Undergraduate history students from the Bass School at The University of Texas at Dallas embarked on an exciting four-day journey to New York City in January to attend the American Historical Association (AHA) Conference.
Leading the group was Dr. Kimberly Hill, associate professor of U.S. and African American History at the Bass School. Dr Hill served as both a mentor and tour guide. The group consisted of four students, all of whom had taken Dr. Hill’s interdisciplinary Harlem Renaissance course (ARHM 3342) during the Spring 2024 semester.
“We had been learning about Harlem all semester, and Dr. Hill mentioned that she was going to the AHA conference in New York. She said, ‘If you guys are interested, I’d love for you to come, and I’ll give you a tour around Harlem myself,’” recalled Ferris Le, BA’25, one of the students who joined the trip.
“I reached out to her with a couple of other students. Registering for the conference is actually quite expensive. But she was able to reduce it from $170 to just $15,” Le explained.
The AHA allows registered members, such as Dr. Hill, to bring student groups for a dramatically reduced preregistration price. “I would not have been able to go if not for that, but also, I got the Gavin R.G. Hambley Scholarship. I was able to use that money for travel expenses – because staying in Manhattan was very expensive.”
The American Historical Association is the oldest professional association of historians in the United States. Founded in 1884, the AHA strives to bring together historians from all specializations and work contexts, embracing the breadth and variety of activity in history today. For the past 141 years, it has hosted the largest gathering of historians in the nation, bringing new light to research and crafting pathways for budding professionals in the field.
After overcoming travel complications, the two finally met up with the rest of the group in NYC: Nila Jeyapriya BA’25, Chloe Porter BA’24, and Dr. Hill. The next few days were a flurry of unforgettable moments – both at the conference and throughout the iconic metropolis.
Le and fellow history student Guen Cannon BA’25 landed at LaGuardia International Airport on January 3, after their flight had been delayed five hours, “Our flight was supposed to leave at 11:15 a.m., and we didn’t leave until 5 p.m. It was excruciating,” Cannon recalled.
“I definitely loved New York. That was the best part of the experience – just being in New York. I got to see Central Park. I got to go on the subway. I went to Harlem. I went to the Bronx. I went to Times Square,” Cannon recounted.
At the conference, the students were thrilled to see the diverse range of historical fields being represented. “I was most looking forward to meeting faculty from other schools – specifically South Asian studies professors from different universities who are well known for teaching classes in that area,” Jeyapriya noted.
Cannon agreed. “There was representation for areas of study that don’t cross people’s minds when they think about history – scholars in punk history, trans history, and there were different ethnic histories like South Asian history.”
All four students had the chance to connect with renowned historians in their respective fields. “I was so excited to see Dr. G. Samantha Rosenthal, who wrote the book we used for most of Dr. Anne Gray Fischer’s Queer South course,” Le shared.
The AHA prides itself on providing networking opportunities for young historians still pursuing their degrees – facilitating conversations across boundaries. “I felt a lot of self-assurance as an academic, too. It was a big trip, and I was an adult in the profession,” Le laughed as he described the experience. “It was networking by definition. But, really, it was just me fanboying to people about their research and just being like, ‘Oh my gosh! I read your paper!’”
On January 5, the group took a walking tour of Harlem and Central Park with Dr. Hill to visit historical sites throughout the city. They viewed Langston Hughes’ house, found themselves fascinated with fire escapes, and chatted with locals, “The thing about Harlem – it was such a wonderful experience because the community there is so proud of their own history, and they saw us just gawking around. They could clearly see we were tourists – they would stop by and just check in on us,” Le recalled.
The AHA conference drew more than 1,500 scholars from academic institutions worldwide. There was never a dull moment in the AHA exhibition hall of the New York Hilton Midtown, according to the Bass School group. Nearly 60 publishers, representing a range of university publications and well-known brands such as HarperCollins and Penguin Random House, showcased a variety of books.
On January 6, the final day of the conference, publishers began to give out their excess copies of various academic journals, research, and textbooks for free. “Ferris got like 30 books. We had to find a USPS to ship them back!” Cannon chuckled.
When they finally returned with new adventures, books, memories, and connections, all four students agreed that it was an experience future history students should also get to enjoy. “It would be a really good opportunity for whoever is here after we graduate,” Jeyapriya stated.
For Le, the trip was more than just an opportunity for networking, touring, and fun, “It made me realize that I want to stay in academia forever. I love being here, and I love being able to connect with others through research. It sounds awfully geeky, but you know, it meant a lot to me.”
Student Assistant
Olivia is a communications assistant who works alongside the creative team to showcase the incredible talent of the Bass School Community. When she’s not photographing events or attending classes—she loves to write sci-fi fantasy fiction stories and play D&D.