Students formerly enrolled in the UCSB History Department’s HIST 196 J* Series are the creative drivers behind the content shared on this site. We think we’re fun.
Morningstar is a fourth-year transfer student majoring in Sociology and double minoring in History and Applied Psychology, and she employs an intersectional analytical framework to each of these disciplines. She has a particular interest in women’s history, public history, and education policy. After graduation, she hopes to pursue a Ph.D. in comparative/historical sociology. When logged off of Zoom, Morningstar works as an educator at the Santa Barbara Zoo, paints watercolors, and drinks nearly a million cups of tea each day.
Cristian is from Los Angeles and a fourth-year History/LAIS major @ucsantabarbara. He transferred to UCSB from Santa Monica College last fall and is interested in studying the different manifestations of nationalism in Europe and Latin America, in particular, how history is recorded and reconstructed over time. He also enjoys exploring how history is portrayed through film. Cristian has also participated as an Undergraduate Fellow in the Engaging Humanities initiative at UC Santa Barbara, where he completed courses on Facing Climate Change and the Reinventions of the Past. Outside of the academic realm, he enjoys going to the beach, hiking, and taking pictures. After he graduates, he hopes to become a teacher.
Mackenzie is a senior in the UCSB History Department. She is interested in 19th- and 20th-century American women, the study of sexuality and gender, and the contrast between prescribed behavior and lived experiences. Mackenzie was working with Professors Case and Henderson on an Honors project that explores the gendered and sexual expectations of and for American youth. After graduation, she plans to attend graduate school and obtain a Ph.D. in History. Outside of the classroom, she enjoys hiking, fire dancing, and consuming excessive amounts of caffeine.
James is a senior majoring in history and medieval studies. He is interested in early medieval history, the history of science, and the intersection between religion and the environment. Currently working with Professor Elizabeth Digeser, James is researching the origins and implications of the 541 CE outbreak of Yersinia Pestis in the Mediterranean. He speaks French, German, Arabic, reads Latin, and is currently studying ancient Greek and Italian. In his free time, James enjoys gardening, running, and sleeping on the beach.
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Caitlin is a third-year History of Public Policy and Law major with a Philosophy minor at the University of California Santa Barbara. She is currently working with Professor Kalman on her research with URCA and thesis on the topic of the effects of differing history education across the United States. After graduation, she plans on attending law school to study constitutional law.
John is a senior at UCSB studying political science and history. Specifically, he finds interest in analyzing international relations and the history of international politics. John has had the opportunity to study both these subjects and the French language at the University of Bordeaux in France through the UC Education Abroad Program. In his free time, John writes for an on-campus think-tank concerned with international affairs, participates in the Model UN team, and plays the piano. After college, he plans to continue his education in an effort to join the US Foreign Service as a diplomat.
Meet Jess. Jess is a senior from Lancaster, California who only lasted one quarter before adding History as a double major in addition to Political Science. She is interested in contemporary American and European History and favors international and comparative approaches. She’s a member of the History Club at UCSB and the Phi Alpha Theta Honors Society. Jess spends her free time participating in theatre, watching foreign period dramas, and reading way past her bedtime.
Ashley is a first-generation History and Global Studies student at UC Santa Barbara. She is especially interested in Latin American and Chicanx history. Ashley is a founding member of Clementine Creatives, a performance art group that provides a space for marginalized folks to engage in radical theater. She is also a member of Géneros Marginados Unides por Justicia, Educación y Revolución (@mujerucsb) a socio-political student group that supports the student body and the community at large.
Daniel is a 4th year majoring in History of Public Policy and Law with a minor in Labor Studies at UC Santa Barbara. He is interested in United States economic policy and its impact on poverty and labor, particularly here and throughout Latin America. In his free time, he enjoys going to the beach, reading, and gaming. After graduation, he plans to attend graduate school and obtain a Ph.D.
This is Amanda! She is a third-year UCSB Promise Scholar majoring in History and Japanese. She is interested in studying Japanese history, in particular, how civil liberties such as LGBTQIA+ rights affect the individual’s connection to their national identity. Lost dogs and cats have an inexplicable tendency to find their way to Amanda wherever she may be and she finds great joy in helping them reunite with their families (although she would much rather keep them for herself).
Meet Cosmo, a fourth-year History Major at the University of California Santa Barbara interested in post-colonial African history. Cosmo has also participated in the Mellon Engaging Humanities Fellowship program, which involved taking a survey of interdisciplinary humanities courses. He transferred from the College of Marin and spent his two years at the community college level working as a volunteer firefighter and EMT. Cosmo has also recently purchased a 1990 Volvo 740 station wagon named Rafe.
