tuesday, 9/24. In a more general sense, I am looking forward to finishing up my last year here at Nova and seeing all my undergraduate work come to fruition when I graduate with my B.A. in History and Communications next May!
What is your next step after graduation?
CG: My after-graduation plans rely entirely on if I am accepted into a Ph.D. program for history or not. If I am, I will begin that stage of my academic career (and life). If not, I will be moving back down to West Virginia/Virginia and applying to history adjunct positions in various community colleges in my region. I’ll just take the gap year in stride and re-apply to Ph.D. programs next year. I have high hopes though! I am willing to put in the work necessary to give myself the best chance to succeed.
IS: After graduating this spring, I will pursue doctoral study in Africana Studies, intellectual history, and black political theory.
LS: After graduation, I hope to continue my journey in the policy sector. I’m not entirely sure on my exact next steps yet, though I do have my eyes on higher education, whether that be ascertaining my J.D. by attending law school within the next few years or pursuing a Master’s in Public Policy, or both! Either way, I look forward to learning as much as I can in the role of Undergraduate Fellow at Lepage and absorbing valuable know-how in the policy vertical!
What are your long-term goals/career path?
CG: I want to be an educator. Whether it be through a higher institution of learning or a museum, I want to expose the public to the impacts of history. I want to make history accessible and inclusive for all publics. I think it is too difficult to chart a direct career path to that with how malleable the current history job market is, so I am making decisions one step at a time. For now, I believe that furthering my education and becoming more familiar with academic history as a discipline is my best move.
IS: I plan on becoming a university professor and researcher.
LS: Regardless of how I choose to enhance my education in the coming years, I know that in terms of long-term goals, I wish to have a fruitful and lengthy career in public and social policy. I’ve always wanted to make an impact, whether it be in my local community or in a greater sense, and if I can do that by helping people, that sounds like as successful a career I could hope for.
What is your favorite historical topic? Why did you start studying history?
CG: My preferred historical topic is anything related to studies of race and ethnicity. Race and ethnicity is so deeply informative — you develop an understanding of how a society perceived a category of people and how those perceptions impact individuals’ identities. My research usually answers a question related to how an individual perceives their identity and race based on the conditions that the state and society sets. My favorite part of working with a research question like that is the need for intersectional/interdisciplinary sources, theories, and methodologies.
I think the primary reason why I chose to study history is because my K-12 education tended to be taught through a lens that did not include marginalized perspectives. History courses in community college taught me that there is a lot of potential in history as a social tool to encourage others to be inclusive. I still have a hard time explaining why I study history, though. It just always felt right to me!
IS: I studied history as an undergrad because it was my favorite subject in high school. Black nationalism and socialism are my topics of interest.
LS: I always had an appreciation for history, but my passion for it didn’t truly become apparent until I took my required core history class here at Nova. I ended up enjoying it way more than I anticipated, and after chatting with my professor at the time, Dr. Marc. Gallichio, and learning of the novel pre-law concentration being offered by the department, I knew I had found my path forward! Some of my favorite courses I have taken as a history major at Villanova have been HIS3014: “Alexander the Great to Cleopatra” and HIS3017: “The Roman Empire”, both with Dr. Eliza Gettel. Ancient history is an interest I share with my dad and my sister — my sister and I grew up loving the “Percy Jackson” book series, so getting to learn more about the Hellenistic period was fun and nostalgic J.
How do you like to spend time outside of class and academic study?
CG: Outside of class and studying, I usually like to hang out with my beagle, Shorty, and my partner, Julio. I love playing video games and keeping up with the latest esports discourse (one of my undergraduate degrees is in esports entrepreneurship). Lately, I have been attempting to read and enjoy fiction books. When I am able, I love spending time with the friends I’ve made at Villanova. Everyone is wonderful and we’ve made an incredible community of friends/scholars. Also, one of my 2024 resolutions is to develop a better work/life balance, which means prioritizing my well-being. I am still in the process of figuring out what that is, though!
IS: I devote most of my time to reading, writing, and classwork, but in my free time, I chat with friends as we reminisce about our undergraduate days at Morehouse College. I am also very active in collegiate debate. I adjudicate debaters at regional and national tournaments when the opportunity arises. Debate is one of my extracurricular passions.
LS: I am a big foodie and love to cook, always finding new recipes and experimenting with different food groups. I also love to attend workout classes, play volleyball, read, do the NYT Crossword, and, when I’m home, I love spending time with my family and my two dogs named Bear and Meeko!
What draws you to public facing history?
CG: The ability to be the person that opens a door. In my experience, I did not realize how exciting certain historical topics could be until another person introduced me to them. Most of the time, those happenings occurred at public-facing history events or at public history sites. Historians truly hold so much power — we can inspire others to pursue topics that they had never heard of before or introduce them to new perspectives of a topic they may have viewed as uninteresting. I believe that the Lepage Center can give me the opportunity to do that.
IS: We live in an uneasy contemporary moment. The American public must reckon with this nation’s history, especially its unsavory aspects. Historical context plays a vital role in uncovering the root causes of existing socioeconomic inadequacies. The public must face history, but historians must face the public for that to happen.
