SMU Clements History

A History degree. A dream job in entertainment.

We're proud to spotlight SMU Clements History Department alumnus, Topher Sharp, whose liberal arts foundation helped launch a successful career with Creative Artists Agency in New York. The research, critical thinking, and storytelling skills developed in the classroom continue to open doors in unexpected places.

This is what the power of a Dedman education looks like.

Read his story: https://lnkd.in/g5sVnzJ5

Meet Our Graduate Student: Laura Narvaez.

We asked Laura about her journey at SMU, what inspired her Ph.D. path, and the impact of her research.

Associate Professor Macabe Keliher published the Chinese translation of his book, "The Board of Rites and the Making of Qing China." The book explores the role of symbolic power in state-making, arguing that the formation of the 17th century Qing empire was not achieved solely by war and bureaucracy, as commonly held, but also involved the reconstruction of political and social orders through ritual and rites. The book won multiple awards. The Chinese version contains a new introduction by the author.

Ph.D. alum (2024) Tim Seiter served as an advisor for the Bryan Museum’s new exhibition on the Karankawa tribe.
https://www.chron.com/gulf-coast/article/karankawa-myths-galveston-bryan-museum-22261516.php

Jonathan Angulo, PhD 2023, recently published “The Transnational Informal Bracero Economy in the Imperial-Mexicali Borderlands, 1954-65,” in California History. Check it out!

Congratulations to our Ph.D. student, Holly Harris, on being accepted to the highly competitive 2026 Society for Historians of American Foreign Relations (SHAFR) Summer Institute at The Ohio State University!
Selected from an exceptionally strong applicant pool, she will join leading scholars from across the country to explore “strategic cultures” through workshops, presentations, and collaborative discussions hosted by the Mershon Center for International Security Studies.
We are proud to see her hard work and scholarship recognized on a national stage. Please join us in celebrating this incredible achievement!

We enjoyed celebrating the accomplishments of our History students at the End of Year History Banquet. 🎓 Congratulations to our award winners, graduating seniors, newly inducted Phi Alpha Theta members, writers of distinction papers, and interns! Your dedication, scholarship, and passion for history make our community proud.

Congratulations to Isabelle Volfe for successfully completing her distinction paper, titled "Marie-Antoinette: The Making of L'Autrichienne in Revolutionary France."

Congratulations to Tristan Schimmel for successfully completing his distinction paper, titled "A Cautionary Tale: The Rise of The NSDAP in Weimar Germany."