I come to UND from the town of Jerseyville, Illinois, which is about an hour and a half north of St. Louis (Go Cardinals!).  I come from a military family with my parents both serving in the Army (my mom got out before I came along and my dad retired in 1994), which has given me many great memories and opportunities to travel.  I have been to seven countries and twenty-five states over the years, as well as Washington, DC.

I am a 2006 graduate of Illinois College, where I received a BA magna cum laude in History with minors in Economics and Geography.  I am now at UND, where I earned my Master of Arts in History in August of 2008.  My thesis, entitled "Civil War Camps of Instruction in Illinois:  Exploring the Transition from Civilian to Soldier" examined how Illinois soldiers during the Civil War trained via camps of instruction and the processes of transformation that occurred in the camps.  I am still at UND, entering the second year of work in the Ph.D. program, pursuing major fields in North American History and Rural History, as well as a minor field in Public History.  My planned dissertation will be examining the Nonpartisan League (NPL) through a reexamination of Robert Morlan's Political Prairie Fire:  The Nonpartisan League, 1915-1922 (1955).  I also currently serve as President of the Beta-Upsilon Chapter of Phi Alpha Theta here at UND.  My primary historical interests lie in both military history and US history up through the Civil War, which is one of my favorite periods to research since there are so many primary source documents available, but I have recently developed a strong interest in North Dakota History, specifically related to the NPL, as well as the history of the Plains.

I am involved in many organizations, including the Society for Military History, Army Historical Foundation, Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War, Sons of the American Legion (I serve as Squadron Commander for Squadron 157 out of E. Grand Forks, as well as the Sgt.-at-Arms for the 9th District MN SAL), The Society of Civil War Historians, The Southern Historical Association, and the Intercollegiate Studies Institute.  I am also a member of the Grand Forks Composite Squadron of the Civil Air Patrol (CAP), where I serve as Deputy Commander for Cadets, Historian, and Moral Leadership Officer with the rank of First Lieutenant.

I am also a member of the following academic honor societies: Phi Alpha Theta (History), Gamma Theta Upsilon (Geography), and Omicron Delta Epsilon (Economics).  I also was named to Who’s Who Among Students in American Universities & Colleges in 2005 and 2006.  To learn more about my academic side, you can also look at my CV here.

My experiences at Illinois College weren't all academic.  While at IC, I was involved in the following groups and served as an officer in some as indicated:  Brothers and Sisters in Christ (BASIC), Student Chaplains, Bible Study, Student Alumni Association (SAA), Student Activities Board (SAB), Illinois College Fencing Club [President], Illinois College Republicans [Secretary], History Association [President, VP, and Secretary], Conservative Scholars of Illinois College (CS, which is affiliated with the Intercollegiate Studies Institute) [President and co-founder].  I also wrote for the college newspaper The Rambler for a time.

My non-academic experience consists of two internships.  During the summer of 2005, I was an intern at the Lewis and Clark State Historic Site near Hartford, Illinois.  This experience was quite rewarding as I was able to learn the ins and outs of museum operations, which will serve me well in the future.  My other experience is of a more journalistic nature.  From January to August of 2006, I worked as an unpaid intern for the History News Network, which has allowed me to publish articles and aid the online magazine in many ways.  I encourage you to go to the website and contact editor Rick Shenkman if you are interested.

I also maintain three history related blogs Military History Blog, Civil War History, and Frontier Battles.  Below are some photos of myself with renowned historian James McPherson and from my presentation at the 2009 Red River Valley History Conference, which the Beta-Upsilon Chapter holds every year.

James McPherson handing me a recently signed copy of Battle Cry of Freedom.

Pictures relating to my presentation at the 2009 Red River Valley History Conference.  (Left) Our panel (L-R Mark Hermann, myself, and Seth Epstein), (center) Dr. Porter introducing me before I presented, (right) I am presenting on the life of A.C. Townley, president of the NPL.