Department of History
Play VideoExplore the Past. Prepare for What’s Next.
At UNC Pembroke, studying history is about more than memorizing names and dates—it’s an intellectually liberating experience that challenges you to think deeply, ask big questions and understand the world through multiple perspectives. Through courses that examine political movements, cultural change, global conflicts and the rise and fall of civilizations, you’ll gain a broader appreciation of the human experience across time and place.
History is a cornerstone of a liberal arts education, developing the analytical, research and communication skills that prepare you to engage with complex issues—past and present. It encourages informed, reasoned responses to the challenges we face as individuals and as a society.
A degree in history opens doors to countless career possibilities. Whether you're planning to teach, study law, enter public service, pursue graduate school or build a career in business or the nonprofit world, history offers the flexibility and intellectual foundation to get you there. It’s an ideal major for students who want a broad, rigorous education with real-world impact.
Opportunities
Scholarships
UNCP History offers a variety of scholarships to help make your college journey more affordable. These awards recognize academic achievement, leadership and passion for the field—and they’re just one way we invest in your success. We encourage prospective students to explore these opportunities and see how UNCP can help support both your goals and your future.
Clubs & Organizations
UNCP History proudly supports two dynamic student organizations: Phi Alpha Theta, the national honor society for history students, and the Black History Club, which celebrates and explores African American history and culture. These groups offer opportunities for academic enrichment, campus involvement, and community outreach—helping students connect their passion for history with leadership and service. Learn more about each below.
Faculty Excellence in Research, Writing and Recognition
UNCP’s History faculty are more than dedicated teachers — they’re active scholars
whose work is recognized regionally, nationally and internationally. From publishing
groundbreaking research to earning prestigious awards and fellowships, our professors
contribute to the field of history while bringing fresh insights and real-world relevance
into the classroom. Their expertise spans diverse areas and time periods, offering
students a rich, engaging academic experience grounded in scholarship and discovery.
Chris Woolley
“'The Forests Cannot be Commons': Spanish Law, Environmental Change, and Spain's Council on Forests,” in The Americas 77:1 (January 2020): 41-71..
Charles Beem
Queenship in Early Modern Europe. London: Red Globe Press (Macmillan International), 2020.
Jamie Myers Mize
“An Alliance of Men: Masculinity, Chickamaugas, and Pan-Indian Alliances.” Annual Meeting of the American Society of Ethnohistory, Winnipeg, Manitoba, 2017.
American Society of Ethnohistory
Chris Woolley
“Missions and Missionaries in the Americas: A Special Teaching and Research Collection of the Americas,” in The Americas 74:S2 (October 2017): S4-S13.
The Americas
Ryan Anderson
Frank Merriwell and the Fiction of All-American Boyhood: The Progressive Era Creation of the Schoolboy Sports Story. Little Rock: University of Arkansas Press, 2015.
Charles Beem
The Man behind the Queen: Male Consorts in History. Edited by Charles Beem and Miles Taylor. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2014.
Jaime Martinez
Confederate Slave Impressment in the Upper South. Chapel Hill: The University of North Carolina Press, 2013.
Charles Beem
The Name of a Queen: William Fleetwood's Itinerarium ad Windsor. Edited by Charles Beem and Dennis Moore. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2013.
Mark Thompson
"Guns of the Revolution: Henry Knox, George Washington, and the War of American Independence." Sons of the Father: George Washington and His Protégés. Edited by Robert M. S. McDonald. Charlottesville: University of Virginia Press, 2013. Pp. 121-148.
UNC Board of Governors Teaching Award
Dr. Ryan Anderson (2024)
Dr. Robert Brown (2006)
Dr. Weston Cook (2014)
UNCP Outstanding Teaching Awards
Dr. Ryan Anderson (2010, 2020)
Dr. Charles Beem (2006, 2015)
Dr. Scott Billingsley (2007)
Dr. Robert Brown (1997, 2003)
Dr. Serina Cinnamon (2018)
Dr. Weston Cook (2000, 2009, 2013)
Dr. Bruce DeHart (1999, 2007)
Dr. Jeff Frederick (2006, 2016)
Dr. Kathleen Hilton (1998)
Dr. James Hudson
Dr. Jeff Lucas (2010)
Dr. Jaime Martinez (2013)
Dr. Jamie Mize (2020)
Dr. Rose Stremlau (2009)
Dr. Mark Thompson (2002, 2008)
Dr. Chris Woolley (2022)
UNCP Outstanding Teaching Award for Part-time Faculty
Dr. Anthony Johnson (2018)
UNCP Adolf Dial Awards
Dr. Charles Beem (Scholarship/Creative Work, 2008 & 2020)
Dr. Weston Cook (Community Service, 2003)
Dr. Rose Stremlau (Scholarship/Creative Work, 2013)
UNCP Undergraduate Research Mentor Award
Dr. Jamie Mize (2022)
UNCP Staff Awards
Ms. Janet Gentes (UNCP Star Employee, 2013)
Not Just Great Men: A History Podcast
Season One: Histories, Mysteries and True Crimes
Would you like a member of UNC Pembroke's History to be an "expert lecturer" in your
class?
We're happy to help!
Resources for Teachers
In keeping with our mission to provide engaging and enriching curricula to social
studies educators, we are actively establishing a clearinghouse dedicated to providing
educators with creditable and innovative resources.
- PBS World History
- The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History
- Stanford History Education Group
- Educating with Evidence
- The Newberry Library
- The Smithsonian Institution
- The National Archives
- The Library of Congress
- The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
- The North Carolina Museum of History
- Reading Like a Historian
- Thinking Like a Historian
- C3 Framework
- Edutopia
History Chair
Connect With Us
Dial Humanities Building, Room 203
PO Box 1510
PO Box 1510
Pembroke, NC 28372
Phone: 910.521.6229
Fax: 910.775.4026
Upcoming Events
Latest College of Arts & Sciences News
Jul 25
UNC Pembroke Computer Science Student Earns NASA Recognition for Cybersecurity Discovery
NASA recently recognized a UNC Pembroke computer science student for his exceptional cybersecurity skills. Shirsendu Mondal received a formal letter of appreciation from the agency's Vulnerability Disclosure Program for identifying and responsibly reporting a security vulnerability in one of NASA's digital systems.
Jul 9
Professor James Hudson Named 2025–26 Faculty Fellow with Carolina Asia Center, UNC Institute
Dr. James Hudson, associate professor of history at UNC Pembroke, has been selected as a Minority-Serving Institutions Faculty Fellow for the 2025-26 academic year. The fellowship, a joint initiative of the Carolina Asia Center and the Institute for the Arts and Humanities at UNC Chapel Hill, supports faculty at minority-serving institutions pursuing research related to Asia.
Jun 13
UNCP Professor Lays Groundwork for Study Abroad Program Immersing Students in the World of C.S. Lewis
This summer, Dr. Nikolay (Nick) Petrov, assistant professor of Religion at UNC Pembroke, spent time at the Marion E. Wade Center at Wheaton College, one of the foremost research institutions dedicated to British writers such as C. S. Lewis and J. R. R. Tolkien.