Annette Finley-Croswhite, an award-winning Old Dominion University history professor who specializes in European history, including religious violence, will speak April 9, in an event presented by Friends of the Old Dominion University Libraries.

Finley-Croswhite's address, "Mindscapes of religious violence: A troubled journey," considers the history and geographies of oppression generated by religious violence in France and beyond. Her talk covers tragic incidents ranging from the 1562 Catholic Massacre of Huguenots at Vassy; to the Edict of Nantes; from the 1941 bombing of Paris synagogues; to the death camp at Auschwitz-Birkenau.

The address is scheduled for 7 p.m. in the Learning Commons @ Perry Library. It is free and open to the public, but seating is limited. Please RSVP by calling 683-4141 or contact Nicole Justice at the ODU Libraries, at njustice@odu.edu. Refreshments will be served following the lecture.

Finley-Croswhite will bring to the discussion memories of her own childhood as a Protestant minister's daughter to explore her interest in landscapes of religious violence in the 16th Century during the Wars of Religion and in the 20th Century during the Holocaust.

An award-winning professor who came to ODU in 1991, Finley-Croswhite specializes in early modern and modern European history. She has a focus on France, and teaches classes that cover a range of topics, including religious violence during the period 1450-1789, especially in the context of the Protestant Reformation; the history of medicine, disease and health technology; and the Holocaust. She leads an annual study abroad course to Europe where students learn about the Holocaust through visits to Auschwitz-Birkenau and other notable landmarks.

In 2014, Finley-Croswhite was named the first recipient of the Kate Broderick Faculty Award for Excellence in Promoting Educational Accessibility.

"I strive to create multiple types of learning environments with a variety of different kinds of assignments that improve the opportunities students have to succeed at Old Dominion University," Finley-Croswhite said. "That might mean getting on a plane and exposing students to different landscapes or taking them into a synagogue to talk with congregants or simply having an open door where they can easily come for help. I have always kept it utmost in my mind as a teacher, that if I do my job very well, I will make a difference in my students' lives."

Co-sponsored by the Old Dominion University Libraries, the address is part of a series that celebrates the integral role of the ODU Libraries to students, faculty, staff and the community by showcasing the interests and scholarship of ODU faculty members and alumni.

Members of Friends of the Old Dominion University Libraries receive library borrowing privileges, a preview of the annual book sale, the Friends of the Libraries Newsletter and opportunities for volunteer service to the ODU Libraries. For information about joining Friends of the Old Dominion University Libraries, see the ODU Libraries WEBSITE.