Past Institutes

Teaching U.S. History, 1980–2008 (2025 In-Person Institute)

From June 3–6, 2025, Humanities Texas partnered with Texas Tech University to hold a professional development institute for social studies teachers on U.S. history from 1980–2008.

Curriculum

Content was aligned with the TEKS. Presentations covered the presidencies of Ronald Reagan, George H. W. Bush, Bill Clinton, and George W. Bush; the end of the Cold War; the Middle East; the AIDS epidemic and public health; immigration; economics from NAFTA to the Great Recession; 9/11 and the War on Terror; teaching foreign relations through film; civil rights; and advances in communication and technology.

Like all Humanities Texas teacher programs, the institute emphasized close interaction with scholars, the examination of primary sources, and the development of effective pedagogical strategies and engaging assignments and activities.

Faculty

Justin Hart (Texas Tech University) served as the faculty director for the institute. Jeremi Suri (The University of Texas at Austin) delivered the keynote lecture. Presenters included Michael Brandl (The University of Texas at Austin), Nathan J. Citino (Rice University), Salem Elzway (University of Southern California), Jennifer L. Holland (The University of Oklahoma), Kyle Longley (Chapman University), Chase Untermeyer (former U.S. Ambassador to Qatar), and Miguel A. Levario, Ron Milam, Emily Skidmore, and Sabrina C. Thomas of Texas Tech University.

Location and Schedule

The institute took place at the International Cultural Center at Texas Tech University from June 3–6, 2025. The schedule is available  here.

Sponsors

The institute was made possible with major funding from the State of Texas, with ongoing support from the National Endowment for the Humanities.