Southern Miss History Professor Earns Prestigious Humanities Scholar Award

Dr. Max Grivno, associate professor of history at The University of Southern Mississippi, has been presented the Humanities Scholar Award by the Mississippi Humanities Council as part of the council's 2016 Public Humanities Awards.

Grivno, the only university professor in the state to be recognized, will be honored with other recipients at a public ceremony and reception at the Old Capitol Museum in Jackson on Feb. 12. The annual awards recognize outstanding contributions by Mississippians to the study and understanding of the humanities.

“The History Department is extremely proud that our own Dr. Max Grivno is being honored by the Mississippi Humanities Council with their Humanities Scholar Award - a distinction offered to only one humanities scholar in the entire state,” said Dr. Kyle Zelner, chair and associate professor in the Department of History. 

“The award acknowledges Dr. Grivno's deep devotion to the study of the humanities in Mississippi, as well as his tireless work to promote that study - from speaking to historical societies all over the state to organizing important history conferences to teaching his own students the importance of humanities scholarship.”

Grivno joined the faculty of Southern Miss in 2007 after completing his doctorate at the University of Maryland. Grivno's first book, “Gleanings of Freedom: Free Labor and Slavery along the Mason-Dixon Line, 1790-1860,” was published in 2011 as part of the University of Illinois Press's series “The Working Class in American History.” 

Grivno says that the award is a testament of the good work Southern Miss has done to enrich the state of Mississippi. This kind of support has enhanced relationships between the university and the community in many ways, including Grivno's speaking to and meeting with various county historical societies, genealogical societies and public libraries.

“This university has a long history of partnering with the Mississippi Humanities Council. This award is representative of one part of a much larger relationship between Southern Miss and the (Mississippi) Humanities Council,” said Grivno.

Grivno is currently writing, “From Bondage to Freedom: Slavery in Mississippi, 1690-1865,” which is under contract with the University Press of Mississippi as part of its Heritage of Mississippi Series, which will be published in 2017.

Dr. Maureen Ryan, interim dean of the College of Arts and Letters explained that in its award letter, MHC cites Dr. Grivno's outstanding scholarship and teaching at Southern Miss, his “exceptional partnership” with the MHC on several special projects, and his participation in the MHC Speakers Bureau and service as project director on several grants.

“The Humanities Council clearly recognizes Dr. Grivno's multifaceted engagement with the humanities in Mississippi. His acknowledged, varied contributions as a public scholar reflect well on the Department of History, the College of Arts and Letters and Southern Miss,” Ryan said.

During his tenure at Southern Mississippi, Grivno has received numerous research fellowships and grants and in 2010 he received the Faculty Senate/University President Junior Faculty Research Award. The following year, he received one of the University's Lucas Awards for Faculty Excellence. Grivno's teaching interests include the Old South, slavery, labor history, and Mississippi history.

“The Department of History at Southern Miss has always been, and will always be, intensely committed to encouraging the examination of the human condition throughout history. The honoring of Dr. Grivno in this way is a wonderful testament to that commitment,” Zelner added.