For three current Linfield College history students, stepping outside the classroom to assist on scholarly research has helped shape their college experience. No longer just students, they now wear the title of historian.
Peter Buckingham, professor of history at Linfield since 1988, has had many talented students assist him with research. He said their work has improved his research and the students have gained a new perspective on scholarly work.
“I just love the way each of the students makes a contribution to the project,” Buckingham said. “When you work with people this bright, you can lean on them.”
The three history majors students currently working alongside Buckingham are seniors Jillaine Cook and Sydney Owen; and sophomore Robin Seiler-Garman.
They are an integral part of the research process, as well as the writing and editing. When working on “Masculinity Studies on Two Continents and in Two Eras: Thomas A. Hickey in Victorian Dublin and Progressive Era America, 1868-1925,” everyone was involved in creating the final paper. Buckingham, Alanna Stanton ’14 and Owen contributed to the research. Buckingham and Cook focused on writing and editing the paper, and Stanton created a poster that was showcased at the Linfield College Student Symposium. Buckingham says the students get an understanding of what being a historian is all about by participating in projects from the beginning to the end.
Although the students work on an entire project, they can also focus on a specific aspect of the research they find particularly interesting and want to explore further.
After taking a post-colonial literature class, Seiler-Garman discovered a new-found interest in post-colonial literature. After sharing her interest with Buckingham, they decide to research the subject more in relation to a paper on which they were working. Because of this, a post-colonial academic research section is now featured in “Finding James Connolly in America, 1902-1910.”
“Working with Professor Buckingham definitely has helped me become a better student,” Seiler-Garman said. “I have become a lot better at pulling out major ideas and my writing skills have improved as I’ve learned to be more concise.”
For Cook, being a research assistant has challenged her outside of the classroom.
“I like being a part of something real, instead of work that will only be shown in the classroom,” Cook said. “This research is something that matters in the real world and for historians.”
Owen has been working with Buckingham since her freshman year, and said the experience has helped her grow as a student and researcher.
“When you find something interesting, unexpected or that changes the outlook on the project, it makes the research worth it,” Owen said.
Buckingham said working with the students is a win-win situation for everyone. Not only is research furthered and enriched, but students gain hands-on experience contributing to projects, presenting work and building professional relationships.
Together, they have recently published the papers “Finding James Connolly in America, 1902-1910” and “Masculinity Studies on Two Continents and in Two Eras: Thomas A. Hickey in Victorian Dublin and Progressive Era America, 1868-1925,” which can be found on DigitalCommons@Linfield.
Buckingham’s other works include the books “Expectations for the Millennium: American Socialist Visions of the Future,” “All’s for the Best: Reminiscences and Letters of Daniel W. Sawtelle,” “Rebel Against Injustice: The Life of Frank P. O’Hare” and others. He recently completed a biography of Thomas Aloysius Hickey, which is under consideration for publication. Buckingham has been a member of the Linfield faculty since 1988. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Gettysburg College, and a master’s and Ph.D. from Washington State University.
