Phyllis Jestice, Humanities Teacher Award winner

History Department chair Phyllis Jestice, long a friend of the Honors College, gave a public lecture tonight as part of her recognition by the Mississippi Humanities Council, which has honored her with its prestigious Humanities Teacher Award. It was a great lecture, attended by almost 150 students and faculty at Gonzales Auditorium in the Liberal Arts Building, and it drove home to me just how lucky Southern Miss is to have so many talented teachers and researchers.

Dr. Jestice spoke on "Crusades and the Middle East: The Use and Abuse of History," tracing how 19th Century romanticizing of the Crusades in the West contributed to a skewed view of this period that has resulted in lingering resentment in the Islamic world. You can get a sense of the passion and knowledge she brings to the subject in this brief excerpt from her talk this brief excerpt from her talk.