Amy M. Froide, M.A. 1992, Ph.D. 1996

1992 M.A., History; 1996 Ph.D., History

How has being a History graduate from Duke helped shape you personally and/or professionally?

"My history training at Duke was exceptional. The faculty's high standards when it came to historical analysis, argumentation, and writing made myself and my peers into some of the leading historians in their respective fields today. Duke in the '90s was also ahead of the curve in terms of gender, class, and racial history. Most of us who became historians are known for our attention to the material lives of the understudied and the under appreciated. I graduated into a relatively difficult job market (although it pales in comparison to today) and have always been employed as a tenure-track historian. I attribute much of that to luck but my training at Duke put me in the position to take advantage of that luck. I am currently the Chair of a History department at one of the nation's most innovate colleges (UMBC). We recently became a R1 university and the History department (with three Duke History PhD alums) played an integral part in achieving this research profile through our publications, fellowships, and awards, and by using our voices to contribute a historical perspective to contemporary culture and politics."

What advice would you give students in Duke's History programs? 

"Take advantage of the opportunities presented to you by the faculty, visiting faculty, archives, and libraries at Duke. You may never have this level of access to the profession again. Learn to teach. Teach at a campus that is not Duke-a public university if possible. Promote and read your colleagues' work. You fellow PhD students will be there for you for your entire career. And know that there is powerful historical work to do as a university professor but also in other venues."