LS: A collegiate level historical education is way more than just remembering and regurgitating facts, dates, and figures. History is a dynamic field, and I like to think that for us to accurately interpret the present, we need to understand the past. This is why I believe a knowledge of history is imperative to the world of social and public policy, and why I am so drawn to the Lepage Center, which I believe shares my perspective and does a fascinating job of bridging the gap between historical knowledge and contemporary sociopolitical issues.
Why should the public care about the Center?
CG: The public should care about the Lepage Center because of its mission: “…to advance our conviction that historical study can further public understanding of the present moment.” The Center’s events will always be timely, relevant, and accessible to the public. Please take advantage of historical context being presented at Lepage events!
IS: The public should care about the Lepage Center because it explores historical and contemporary topics that concern the public.
LS: The Lepage Center is a valuable, accessible resource bent on being an asset to the public and our local community. By capitalizing on the many events and initiatives that Lepage puts on over the school year, you are enhancing your understanding of both sociopolitical issues and historical knowledge, helping you to become a more knowledgeable and responsible citizen!
What do you want to accomplish as a Lepage fellow?
CG: My hope is that the public feels represented through the scholars, presentations, and narratives at Lepage events. As a Lepage fellow, I can plan future events, run current events, and write event reflections for Lepage’s public audience. My aim is to be inclusive in all aspects of the above responsibilities, particularly with the planning and writing. I want the public to feel seen, heard, and affirmed!
IS: I want to have a fun and informative year and do everything I can to help the Center deliver on its mission.
LS: As a Lepage Fellow, I would love to emerge myself in public facing history and learn as much as I can from my peers and mentors within the Center. As a social media savvy person, a focus on mine this year could be enhancing social media outreach, though I’m also looking forward to engaging with local historians and our impressive staff in the history department through our several Lunch @ Lepage events!
What was your favorite Lepage event from the past year?
CG: There are two events that I really enjoyed. The first was Videogames in a Historical Perspective and the other was Speculative Fiction in a Historical Perspective. Gaming and esports has been a passion of mine for a long time, so I really enjoyed meeting the scholars that engaged with videogames academically. As for speculative fiction, Octavia Butler is one of my favorite authors. Butler’s work was discussed in length at the Speculative Fiction event. Both events gave me the justification in that every topic is worth being historicized.
IS: The Chinatown in Philadelphia even from the Cities in Historical Perspective series.
LS: Within my History degree, I am pursuing a concentration in Pre-Law, in preparation for potentially attending law school in the coming years following my graduation from Villanova. On February 21st of this year, I attended the History and the Law Lecture in the Driscoll Auditorium, where a panel of seasoned lawyers answered questions and offered insights into the values of a historical education in terms of a career in the legal realm. One valuable takeaway I had was the experts’ consensus that taking a year or two off after graduating college to assess if law school is the best and right next step can be positive! I was on the fence about this decision and if I wanted to immediately matriculate into higher education, so this experience helped me find clarity.
What is your favorite historical text or idea that you were exposed to here at Villanova?
CG: My favorite historical text that I was exposed to here at Villanova was Saidiya Hartman’s Scenes of Subjection: Terror, Slavery, and Self-making in Nineteenth-century America. My cohort was introduced to Dr. Hartman’s works through our Theory & Methods course (particularly, her article “Venus in Two Acts.”). I was never introduced to theories relating to archival violence or narrative trauma in my undergrad coursework, but they have since become an integral part of my plan of study.
IS: Silencing the Past: Power and the Production of History by Michel-Rolph Trouillot.
LS: Some of the most enlightening texts I’ve been exposed to at Villanova have been disseminated via my rhetorical studies courses, taught mainly to me by Dr. Billie Murray. Dr. Murray was one of my professors when I studied abroad in Greece in the Summer of 2023, where I learned about the foundations of Western Democracy. One of my main takeaways from her course, COM3208: “Rhetoric and Democracy” was the importance of the power of the people in Democratic governance!
What is the last non-History book you read and why should someone else read it?
CG: …I won’t lie, I don’t really recommend the last few non-History books I’ve read. They are all fiction/fantasy and I didn’t enjoy them all too much. However, I recently read a lovely queer romance titled Red, White, and Royal Blue by Casey McQuinston. Transnational romances are great plot drivers.
IS: Economics: The User’s Guide by Ha Joon-Chang. Everyone should read it. It is an informative and well-written book meant for non-specialists looking for a comprehensive introduction to macroeconomics.
LS: I am currently reading “Everything I Know About Love”, which is a memoir by Dolly Alderton. Alderton’s reflections of living and learning in her twenties as a career-driven young woman are deeply cathartic as a young woman seeking to launch her own career, although her insights are useful for anyone at a point of flux or uncertainty in their personal or professional lives!
Anything else you want the Lepage public to know?
CG: I am thrilled to be working with Isaac, Lucy, Kevin, and Dr. Rosier this year. We are, in my opinion, a powerhouse of fantastic ideas. There is so much in store for the Lepage public in the upcoming years and I am so excited to be a part of the Lepage Center during this process.
IS: I’m a proud HBCU graduate and the youngest of 5.
LS: Thank you for taking the time to learn a little more about me! I look forward to putting my all into the coming year, and if you share an interest in public facing history (or any of my other interests!) and would like, feel free to reach out!
