Volume XXXI
Summer 2004
Editor: Steve Rubert
Publisher: Christie Schwartz
The department is extremely pleased to announce that Nicole von Germeten joined the faculty in fall 2003. Nicole earned her Ph.D. in Latin American history from the University of California, Berkeley, in 2003. She will be responsible for teaching a wide range of courses dealing with Latin America. She is finishing a book manuscript, entitled Black Blood Brothers, which chronicles the religious and social roles of Africans and their descendents in colonial Mexico, from the 1500s to 1800s. Nicole explores the religious organizations founded and led by men and women of African descent, especially the changes experienced in the lives of Afromexicans from their arrival in New Spain as slaves to their improved status as free people of color.
She has also begun work on a second major research project, entitled Race, Religion and Society in Colonial Cartagena de Indias, a study focusing on Africans examines the history of the exciting port city of Catagena, Colombia, the seat of an inquisition tribunal and target of many pirate attacks. Her work has been supported by a Fulbright-Garcia Robles grant for research in Mexico, and she is a 2004 recipient of a Ford Foundation research fellowship at Princeton University.
The department is fortunate to announce that Anya Corbitt joined the staff as Instruction Coordinator/Receptionist in July of this year. Anya is a graduate of Whitman College, in Walla Walla, Washington, where she was a history major and interested in medieval and renaissance Europe. OSU faculty and students who enjoy theater might recognize Anya from her participation in several local productions at the Albany Civic Theatre as well as Corvallis Community Theatre. Please stop by the department office and say hello.
The department was sorry to see Rachel Lilley leave OSU in June. She resigned her position as Instruction Coordinator/Receptionist to pursue her ultimate goal of attending graduate school. We will miss Rachel's smile and positive attitude, and we wish her success and happiness as she moves forward into her graduate career.
