Ohio University alum Laura Seddelmeyer is currently an Assistant Professor at Lycoming College in Williamsport, Pa.
Dr. Laura Seddelmeyer
Seddelmeyer earned an M.A. in History in 2009 and a Ph.D. in History in 2014 from the College of Arts & Sciences at Ohio University. She also earned a Contemporary History Certificate.
Seddelmeyer has just begun her fourth year at Lycoming and teaches a Western Civilization II survey, a historical methods course for undergraduate seniors, and a first-year seminar called “Finding Australia.” She is also working on several other courses, including one on Energy, Security, and Global Competition, a study of Monarchy and Modernity, and several courses with emphases on Europe and Asia in the global context. In addition, she will introduce a class titled “Colonizing the Pacific World” next year and accompany students to Australia, which is the focus of her current research.
As far Seddelmeyer’s research goes, she is making gradual but steady progress. “As a teaching-focused institution, research is slow, but I am making progress on a couple of articles and a book project based on my dissertation,” she says. “The book examines the legacy of the British Empire in Australia during the 1970s by questioning how Australia developed its ‘neighborhood power’ strategy at the same time that Britain withdrew from east of the Suez Canal and the United States reduced its presence in Asia.”
Seddelmeyer has good memories of her time at Ohio University, where she completed both an M.A. and a Ph.D. As a graduate student, she worked with professors John Brobst, Robert Ingram, and William Frederick, whom she credits for guiding her to success at Lycoming. She also appreciates the interdisciplinary education she received through Ohio’s Contemporary History Institute, which focuses on the intersection of history, journalism, economics, and political science.
“The breadth and depth of knowledge that I absorbed in my fields of study by working with Drs. Brobst, Ingram, and Frederick, along with the teaching experience I gained, made me a strong candidate for my current tenure-track position,” she says. “I appreciated my experience with CHI, especially, because it helped me think about topics through an interdisciplinary lens and with students from diverse backgrounds.”
Seddelmeyer looks forward to further applying what she learned through the Contemporary History Institute and Ohio University’s History Department to her career in academia. “As Lycoming College continues to develop interdisciplinary programs, such as the Center for Energy and the Future,” she explains, “I am able to find an appropriate place for the inclusion of history in the program. I can say with all sincerity that I would not be in my current position without the collective experiences I had at Ohio University.”
Seddelmeyer can be reached via email (seddelmeyer@lycoming.edu) and invites anyone who keeps up with social media to follow her on Twitter (@Laura_Sedd). Also, please visit the Contemporary History Institute Facebook page.
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