Student Groups

Phi Alpha Theta (PAT)

We are an honor society that promotes historical study, research, and teaching by bringing students and historians together for intellectual and social exchanges. To these ends, the History Department at the University of Houston has two chapters of the organization: an undergraduate chapter--Phi Alpha Theta--and a graduate chapter--Phi Alpha Theta--Zeta Kappa. We work jointly on fundraising and have some events together, but each chapter also sponsors their own social events. However, given the current situation with COVID-19, the chapter is currently on pause until further notice.

Social and Academic Events

Fall Luncheon, held in the department
Spring PAT induction ceremony and History Department Awards
Annual Halloween Party, held off campus
Spring Mixer, held off campus
Annual Essay Contest
Fall and Spring Book Sales, held in the first floor breezeway of Agnes Arnold Hall
Monthly Graduate Student Research Colloquium, held in department seminar rooms
Annual PAT Houston Area Consortium, held at a different university each year

Membership

All members of the honor society are inducted through the local Phi Alpha Theta chapter at their respective college or university. Individual memberships sent directly to the National Office are not acceptable and will be returned. Our one-time initiation fee of $40.00 per student is payable at the time of initiation. This fee includes a membership certificate and four issues of our journal, The Historian. Membership in Phi Alpha Theta is a lifetime membership. Each chapter, however, may levy whatever dues or fees it deems necessary to promote its own local activities. Thereafter, there are no annual dues or fees. Members who wish to continue supporting the honor society may do so by subscribing to The Historian and/or to our newsletter. for more information on the national organization visit their website.

Undergraduate students need to have completed at least 12 hours of History coursework, maintain a GPA above 3.1, and be a currently enrolled UH student. You do not have to be a History major to be a member of PAT.

Graduate students should have completed a minimum of 12 semester hours towards their Master's Degree in History, have a GPA of better than 3.5, and shall have completed approximately 30% of the residence requirements for the Master's Degree. The undergraduate and graduate Phi Alpha Theta chapters at UH accept new members on a yearly basis. We do not collect dues for either chapter, so your $40 fee is a one-time payment that goes to national headquarters. New inductions are held at the end of the spring semester during the annual end of year department luncheon. The call for new members is always sent out in the spring via the appropriate listservs. If you are not a member, you can join at this time. Until you are inducted, however, you are very welcome and encouraged to attend and participate in any of the organization’s events.

Graduate Student Mentoring Association (GSMA)

The Graduate Student Mentoring Association is an organization that seeks to build community among the graduate students in the History Department in the University of Houston. The GSMA helps new students transition into graduate student life though a peer mentoring program and strives create community by hosting social and academic events throughout the school year.

GSMA Officers

Sandra Enriquez and Daniel LeClair, Co-Presidents
Caroline Nilsen, Chair of the Mentoring Committee
Musashi Miyoshi, Chair of the Social Events Committee
Stephanie Weiss, Chair of the Brown Bag Committee
Dr. Todd Romero, Faculty Adviser

Grad Camp

Grad Camp is a two-day orientation held at the beginning of the fall semester. The first day is led by the History Department and is intended to help new students navigate the department. This day also includes TA orientation for all new Teaching Assistants. The second day includes a wide variety of workshops for students at all levels in the program. Students and professors often lead these workshops in teams.

Activities

The GSMA hosts events for the graduate community

Social Events

Student-Faculty Mixers
Happy Hours
Seasonal Parties (often with Phi Alpha Theta)
Movie Nights

Round Table Lunches

Giving Conference Papers
Graduate Student Publications
Grants and Funding
Archival Research Skills
Job Searches

For more information, please contact: gsma.uh@gmail.com

Center for Public History Research Colloquium

The CPH Research Colloquium (formerly the UH Energy, Urban, and Environmental Group) meets monthly, generally on the last Friday at 1:30 p.m., AH 549, to discuss works in progress. Students, faculty, and outside scholars share current research in fields broadly related to the topics of history of energy, cities, environment, technology, science, and medicine. Examples from recent meetings include the policy and environmental legacy of the Santa Barbara oil spill, civil rights and medical citizenship in America, and Apollo moon landings and American culture in the 1970s. Each meeting includes time for announcements, a presentation of a current project - for example a paper to be published or a book chapter, and discussion. Meetings are friendly and informal and open to anyone interested in the topics addressed.

Membership

Participation in CPH Research Colloquium meetings is open to anyone interested in energy, urban, and environmental history. If you would like to receive information about upcoming CPH Research Colloquium activities, please send an email to: LISTSERV@LISTSERV.UH.EDU and include this text in the BODY of the email message: CPH-Research-Colloquium.

For more information, please feel free to contact Julie Cohn.