On April 18, the Institute hosted a special panel discussion, "History's Retro/Prospects: Reflecting on the Pasts, Presents, and Futures of Historical Studies," featuring Terrence J. McDonald (Dean of the College of Literature, Science, and the Arts; Arthur F. Thurnau Professor of History) and Geoff Eley (Chair of the Department of History; Karl Pohrt Distinguished Professor of Contemporary History).

The event celebrated the close of the Institute's 2011-13 theme, "Taking Place: History and Spatial Imaginations," and commemorated Dean McDonald's tenure as dean and Professor Eley's tenure as chair. In July, Eley will turn over chair duties to Professor Kathleen Canning; in September, McDonald will assume leadership of the Bentley Historical Library.

Drawing upon his experience as the head of a liberal arts college, Dean McDonald discussed current trends in interdisciplinary research and the potential impact on historical studies. Professor Eley considered the broader trends in historical research from the late 1970s, when he joined UM, until now, and projected what might be in store for the future. Their prepared remarks were followed by a question-and-answer session with the audience. This event was open to History Department faculty, graduate students, and staff, along with Institute affiliates. 

This event is available online as an MP3 audio file and is accessible for University of Michigan account holders.

Above: Dean McDonald (left) and Professor Eley. Below: Hitomi Tonomura, Director of the Eisenberg Institute, introduces the panel. Photos by Joseph Ho.