The Department is happy to report that we’ve been deeply engaged with Kent State’s SURE Program, which gives undergraduate students the opportunity to work one-on-one with professors on bespoke projects that amplify and enhance their advanced degree engagement. We spoke to two History majors about their experiences. One is Sara Mae Dickens, who worked with Dr. Kim Gruenwald of the Kent Campus, and the second is Aidan James, who worked with Dr. Leslie Heaphy on the Stark Campus:
Sara heard about SURE through her academic advisor, who suggested the program as a good method for gathering honors credits. The program does not offer any hours towards an Honors degree as such, but she thought it sounded like an interesting idea. She really enjoyed Dr. Gruenwald’s classes before, and her interest in the American Revolution made for a natural fit.
When Sara told Dr. Gruenwald she was interested in Native American history, she showed Sara a news article she'd read, which discussed arguments made by the Susquehanna people who vouched that their histories disagreed with widely accepted beliefs on the figure of Powhatan. Why not investigate a variety of sources on Powhatan—especially those from non-English accounts—to discover if the Susquehanna's current claim had historical backing? Their hope was to submit an article to an academic journal on their research, which they are still working on!
Sara knew the basics of research and writing as a history major, but having guidance and oversight from someone experienced in the field kept it from becoming overwhelming.
Aidan found out about the SURE program when Dr. Heaphy asked if he would be interested in assisting her in writing a portion of a SABR book (Society for American Baseball Research) that she is writing about the Colorado Silver Bullets. The Silver Bullets were a professional woman’s basketball team from the 1990s.
After doing research about the team and their history, Aidan wrote three pieces for the book. The first one was about their first game, the second piece was on their first win, and the final piece was about their last game.
The SURE program enhanced Aidan’s undergraduate experience by allowing him to assist a professor with research and writing for an actual, published book, which is something that he had never done before. He also gained the opportunity to do historical research and writing on a more contemporary topic. Dr. Heaphy was pleased with Aidan’s ability to work independently, and to take initial direction and run with it. She reports as well that the book will be out in 2027.
