Career Connections
Career Connections is an opportunity for history students to learn about our alumni and the careers that they have chosen, as well as a place for our alumni to make connections with each other. Alumni may be contacted via the email provided or through the department when no email is listed.
If you wish to become a career connection, please send us your contact information and a headshot to history.department@rochester.edu.
Michael Amato
2001, BA in History
Current Position
Adjudicator, Department of Defense
Additional Degrees, Majors, Training
JD, Suffolk Law School
How did your history degree from University of Rochester help you prepare for your profession?
Best degree at UofR.
To reach this person, contact the Department of History at history@ur.rochester.edu.
Kathleen B. Casey
2010, PhD in History
Current Position
Associate Professor of History at Virginia Wesleyan University
Additional Degrees, Majors, Training
Certification in women and gender studies
How did your history degree from University of Rochester help you prepare for your profession?
My mentors in the graduate program at the U of R taught me how to hone my curiosity, question received knowledge, share and communicate new knowledge with my peers and students.
Contact: kcasey@vwu.edu
Barry Cohen
1966, BA in History
Recent Positions
CEO Lehigh Valley Academy Regional Charter School (Retired)
Vice President for Finance and CFO, Centenary College, NJ (Retired)
Interim Vice President for Finance and Administration Westchester Community College, NY
President, Parkland Community Library Board of Directors, PA
Additional Degrees, Majors, Training
MBA, Columbia University EdD, Teachers College, Columbia University
How did your history degree from University of Rochester help you prepare for your profession?
It gave me a life long interest in education. The liberal arts and history fostered an interest in the big picture, curiosity, and actively seeking alternatives.
To reach this person, contact the Department of History at history@ur.rochester.edu.
Chloe Corcoran
2004, BA in History
Current Position
Director of Alumni Relations, Palo Alto University & Professional Speaker.
Additional Degrees, Majors, Training
Additional major in Political Science at UR, M.Ed from Northeastern University, and studying toward an EdD at the Warner School of Education.
How did your history degree from University of Rochester help you prepare for your profession?
The degree program helped me in various ways, including how the past can inform the future and that it's wise to consider the potential of unintended consequences from actions. The critical thinking skills I learned helped prepare me for a career that involves strategic planning and understanding potential motivations in decision making.
Contact: Chloe@Chloe-Corcoran.com
Adam Davis
1997, BA in History
Recent Positions
Diplomat, US Department of State
Additional Degrees, Majors, Training
MA, International Relations, Johns Hopkins SAIS 2004
How did your history degree from University of Rochester help you prepare for your profession?
My history degree from UR helps me every day in the US Foreign Service. I learned critical thinking and
writing skills, which are a baseline requirement for any government service. I learned the value of historical context in managing today’s challenges—useful in challenging “group think” assumptions, which are often a historical and one-sided. Finally, the specific knowledge I gained through my concentration in African history has helped me shape our diplomatic approach in Africa. I strongly encourage History majors to consider a career in public service and diplomacy.
Contact: davis299@gmail.com
Rachel Eskridge
2015, BA in History and Religion
Recent Positions
Associate Registrar at the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art
Additional Degrees, Majors, Training
MA, History, Certificate in Museum Studies, University of Deleware
How did your history degree from University of Rochester help you prepare for your profession? Professors at the University of Rochester introduced me to material and visual cultural studies, which guide the work that I do every day with museum collections. As part of my history studies at UR, I took a course on the history of childhood. I draw upon this course constantly to provide historical context for the children's publishing industry.
To reach this person, contact the Department of History at history@ur.rochester.edu.
Laura Ettinger
1999, PhD in History
1997, Certificate in Gender & Women's Studies
1994, MA in History
Current Position
Associate Professor of History, Clarkson University
Additional Degrees, Majors, Training
AB, Vassar College, 1989
How did your history degree from University of Rochester help you prepare for your profession?
I couldn't be a history professor without my degree from UR since I need a PhD to hold my job! In addition, I had wonderful mentors there. I learned how to do research. I also learned how to teach both by watching and TA-ing for professors who loved to teach and by teaching several courses on my own through the Departments of History, Women's and Gender Studies, and Medical Humanities.
To reach this person, contact the Department of History at history@ur.rochester.edu.
