Alumni Spotlight: Andrew Hoffman
Describe your work and activities at your current position.
Being a Ph.D. Student and Graduate Teaching Assistant in the Department of History at Mississippi State University, I am fortunate enough to be in a role that serves dual purposes. As a Ph.D. student, I am required to read one book per week per course and discuss those books in a seminar format with my colleagues. In so doing, I debate fellow scholars over the monograph's central themes, arguments, and subjects while learning how to deconstruct other historians' work and place that work in their broader historiographical context. In addition, I write book reviews, historiographical essays, and conduct original historical research. As a Graduate teaching assistant, I am responsible for the education of approximately fifty undergraduate students in United States history to 1877. Once a week, I lead these students in discussions over the week's readings and provide them with lectures and context over that week's corresponding topic. With this position, I grade the students work, make myself available to answer any questions or concerns, help them succeed in the course, and hope they learned a little history along the way.
What skills and intellectual experiences did you acquire in the history program at ODU that have served you well in your subsequent career?
ODU prepared me exceptionally well to pursue a Ph.D. degree in history. In the MA program at ODU, I advanced my analytical and writing skills which has served me well in my current position. In addition, the structure of ODU's program is similar to MSU's regarding debating scholarly works in a seminar format with my colleagues. At ODU, I gained experience deconstructing other historians' work, writing historiographical essays, and book reviews which are all central elements to the history program at MSU. Most significantly, ODU's emphasis on conducting original historical research allowed me to gain experience crafting my own arguments which has been extremely beneficial to my own research at MSU.
Based on your experience since graduating: Is history only about the past or how does it relate to today and the future?
This is an excellent question. For me, the most profitable histories are histories of the present. Most history has, and will continue to, serve contemporary purposes. Humans can always learn from the past which has direct implications in contemporary society, politics, and culture. My own intellectual interests center on Civil War memory which many facets of society have utilized for their own social and political agendas. It is important for historians to engage with the public to assist in shaping how history is perceived and remembered so people have the tools to construct a better present.
Which professors do you remember and why from the Department of History at Old Dominion University?
There are many professors at ODU who helped me along my journey, but Dr. Marvin Chiles and Dr. Timothy Orr, stand out to me. Dr. Chiles always believed in me, never wavered on his support for me to pursue a Ph.D. and was there at a moment's notice whenever I needed help. Continually, he supported me through the MA thesis process and pushed me to become a better scholar to prepare me for a Ph.D. program. He went above and beyond to give me insight into Ph.D. programs such as how the application process worked, what to expect moving forward in my academic career, and gave me substantial support along the way. I cannot say enough good things about Dr. Chiles and would recommend any current ODU student to get to know him. Dr. Orr did not hesitate to become my advisor for my MA thesis and dedicated many hours to commenting and reviewing a lot of drafts of my thesis. He pushed me to think in ways I have never done before which only made my thesis better, and consequently, improved my writing and analytical skills. In addition, he was always available to help me out with the MA thesis, courses, and the Ph.D. process.
What new areas of historical inquiry have you explored since leaving ODU?
Since I graduated from ODU, I have not explored too far outside the realm of nineteenth and twentieth century United States History. However, during my first semester at MSU, I participated in a course on Abraham Lincoln based solely on primary sources. In this course, I explored Lincoln's intellectual and political philosophy from 1832 to 1865 which was fascinating. After this course, I realized I did not know much about Lincoln before I started reading his speeches, correspondence, and proclamations. Moving forward, I plan on writing a piece on how African Americans utilized the memory of Abraham Lincoln to fight against Lost Cause ideology and Confederate memorialization in the early twentieth century. Hopefully, this study will turn into a chapter in my dissertation.
What is the one thing you would like to tell our current students?
You will get out as much as you put in to the program. If you come down with a case of "imposter syndrome," just keep battling through it because most people are experiencing the feeling like their work is not good enough. Let that be motivation to push yourself past what you thought you were capable of. Also, stay persistent and annoying about your own professional and academic goals. When things get difficult, just keep reminding yourself that history is fun, and that is why any historian gets into the profession in the first place.
