As a student, I've found UCI to be a place where I'm surrounded by supportive people -- the professors, the office staff, and my fellow historians-in-training. Sure, we're competitive, but we are all more than happy to celebrate each other's successes and commiserate on each other's mishaps.

Of course, being a grad student is only one part of who we are. I am a single mother of a nine-year-old, and have found the department to be incredibly supportive not only in my academic life, but in my life as a mother. Children are welcome to come to the department picnic at the beginning of the year, as well as the Christmas party, and it is not unusual to see my daughter on campus with me several times a year, or for a professor to ask how she is. Fellow students have been known to babysit, to pick her up from her after-school program when I have a class, and to come to her birthday party (it doesn't matter how old you are...birthday cake still tastes good!). Even more wonderful is that through my daughter's friends, I have met a lot of people outside of the department who have contributed food for thought to my research.

I could continue on and tell you how great the library is (really, it's terrific), how nice it is to live in a place where I don't have to shovel snow or scrape the car...but hey. Email me your questions and I'll answer them as quickly and as honestly as I can.

I was initially attracted to the interdisciplinary character of UCI’s history program (and the fact that I didn’t have to take statistics—blah!). Having a background in philosophy, I found the department’s stress on theory, although a bit unnerving when first introduced, ultimately beneficial.

I’ve also been encouraged by a number of professors willing to invest valuable time in my scholarly development. More importantly, I’ve appreciated the ways in which they have treated me as a colleague, which has, at least on one occasion, manifested itself in the form of a beer. The department prides itself in maintaining a democratic atmosphere, allowing students to sit on both graduate and undergraduate committees and offer critical input in decisions made for the program.

But perhaps the best aspect is the graduate cohort. Stated simply, students learn to rely on their peers. This distinguishing feature contrasts sharply with more cannibalistic grad programs around the country. Although serious about their own progress, as any student should be, history grads exhibit a genuine interest in the success of their fellows.

Oh…one other thing…the weather here is great.

The department has grown in size considerably during the past five years; even so, the department remains intimate and cohesive. I regularly find myself chatting about research with colleagues or faculty from areas as disparate as North Africa, the United States, or the Middle East.

Cross-disciplinarity is not just a buzzword here, but a daily practice.

I study medieval and early modern Europe, with a focus on Spain. I'm particularly interested in pedagogical practices and educational institutions, and their role in shaping and perpetuating social discourses concerning gender, race, and sexuality. My dissertation will examine women's education and marriage practices in the city of Toledo, Spain, during the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries.

UCI is a unique and exciting place to study history, and I've felt very fortunate over the years to be a student here. The professors are accessible, and their diverse interests, varied approaches to history, and dedication to their students create a stimulating and warm learning environment. I wasn't sure in the beginning what I wanted to do for my second field, and I found the faculty supportive and willing to help me explore the many options the department has to offer.

In addition to our stellar faculty, we're fortunate to have wonderfully helpful and knowledgeable staff members in the department who are always willing to answer questions and guide us through the administrative aspects of graduate study. Also, our department consistently attracts terrific people, and working with and getting to know my fellow students has made graduate school a truly rewarding experience for me.

I am a sixth year student. My advisor is Lamar Hill. I expect to complete my dissertation by Spring of 2007. I have worked a lot with pedagogy at the university level and am involved with the Instructional Resources Center as a Pedagogical Fellow here on campus. I am an instructor for the cross-curricular Humanities Core Course this year at UCI and will be teaching World History for the department this summer. I am also an adjunct at National University. I enjoy meeting new students and would be more than happy to talk to you about my experience here at UCI.