Kristina J. Fricker
2015, History and ATHS
Current Position
Historical Preservation Specialist with FEMA
Additional Degrees, Majors, Training
MA, Maratime Studies
How did your history degree from University of Rochester help you prepare for your profession?
My time at the UofR provided me with hands-on opportunities to learn about a wide variety of professions related to history including collections management in museums and libraries, archeological fieldwork, and project-focused historical research. The professors at the UofR taught me skills that I use daily in my current job--I visit and research historical buildings and sites that have been damaged in federally declared disasters like hurricanes and work to brainstorm ways to protect them from future damage in the wake of climate change. My position requires solid writing and research skills as well as flexibility and teamwork-- the foundation of these skills were formed at the UofR.
Contact: kjfricker@gmail.com
Anna Hengerer
1960, BA in History (High Honors)
Current Position
Retired
Additional Degrees, Majors, Training
MA, International Affairs, Harvard, 1963
How did your history degree from University of Rochester help you prepare for your profession?
The outstanding U of R history faculty (May/Coates/Wade) trained me to analyze sources and to do historical research which I used in teaching preparation in San Antonio, Maryland, and Virginia. Currently I do free-lance research using those same techniques.
To reach this person, contact the Department of History at history@ur.rochester.edu.
Jan C. Hunsinger
1980, BA in History
Current Position
Schoolteacher (Retired)
Additional Degrees, Majors, Training
MAT, Colgate University
How did your history degree from University of Rochester help you prepare for your profession?
Turned my UR degree into a 35 year career teaching US History.
To reach this person, contact the Department of History at history@ur.rochester.edu.
Evelyn Jennings
2001, PhD in History
Current Position
Elizabeth Margaret Vilas Professor of Latin American History at St. Lawrence University.
Additional Degrees, Majors, Training
Spanish language and literature major and a Masters in Latin American history at SUNY Stony Brook.
How did your history degree from University of Rochester help you prepare for your profession?
Studying history at any level helped me prepare to read, think, research, and communicate about big questions about the past and how it might relate to the present—questions about change and continuity, causality, contingency, and context. The skills and understanding needed to address those questions can serve you well in anything you choose to do in life—professionally or personally.
Contact: ejennings@stlawu.edu.
Adam Konowe
1990, BA in History and Political Science
Current Positions
SVP, Marketing, Edelman
Adjunct Professorial Lecturer, School of Communication, American University
Additional Degrees, Majors, Training
Junior Year Abroad, Keele University (UK)
MA Public Communication, American University
How did your history degree from University of Rochester help you prepare for your profession?
The research, writing and speaking skills that were honed during my undergraduate years as a University of Rochester history major constitute an invaluable asset that pays dividends to this day. The high expectations of my history professors necessitated and nurtured a rigorous approach to information collection and dissemination that has served me well, first in broadcasting and more recently in marketing. I will be forever grateful to Rochester for equipping me with vital core skills that have stood the test of time and enabled my success.
To reach this person, contact the Department of History at history@ur.rochester.edu.
Mark Kreib
1987, BA in History
Current Positions
Commander, United States Navy (Retired)
Additional Degrees, Majors, Training
MA, War Studies, Royal Military College of Canada, 2000
How did your history degree from University of Rochester help you prepare for your profession?
As a naval intelligence officer, the research, critical thinking and analytic skills developed as an undergrad were crucial in my professional development and further education.
Contact: mtkreib@hotmail.com
Paul A. Lester
1971, BA in History (Honors)
Current Positions
Attorney, Law Offices of Paul A. Lester, P.A., and Of Counsel to Cole, Scott & Kissane, P.A.-- Miami, Florida; and real estate entrepreneur/investor
Additional Degrees, Majors, Training
JD, University of Pennsylvania Law School, 1974
How did your history degree from University of Rochester help you prepare for your profession?
Provided me with sharpened analytical skills, confidence in the classroom, and nurtured my intellectual creativity in a very interesting environment.
To reach this person, contact the Department of History at history@ur.rochester.edu.
Christina Matta
1996, BA in History
Current Position
Career Advisor and Alumni Liason, Department of History, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Additional Degrees, Majors, Training
MA History, Brown University 1997; MA History of Science, UW-Madison, 2001; PhD History of Science UW-Madison, 2007
How did your history degree from University of Rochester help you prepare for your profession?
