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Works in Progress Seminar

The Works in Progress Seminar is a forum for presenting work under way in an area of scholarship or teaching for a seminar-style discussion among faculty of the Department of History and Anthropology and the broader campus community, originally conceived and developed by Hettie V. Williams, Ph.D. The mission of this seminar is to foster awareness about the research interests among faculty, improve communication about areas of teaching and scholarship, facilitate discussions across disciplines, and encourage collaborative research opportunities.

Fall 2024–Spring 2025 Calendar

Presentations take place once per month during the Fall and Spring semesters from 1:15 p.m.–2:15 p.m. in Howard Hall 316, usually on the fourth Wednesday of the month.

Schedule

Sept. 25, 2024 – The Global Sixties: Cold War Crises and Cultural Shifts

Presenter: Kenneth Campbell, Ph.D., Professor, Department of History and Anthropology

A painting depicting the Twin Light on a mountain, with a cloudy sky above and a sea with sail boats and a steam boat below.

Oct. 23, 2024 – “The Best Lights on the Coast:” Archaeology and Tourism at the Twin Lights

Presenters

The 2023 Monmouth University archaeological field school revealed the foundation of the original c.1828 southern Twin Light lighthouse. Part of the endeavor hoped to find clues to the architectural problems that led to its demolition and replacement in 1861. During the excavation, it became evident that the artifacts contained a notable quantity of personal objects that spoke to a range of activities that occurred at the site including how the site of the Twin Lights has served as a tourist attraction since the nineteenth century.

Dec. 10, 2024

Presenter: Dane Ward, Assistant Professor, Department of History and Anthropology; University Cartographer; Director of GIS Programs

Get to know our new professor as he shares with us knowledge on some of his areas of expertise: Dane Ward’s experiences are strongly rooted in ecological field research. Ward is a conservation biologists, with current research projects focusing on herpetology, population ecology, pine barrens ecology, urban ecology, and marine ecology. He has experience mentoring student researchers in international settings. Ward’s mentorship focuses on creating socially and culturally minded international researchers.

Feb. 26, 2025 – A Potential Benefit of AI Use for Students: A Discussion of Notebook LM

Presenter: Hillary DelPrete, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Department of History and Anthropology

The use of AI for learning has generated significant levels of discussion among individuals at all levels of teaching. We often examine the overall costs and benefits of the new technology, but fail to address the positive impact that it may have on particular students. Notebook LM is one such example of a technology that may actually improve student’s completion of and interaction with course reading assignments.

March 26, 2025 – STEMming from Punk Rock

Presenter: Jeffrey H. Weisburg, Ph.D., Specialist Professor, Department of Biology

From 1:15–2:15 p.m. in Howard Hall 342 (room change)

Punk rock usually conjures images of teenagers or young adults (you know, the dregs of society) with spiked, colorful hair, tattoos, piercing, wearing ripped jeans, Doc Martin combat boots, dancing violently to bass-pounding music in a hot and sweaty, small music venue. Ph.D. in the sciences, engineers, and pre-med students are the furthest thing that comes to mind. Three lead singers of landmark punk bands have Ph.D.s in biology; Milo Aukerman of the Descendents (Biology), Greg Graffin of Bad Religion (Zoology), and Dexter Holland of the Offsprings (Molecular Biology). Several other punk rock artists also have graduate degrees in biology and engineering. This leads to the scientific question that needs to be examined and answered: What is the connection between punk rock and science? Is there something in the water? Is it genetics? Is it a chemical reaction that occurs when two people in the circle pit collide? All possibilities for this question will be investigated.

An illustration from Life Magazine titled "Your Land is Hoodland", showcasing a network of criminal activities across a map of the United States

April 23, 2025 – Organized Crime and Abortion

Presenter: Katherine Parkin, Ph.D., Professor, Department of History and Anthropology; Jules Plangere, Jr., Endowed Chair in American Social History

Organized crime played a role in the experience of many securing, providing, and paying for abortions before they were legalized. The high rates for the procedure made illegal abortion in the 1960s the third largest moneymaker for organized crime. However, most studies by historians, criminologists, and sociologists have not considered how, where, and when organized criminals and their accomplices profited from abortion. This study of organized crime includes those providing abortions and lending money nationally, including relatives of Frank Sinatra and Drea de Matteo (“The Sopranos”) who provided illegal abortions in New York City.