Biography of Jeffrey Myers:
B.A. History, Western Illinois University, 1984; M.A. History, University of Iowa, 1987; Ph.D. University of Iowa, 1997.
My teaching career at the university level began while a teaching assistant at the University of Iowa in 1986. In 1994, I secured my first full-time teaching job at Augustana College in Rock Island, Illinois, where I taught modern German and modern European history. Since my arrival at Avila University I have expanded my expertise to accommodate courses in world history from ancient times to the present. I also teach many interdisciplinary courses (i.e., Level III) at Avila University , which include courses on ancient and European women's history, the cult of technology and its consequences in modern world history (i.e., the Titanic disaster and the atomic bomb), and the history of plagues in European history.
My research interests remain in the field of modern German history. In my dissertation I examined the reaction of the German middle class to challenges of industrialization in the nineteenth century, a subject vital to understanding the inner workings of German society of the modern era. Thanks to the generosity of the German Academic Exchange Service, I was able to devote two years in Freiburg im Breisgau (Federal Republic of Germany) researching and writing early drafts of this project. Following my stay at the University of Freiburg, I was accepted as a fellow at the Institute for European History in Mainz (Federal Republic of Germany), where I joined more than twenty other scholars in a former Jesuit monastery to write and revise my dissertation. Following my doctoral defense in 1997, I have presented conference papers with an eye to a complete revision of my manuscript for future publication.
My other major research interest lies with the history of the Holocaust. With my colleague Dr. Charlene Gould from Theatre, I teach a course entitled "The Holocaust in History and on Stage", which has sparked the interest of both Dr. Gould and I in the problem of representation of the Holocaust from the perspectives of the disciplines of History and Theatre. Thanks to the generous support of the Holocaust Educational Foundation, I was named a fellow at the Summer Institute on the Holocaust and Jewish Civilization at Northwestern University in 2000. In the future I hope to pursue my research further at the United States Memorial Holocaust Museum in Washington, D.C.
For fun, my wife Suzanne and I enjoy movies, music (especially that of the Beatles, Eric Clapton, and Led Zeppelin), quiet evenings reading and talking, and not so quiet evenings watching the antics of Oskar and Sophie, our rambunctious cats.
Biography of Sherry Lamb Schirmer:
B.A. History, University of Kansas, 1969; M.A. History, University of Missouri-Kansas City, 1978; Ph.D. History, University of Kansas, 1995.
I began teaching at the college level in 1977, and, in 1994, I joined the full-time faculty at Avila, where one of my joys is being able to teach the whole gamut of United States history from the American Revolution to Viet Nam, from women's history to the history of sports. As a social historian, however, my particular interest is the story of ordinary people and their experiences over time. That interest takes me into the study of women's history, the history of the family, and minority history. As often as possible in my courses, we explore what happened to ordinary people like ourselves. I was pleased to receive a vote of confidence for my teaching style when I was voted Professor of the Year at Avila in 1996.
I am also intrigued by the history of the Kansas City area and by the significant historical events that happened, sometimes quite literally, beneath our feet. In part my fascination with local history stems from my former position as director of research for a private historical research firm. In that role I co-authored a history of Greater Kansas City called At the River's Bend and gained the experience in public history that enables me to oversee the internship program in history. My forthcoming book also deals with Kansas City history. It examines how ideas about race, gender, and the use of urban space combined to shape the way of life in the city between 1900 and 1960.
In my free time my husband Steve and I enjoy reading [mystery novels are my secret vice], gardening, hiking, and anything to do with dogs, in particular our mutts Duke and Xena.
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