All the positions I've held since completing my undergraduate degree (everything from working as an archival assistant to teaching technical communication to engineering students) have valued clear writing, precise research, the ability to evaluate and synthesize large amounts of often-conflicting information, contextualization, and the ability to observe changes over time. My current position also benefits from my own experience as an undergraduate who faced misconceptions and assumptions about the limitations or utility of a history degree - I am able to advise my students well in part because I faced the same challenges nearly 30 years ago and understand how to frame the skills conferred by studying humanities to meet employers needs.
To reach this person, contact the Department of History at history@ur.rochester.edu.
David M. Monde
1981, BA in History
Current Position
Partner at Jones Day
Additional Degrees, Majors, Training
Interdisciplinary Degree at UR in Community Medicine (1981); JD, Georgetown University (1987)
How did your history degree from University of Rochester help you prepare for your profession?
I developed my writing and analytical skills essential to being a lawyer at the UR, thanks to the likes of Ted Brown, Bill Hauser and others.
Contact:dmmonde26@gmail.com.
Craig Nakashian PhD
PhD, History, 2010
Current Position
Department Chair, Department of History and Political Science, Texas A&M University-Texarkana
Additional Degrees, Majors, Training
MA, Medieval History (Durham University)
How did your history degree from University of Rochester help you prepare for your profession?
My degree from UR was foundational to my future life and career. The PhD not only gave me the opportunity to apply for the academic jobs that I was interested in, but it also gave me the skillset to an effective instructor, researcher, and colleague. So much of what I learned at UR was how to be an engaged and impactful faculty member. The faculty at UR served as models of good instruction in the classroom, strong pastoral care of students outside the classroom, excellent research agendas, and methods of being a good colleague. All of these have served me well in my career and have given me the chance to bring them to my current university. At the end of the day, my experience at UR showed me that if faculty and staff demonstrate care and attention to student success, then there is no limit on student achievement.
Contact:cnakashian@tamut.edu.
Nicholas Orsillo
2001, BA in History
Current Position
Freelance academic copy editor, proofreader, and translator
Additional Degrees, Majors, Training
Mag. (MA equivalent), Environmental Humanities, Masaryk University, Czech Republic
How did your history degree from University of Rochester help you prepare for your profession?
As an academic editor, I help humanities and social science researchers refine their texts for publication. My history degree from the University of Rochester laid the foundation for the work I do today. At UR, I learned how to write, read, and think critically; these are skills that I apply every day as part of my job. But I gained more than just skills. I also developed a deep appreciation for historical narratives. I kept many of the books I read for my courses, and they are now valuable references I regularly turn to.
Contact:nick@nicholasorsillo.com or www.nicholasorsillo.com
Nancy Kelts Rice
1958, BA in History
Current Position
Social Worker, Retired
Additional Degrees, Majors, Training
Masters of Social Work, Syracuse University, 1967
How did your history degree from University of Rochester help you prepare for your profession?
Helping people requires an interest in and empathy for their history, including cultural and historical origins.
To reach this person, contact the Department of History at history@ur.rochester.edu.
Sarah Robert
1992, BA in History
Current Position
Associate Professor, Graduate School of Education, University of Buffalo
Additional Degrees, Majors, Training
NYS Secondary Teaching Certificate in Social Studies, Warner School of Education
MA, Latin American Studies, UC San Diego
PhD, Educational Policy Studies, University of Wisconsin-Madison
How did your history degree from University of Rochester help you prepare for your profession?
My degree permitted me to continue to explore me in relation to the world I lived in. As part of a rigorous liberal arts education, I was encouraged to read, to think, to critique, to write, and to dialogue. These are the foundations of any thoughtful work and engagement in a democratic society. I had just enough courses to also assist me in my journey out of Plato's cave. I continue that journey each and every day.
To reach this person, contact the Department of History at history@ur.rochester.edu.
William Robinson
1972, BA in History
Current Position
Retired Director, Senior Counsel for Emergent BioSolutions Inc.
Additional Degrees, Majors, Training
JD, Boston University School of Law, 1975
Member, Massachusetts Bar, 1975-Present and New York Bar, 2016-Present
How did your history degree from University of Rochester help you prepare for your profession?
The discipline of the history program, the individual excellence of the professors, and the richness of the course content prepared me superbly for law school and a continuing 40+ year practice.