Marisol Cruz is a third-year pursuing a major in History of Public Policy and Law major and a minor in English. She is interested in 20th and 21st-century U.S. public policy, U.S. cultural and social history, and historical memory. When she’s not on a Zoom call, she loves discovering new music and going to coffee shops. After graduation, Marisol plans to attend law school.
Welcome to Zoë, a second-year Global Studies major with minors in French and History. Her hometown is Palo Alto, California. After graduation, she is interested in pursuing a career in law. Her current obligations include passing a health bill with the Asian Liver Center at Stanford University and copy editing for UCSB’s student-run newspaper, The Daily Nexus. In her spare time, she likes to read fiction novels, sing in her choir, and binge-watch Downton Abbey.
Madison is a fourth-year History major with a minor in Art History. She loves Medieval Europe and has particular interests in Christian history and the papal monarchy. After her Bachelor’s she plans on completing both a Master’s and a Doctorate. In her free time, she enjoys playing the saxophone and violin, spending time with family and friends at home in Palm Springs, California, cooking, and watching movies and shows.
Adam is a political science and history double major, who is particularly interested in the intertwining of international politics and history.
When he is not on Zoom calls or ruining his sleep schedule, he enjoys riding his bike by the beach, exploring the city, playing tennis, and creating post-pandemic plans.
After graduation, he plans on going to law school to study entertainment or international law and to eventually buy a pirate ship to sail the world.
Humberto is a third-year Political Science and History double major at UC Santa Barbara. He is interested in 18th and 19th Century American history, American
Constitutional History and Contemporary Venezuelan History.
After graduating, Humberto wants to pursue law school and work in the non-profit sector.
Outside of school, he enjoys listening to podcasts, listening to rap music, and watching soccer.
John Young is a third-year history major from San Diego, California.
John’s chief historical interests are global empires and the history of food. He plans to complete an honors thesis next year, and after graduation, he hopes to attend law school.
When not engaged in his studies, John enjoys fitness,
horseback riding, cooking, and playing golf.
Meet Jocelyn!
Jocelyn is a fourth-year History of Public Policy and Law major from San Diego, California. She is interested in pursuing an international policy-making career after college and working in the U.S. Italian or a Latin American embassy. When not consumed by academic and student body obligations, Jocelyn enjoys watching video essays on youtube, getting boba, going to the beach, and online shopping.
Madeline is a third-year majoring in History and Dance, and is especially interested in historical dress and how it reflects evolving gender roles over time and women’s history and culture. Last year, Madeline was a research assistant for Professor Alicia Boswell on a project about pre-Columbian art where she helped start a database of museums housing pre-Columbian artifacts. In her free time, Madeline enjoys reading and is rarely seen without a cup of coffee in hand.
Albert is a third-year History and Art History double major with an emphasis in Museum Studies. His interests include American History, cultural history, and public history. After college, Albert aims to go to graduate school to achieve a Ph.D. in history to become a history professor. In his free time, Albert enjoys reading fantasy novels and historical nonfiction, as well as playing basketball with friends.
Sarah is a second-year History of Public Policy and Law major with a minor in religious studies. She plans on pursuing a graduate degree in the study of colonization in religion and is planning on going to law school. In her free time, Sarah enjoys reading books, grabbing coffee with friends, and binge-watching shows.
Gagan is a third-year Biological Sciences major from Modesto, California. He is interested in learning more about international and domestic policy, but is currently undecided on what to pursue after college or if he should change his major. When not doing schoolwork, he enjoys playing basketball, watching movies, and spending time in nature with his friends.
Sujitha is a second-year pursuing a major in Economics and a minor in History. She is interested in public policy, American history, and South Asian history. In her free time, Sujitha goes on walks, looks at plants, or reads a few books. Sujitha has no set plans for what she will do after college, but for now hopes to attend graduate school.
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Philip is a fourth-year History and Sociology major looking forward to staying at UCSB as a graduate student in Sociology next year! In his leisure time, he plays bridge, listens to classical music, and learns a little bit of Spanish.
Serena Dominguez is a fourth-year History major and Education minor. She is interested in areas of Gender Studies, United States History, and Women’s History. Serena volunteers at Isla Vista Elementary as a Teacher’s Assistant for her future career as an elementary school teacher after graduation. She also works at the UCEN Post Office, where she helps students and faculty with their packages and mail. In her free time, she loves to go to the gym, read, listen to music, go on bike rides, and dance.