History > Undergraduate > Undergraduate History Association

The Undergraduate History Association (UHA) seeks to increase engagement with the discipline of history among undergraduate students through panels, social events, networking events, and discourse. Furthermore, UHA seeks to increase engagement between the history department itself and the JHU community at large. This organization is open to everyone, including those who are not declared majors/minors. 

The UHA has executive board meetings which meet once or twice a month and public meetings/events which occur three to four times per semester. Students can get more information or find specific meeting dates on Hopkins Groups.

Read more specifics in the Undergraduate History Association Constitution.

UHA Members

  • Leadership: Elyjah Bassford, Piper Lamson, and Francis Leiter
  • Executive Board members: Brandon Breznik, Kylah Chacko, and Ido Harlev

Recent Events and Opportunities

  1. End of the Year Reception (May 2025): An opportunity for undergraduates, graduates, faculty, and staff in the history department to celebrate the end of the semester together. The Kouguell Prize, for the best senior honors thesis, and the Undergraduate Leadership awards are presented at the reception along with awards for graduate students.
  2. Trivia Nights (Spring 2025): The UHA hosted multiple history trivia nights!
  3. BA/MA and Senior Honors Theses Presentations (April 2025): Throughout the month of April, senior honors, BA/MA, and first-year graduate students present their final papers.
  4. Historical Methods (April 2025): “Unconference”-style, participant-led research presentations where students can learn more about the year-long sophomore seminar (AS.100.293/AS.100.388) and the current research being done by the sophomore students.
  5. Senior Honors Theses – UHA Seminar Series (March 2025): “Unconference”-style, participant-led research presentations where students can learn more about the year-long senior honors thesis (AS.100.507/AS.100.508) and the current research being done by the senior thesis students.
  6. BA/MA Students – UHA Seminar Series (February 2025): “Unconference”-style, participant-led research presentations where students can learn more about the BA/MA program and the current research being done by the History BA/MA students.
  7. Baltimore Historic Unconference (September 2024): JHU students/alum, community activists, museums professionals, members of the public and more gathered, for the participant-led B’More Historic Unconference, at the Baltimore Museum of Industry to discuss interests, research, and network and engage with like-minded individuals.
  8. End of the Year Ice Cream Social (April 2023): an opportunity for undergraduates, graduates, and faculty in the history department to celebrate the end of the semester together with ice cream!
  9. Alumni Networking Event (April 2023): Alumni Vadim Schick (Chief Legal Counsel and Practice Group Leader for Johns Hopkins Healthcare Operations), Eric Miller (Baltimore attorney and arbitrator), and Rollin Hu (fact-checker for Ezra Klein at The New York Times) spoke about the value of a Hopkins education in history, especially in the context of their careers.
  10. Why Write a Senior Thesis? (March 2023): Professor Pearsall and the 2023 senior thesis writers spoke about their rewarding experiences doing their own undergraduate research and writing a thesis. 
  11. End of the Year Reception (December 2022): An opportunity for undergraduates, graduates, faculty, and staff in the history department to celebrate the end of the semester together. The Kouguell Prize, for the best senior honors thesis, and the Undergraduate Leadership awards are presented at the reception.
  12. Why Baltimore? (November 2022): Dr. Jackson and Dr. Harms spoke about the important, problematic, and complex relationship between Baltimore and Johns Hopkins.
  13. New Voices in History (October 2022): Dr. Gondola, Dr. Makalani, Dr. Ali Noor, and Dr. Turner spoke about their work in areas of historical interest that have been overlooked systematically overlooked. The event aimed to exhibit the growing diversity of the history department at Hopkins.