Contact:wgrshout127@aol.com
Lou Roper
1992, PhD in History
Current Position
Professor of History, State University of New York - New Paltz
Additional Degrees, Majors, Training
JD, University of Buffalo, 1983
BA, Northeastern University, 1976
How did your history degree from University of Rochester help you prepare for your profession?
Trained me as a teacher-scholar of early modern Britain and it's empire.
Most Recent Work
Advancing Empire: English Interests and Overseas Expansion, 1613-1688 (New York: Cambridge University Press, 2017)
The Torrid Zone: Caribbean Colonization and Cultural Interaction in the Long Seventeenth Century (Columbia: University of South Carolina Press, 2018)
Contact: roperl@newpaltz.edu
Arlene Shaner
1980, MA in History
Current Position
Historical Collections Librarian, Library at the New York Academy of Medicine
Additional Degrees, Majors, Training
In addition to my MA in history, I also have an MLS, as well as additional professional development courses related to rare book librarianship
How did your history degree from University of Rochester help you prepare for your profession?
When I was a history graduate student, I was lucky enough to get a summer job processing archival collections in the Rare Books and Special Collections part of the library. The archivist hired me because I was a history graduate student. I have continued to use the research and teaching skills I developed as a graduate student, whether I am assisting patrons with their research questions or conducting tours or classes about the collections with which I work.
I would be more than happy to talk to any history majors who might be interested in a career in librarianship.
To reach this person, contact the Department of History at history@ur.rochester.edu.
Kathryn Elaine Slocum
2001, BA in History
Current Position
Logistics Officer, USMC
Additional Degrees, Majors, Training
MFA, Creative Writing, 2010
How did your history degree from University of Rochester help you prepare for your profession?
I joke about never having gotten paid "one red cent" to "do" history or writing (my MFA) but the fact of the matter is this: without the critical thinking and persuasive/argumentative skills that my UR education provided me with, I am certain I would have had a much harder time being successful in everything I have been paid to do, since. I feel like the biggest gifts of my history degree have been literacy and critical thinking and evidence-based argumentative skills: the life- and career-enhancing experience of being able to know and communicate what I think, and why.
I have a greater capacity to express myself within and beyond my profession, as well as more ability and inclination to hear and value inputs from different points of view because of the reading, thinking, and writing my history degree required. Just about every type of profession advances to a point where doers become leaders of doers who must be able to listen, relate, persuade, hold *and* change the well-reasoned and often hard-won opinions of their own and others orally and by writing. My colleagues who spent their undergraduate years studying STEM subjects often hold a wealth of knowledge and aptitude in their admittedly lucrative professions--but are largely and by their own admission handicapped in their ability to communicate and persuade (requiring both cultural empathy and the ability to formulate and make an argument based on evidence). All successful scientists end up leading other scientists and making funding arguments, etc, based on evidence and human value. I am not arguing necessarily that the world today needs more History majors than scientists but I do suggest that our scientists, ever more charged with leading multicultural teams and grappling with concerns like medical and bio-engineering ethics, would serve themselves and others well by being literate and capable of leading and decision making in and on behalf of the human systems their valuable work is designed to enhance. History and other social science / humanities pursuits can be more than just the "cluster" needed to graduate. They can be the bridge between our brilliant and, in this economy, well-advised STEM students' apprehension of what mankind is _capable_ of doing and what mankind _should_ do in their respective fields. No UR graduate in any field should leave campus without exposure to and analysis of great ideas, past and present, and the ability to communicate about/for/against them in writing. A history degree (or minor) is a great way accomplish a beginning to this lifelong learning process. I celebrate those who choose History as a career path and I strongly urge those who choose the sciences to leave UR *literate*.
To reach this person, contact the Department of History at history@ur.rochester.edu.
Kayleigh Rae Stampfler
2018, BA in History
Current Position
Fundraiser - Rochester Area Community Foundation
Additional Degrees, Majors, Training
MPA, SUNY Brockport
How did your history degree from University of Rochester help you prepare for your profession?
It developed my creative and critical thinking as well as my ability to write.
To reach this person, contact the Department of History at history@ur.rochester.edu.
Anne Lucile Strozier
1968, BA in History
Current Position
Associate Professor at the School of Social Work, University of South Florida
Psychologist in Private Practice
Additional Degrees, Majors, Training
MA in African American Studies, Boston University, 1970
MSW, Washington University, 1974
PhD in Psychology, University of Missouri, 1989
How did your history degree from University of Rochester help you prepare for your profession?
