History

Welcome

Hello! I want to tell you how pleased we are to welcome you to Youngstown State University and to the History Program. With a faculty of nine, we offer courses across a broad range of subjects and have something to interest everyone.

I hope that you will drop by and visit us on the fifth floor of DeBartolo Hall, Room 519. Please feel welcome to stop in for advice, general information, or just to chat. You may also want to watch for notices from our Student Clubs -- History Club, Phi Alpha Theta, and the Club for Jewish Culture -- about scheduled events throughout the semester.

I encourage you to drop by the Youngstown Historical Center of Industry and Labor located at 151 Wood Street on the southern edge of campus. The museum is managed by the History Program, and you and your guests are very welcome to visit us there. (Your student ID grants you free admission at any time.)

Dr. Brian Bonhomme
History Program Coordinator

Mission

The Program of History at Youngstown State University is dedicated to the discovery and dissemination of knowledge about the past, to edify our present, and better plan for the future. The program promotes and integrates scholarship, teaching, and service to educate its undergraduate and graduate students. It promotes civic engagement with the wider community. Through the teaching of history in and out of the classroom the program fosters understanding and appreciation of diversity and provides a global perspective. Our aim is to examine and disseminate knowledge of the past and of the nature of its study and reconstruction through a variety of educational experiences and historical methodologies and to train future scholars of history.

The student majoring in history must complete, in addition to the general University requirements, the group requirements outlined on the curriculum sheet. It is recommended that the student select courses with assistance from an advisor, since certain courses are preferable to others according to whether one contemplates graduate study, secondary school teaching, or any of the many other careers for which History provides excellent preparation.

The Bachelor of Arts in History can be completed in eight semesters if students average 16 hours per semester.

For more information, visit the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences, which houses the History Program, in DeBartolo Hall, room 519 or contact us at (330) 941-3452.

Department of Art to host Portfolio Review Day for aspiring art students

YSU’s Department of Art will host Portfolio Review Day, a chance for high school students, transfer students, and aspiring artists to showcase their portfolios to the department’s faculty, Saturday, February 8, 2025, from 1:00 – 4:00 PM in YSU’s Bliss Hall. In addition to receiving feedback on their work, participants can learn about the Department of Art’s programs, facilities, and scholarship opportunities.

Guest artist Julia Betts to present for Department of Art Lecture Series

The 2024-25 Department of Art Lecture Series will welcome guest artist Julia Betts for its next installment Wednesday, February 5, 2025, at 5:30 PM in the McDonough Museum of Art lecture hall (room 3000). Focusing on the intersection of sculpture, performance, and installation, Betts aims for her work to create an effect based on certain assumptions. Her current exhibit, “The Dams are Broken,” will also be on display as part of the McDonough’s “Spring Exhibitions” through Friday, February 28, at the museum.

Department of Art to celebrate Black History Month with exhibit by Crystal Miller

YSU’s Department of Art will celebrate Black History Month as it welcomes interdisciplinary mixed-media artist Crystal Miller to present her “Black History Month Exhibition.” Miller’s exhibit, which will explore Afro-futurism using unconventional materials such as beads, glitter, and rhinestones, will be on display beginning Monday, February 3, through Friday, February 28, 2025, in YSU’s Judith Rae Solomon Gallery.

Cliffe College Performing Arts Series to welcome Alla Boara for special event

The Cliffe College Performing Arts Series will welcome Alla Boara, a six-piece Italian folk group, to Youngstown for a special event Friday, January 31, 2025, at 7:00 PM at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Basilica. The group will perform modern music arrangements celebrating Italy’s history of regional folk music as attendees are treated to an Italian dinner catered by Chef Ottavio Musumeci of Station Square Ristorante.

McDonough Museum to open 2025 season with “Spring Exhibitions”

The McDonough Museum of Art will open its 2025 season with five dynamic exhibits featuring guest artists Julia Betts, Anna Chapman, Abby Cipar, Will Hutnick, and Sidney Mullis in a grand presentation named the “Spring Exhibitions.” The exhibits will be on display beginning Tuesday, January 21, through Friday, February 28, 2025.

Dana School of Music to present recital featuring saxophone faculty member

YSU’s Dana School of Music will present a special recital to the public Monday, January 27, 2025, featuring a performance by Dana professor and saxophonist James Umble, a two-time winner of the YSU Distinguished Professor in Teaching Award. Accompanied by pianist Dr. Da-Eun Choi, Umble will perform a new piece of music written for saxophone and piano by New York City composer and jazz musician Patrick Zimmerli.

Dana School of Music to host Middle School Honor Band event

YSU’s Dana School of Music will host its second annual Middle School Honor Band event Friday, January 10, and Saturday, January 11, 2024, featuring over 190 accomplished 7th and 8th grade musicians. The weekend will begin with the participating students engaging in rehearsals and instrument sectionals led by YSU faculty, guest artists, and directors, before they then perform two concerts Saturday showcasing their hard work.

Department of Art to host “Northeast Ohio Scholastic Art Awards Exhibition”

YSU’s Department of Art will host the “Northeast Ohio Scholastic Art Awards Exhibition” in the Judith Rae Solomon Gallery beginning Wednesday, January 8, through Saturday, January 25, 2025. This exhibit stands as northeast Ohio’s division of the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards, a national competition in which 7th to 12th grade students can submit their original or literary pieces for award consideration.

YSU Youth Orchestra to present fall concert at Stambaugh Auditorium

The Youngstown State University Youth Orchestra will present its fall concert at Stambaugh Auditorium Sunday, December 15, 2024, at 4:00 PM. The Youth Orchestra is open to all local area students ages 13-18 by audition only. Dr. Michael S. Butler, Youth Orchestra music director, and Richard Smrek, assistant director, provide artistic leadership for the program, which presents two concerts annually.

Judith Rae Solomon Gallery to host “Junior Portfolio Review Exhibition”

YSU’s Department of Art will conclude its fall semester of events with a student-led “Junior Portfolio Review Exhibition” in the Judith Rae Solomon Gallery, located in YSU’s Bliss Hall, beginning Monday, December 2, 2024, through Friday, December 13. This event provides junior-level art students with an opportunity to garner feedback on their work.

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