Winners from the Kentucky Phi Alpha Theta Regional Conference pose with Dr. Wake.

Students from Cumberlands moderated every panel session and presented four papers. “It shows our students that they can do just as well as any school in the state”, said Dr. Eric Wake, history department chair. “Many have expressed a desire to do it at the conference next year. From the standpoint of encouraging our students, it was a real success.”

In the undergraduate paper competition, Daniel Weddington, a student at Eastern Kentucky University, won the first place prize for paper titled “The IWW in Eastern Kentucky.” Jana Leichty, from University of Louisville, placed second for her paper, “Collective Memory and Abraham Lincoln: The Shaping of the ‘Great Emancipator’.” Whitney Fooks, also from Eastern Kentucky University, placed third for her paper “Hubert Heuck: Innovation and Archetype of Vaudeville.”

For the graduate paper competition, Josh A. Camper, a graduate student at Murray State University, won for his paper, “Seaman: The Lewis and Clark Expedition’s Faithful Member.”

University of the Cumberlands, located in Williamsburg, Kentucky, is a private liberal arts college in its 118th year of operation. Cumberlands offers four undergraduate degrees in 37 major fields of study, 30 minors and nine pre-professional programs, graduate degrees and certifications in education as well as online and accelerated, nontraditional programs for adults.