The U of R imbued in me a love of learning and an inspiration to teach. I had some fantastic history professors!
To reach this person, contact the Department of History at history@ur.rochester.edu.
Peter Szabo
1985, BA in History and Political Science
Current Position
Founder and Principal, Bloomingdale Management Advisors, LLC
Additional Degrees, Majors, Training
MPPM, Yale School of Management, 1990
MA in International Relations, Yale University, 1990
How did your history degree from University of Rochester help you prepare for your profession?
My history degree prepared me in many fundamental ways for life and for my career. Among those that come immediately to mind are: a) ability to synthesize lots of information, to look for the essential story, and, with that, the important meanings – this is a crucial skill; b) ability to think critically and independently; c) ability to research, to not trust just the first bit of information you find, but to keep digging; d) a sense of “historiography,” which applied outside academia translates to, “Well, how have people thought about this issue over time, and how do people think about it now?”; e) multiculturalism – how people from different cultures, etc. may view things differently; f) outstanding writing skills.
To reach this person, contact the Department of History at history@ur.rochester.edu.
Curtis Vock
1987, MS in Optics1986, BA in History and BS in Optics
Current Position
Partner at Lathrop & Gage, LLP
Additional Degrees, Majors, Training
JD, New England School of Law, 1992
MBA, University of Denver, 2000
To reach this person, contact the Department of History at history@ur.rochester.edu.
Randall B. Whitestone
1983, BA in History and English
Current Position
Head of Communications & Public Affairs, The D. E. Shaw Group
Additional Degrees, Majors, Training
MBA in Finance, University of Pennsylvania - The Wharton School
How did your history degree from University of Rochester help you prepare for your profession?
A history student’s ability to absorb and synthesize complex information and draw salient conclusions is fundamental to success in any profession – and especially so in communications-related fields. Additionally, historians must demonstrate critical thinking and a commitment to ideas – two attributes that have proved important in my career, whether in publishing a news story or in advising senior corporate executives.
To reach this person, contact the Department of History at history@ur.rochester.edu.
Thomas W. Witmer
1964, BA History
Current PositionAdditional Degrees, Majors, Training
MD, Medical College of Virginia, 1970
How did your history degree from University of Rochester help you prepare for your profession?
It gave me a perspective on life and the world that helped me deal more completely and empathetically with my patients during their time of crisis.
To reach this person, contact the Department of History at history@ur.rochester.edu.
Mark Zaid
1989, BA in History and Political Science
Current Position
Attorney/Managing Partner, Mark S. Zaid, P.C.
Additional Degrees, Majors, Training
JD, Albany Law School, 1992
How did your history degree from University of Rochester help you prepare for your profession?
My history studies not only helped me prepare for law school, but it continues to help me every day in my profession as an attorney.
To reach this person, contact the Department of History at history@ur.rochester.edu.
Arthur Zapesochny
2005, BA in History
Current Position
Financial Consultant, AXA Advisors
Additional Degrees, Majors, Training
Certification in the Retirement Planning Program, University of Pennsylvania - The Wharton School
How did your history degree from University of Rochester help you prepare for your profession?
Building at clientele is based on creating an emotional connection. People are often impressed when I can discuss the history (trials and tribulations) of my potential prospects' native country.
To reach this person, contact the Department of History at history@ur.rochester.edu.
Sara Zeimer
2016, BA History and Political Science
Current Position
Attorney at Coburn & Greenbaum, PLLC
Additional Degrees, Majors, Training
J.D., University of California, Hastings College of the Law, 2021
How did your history degree from University of Rochester help you prepare for your profession?
It taught me the importance of research. It prepared me to think critically and analytically, key skills for an attorney.
Contact: sara.zeimer@gmail.com
Eric Zimiles
1974, BA in History
Current Position
Assistant Commissioner, Administration and Operations, NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene
Additional Degrees, Majors, Training
MA, History, University of California - Berkeley
Masters, City and Regional Planning, Harvard Kennedy School of Government
How did your history degree from University of Rochester help you prepare for your profession?
Learned to take the long view (more than one year or one election!!)
To reach this person, contact the Department of History at history@ur.rochester.edu.