Graduates with degrees in History from EMU have gone on to a wide variety of pursuits. 

Area Studies

One graduate from the Middle East Area Studies Program went on to graduate studies at Georgetown University and from there into the U.S. State Department.  She is currently stationed in Saudi Arabia and writes, “I cannot stress enough the importance of area studies programs…the professors I had at EMU were among the finest academicians I have ever had the pleasure of learning from.  Indeed, they remain friends and mentors to this day.” 

Another graduate was accepted at four of the five universities she applied to for an M.A. in Middle East/International Relations in the United Kingdom. This student went on to study and work with peace groups in Israel as well as obtaining a M.A. degree. 

Two other graduates went on to teaching careers in Korea and Turkey. One writes that her “education has been a great help in adapting to a new country,” adding that the Area Studies Program “has played an important role in both my personal exploration and professional achievement. Support of the Middle East studies program will promote understanding and help build bridges across cultures.” 

History (Undergraduate)

John S. Ellis (History, Undergraduate ’90) went on to complete his Ph.D. at Boston College and currently teaches history at the University of Michigan at Flint.  He has published articles in a variety of academic journals including the Journal of British Studies.

Lindsay F. Braun (History, Undergraduate ’94) went on to complete a master’s degree at Michigan State University is currently a Ph.D. Candidate at Rutgers University.  He was awarded a Fulbright Fellowship to South Africa in 2002.

Julie A. Eadeh (History, Undergraduate ’99), completed her M.A. in Arab Studies at Georgetown. She joined the State Department in 2002 as a Presidential Management Fellow and entered the Foreign Service in 2004. She served as an Economic Officer in Jerusalem and a Political Officer in Saudi Arabia before she returned to Washington to study French.

In June 2006, Julie served as a Consular Officer in Lebanon. While there, she headed the American Citizens Services section of the U.S. Embassy. After war broke out in Lebanon, she was given the responsibility of working with the State Department and Department of Defense to coordinate the largest evacuation of U.S. civilians since World War II.

After she completes her Lebanon assignment in the summer of 2007, Julie, already proficient in Arabic, Spanish, and French, is scheduled to return to Washington for Chinese language training. Once completed, she will be stationed in China or Taiwan in 2008.

Julie values her EMU education highly and states that “EMU boasts the finest professors I have ever had the privilege of studying under. The professors who mentored me remain, to this day, dear friends and have impacted my life in ways they probably are not even aware.”

History/Social Studies for K-12