History Professor Joins National Effort
Strengthening Liberal Arts Education
More than four generations of successful St. John’s University
graduates demonstrate the value of a liberal arts education in
preparing students to become leaders in their fields.
So when
Elaine Carey, Ph.D., Associate Professor and Chair, History,
was invited by the American
Historical Association (AHA) this year to join its national
effort to enhance undergraduate history programs, St. John’s
offered its full support.
Dr. Carey is one of 60 professors the AHA selected to participate
in its Nationwide Tuning
Project, dedicated to ensuring that today’s students gain the
knowledge and skills to thrive in a competitive job market. The
three-year, faculty-driven project is funded by the Lumina Foundation,
which supports higher education.
In January 2013, Carey will assume an additional leadership role
with AHA, beginning a three-year term as Vice President' of its
Teaching Division. In that post, Carey will help guide a
broad-based teaching mission ranging from providing resources for
educators to helping new historians into the
profession.
"In this new role with AHA," said Carey, "I will have the
opportunity to assist a new generation of budding historians to
learn best practices in teaching and integrating research with
pedagogy."
Since joining the History Department in 2002, Dr. Carey has earned
wide recognition as a scholar and educator. She is the author of
many publications including books, articles, translations,
encyclopedia contributions, book reviews and professional
conference presentations.
She also has helped create career and other opportunities for her
students by expanding internships and Academic Service
Learning opportunities. For example, after a research seminar
with Dr. Carey, Raymond Pun ’07C landed an internship at the New York Public Library (NYPL) and
today is one of its periodicals librarians.
An authority on Latin America, Mexico, crime and drugs, human
rights and gender studies, Dr. Carey supports her department’s
efforts to enhance its multidisciplinary approach to history. She
also has worked closely with historical practitioners and is part
of the Master of Arts Degree Program in
Public History.
Dr. Carey is a recipient of a National History
Center and Teagle
Foundation grant; two Fulbright-Garcia Robles Fellowships; two
National Endowment for the Humanities fellowships; a Beeke-Levy
Research Fellowship; and a Lloyd George Sealy Research Fellowship.
At St. John’s, she earned McNair Mentor of the Year and Faculty
Recognition Awards. In addition to teaching and scholarship, she
has contributed as a member of the Academic Planning and Ozanam
Faculty Advising Committees.
Noting the support she and other faculty receive from the
University, Dr. Carey thanked colleagues and administrators for
their cooperation with the Nationwide Tuning Project. “It’s a
tribute to St. John’s,” she said, “that we’ve been asked to
participate in this visionary effort.”