Welcome
Dr. E. Arnold Modlin, Department Chair
Associate Professor of Geography
Phone: (757) 823-9457
The Department of History & Interdisciplinary Studies welcomes everyone back to campus for a fun and productive semester!
If you need assistance, please stop by the department or contact Dr. Modlin, Ms. Bennett or your professors by phone or email. The main department phone number is (757) 823-8198.
Location
Our offices are located in the Brown Memorial Hall Replacement Building, Suite H211 (facing Corprew Avenue). Contact us at elbennett@nsu.edu or (757) 823-8198.
Upcoming events
Alumni News
HINTS In the News
- Dr. Stephanie J. Richmond published a chapter in The Gendered Republic edited by Craig Thompson Friend and Lorri Glover (University of Virginia Press, Nov.
- Dr. Charles H. Ford published an article with Jeffrey L. Littlejohn "The Seamstress and the Counselor: Evelyn T. Butts, Joseph Jordan, Jr., and Butts v. Harrison (1966)," in Reginald K. Ellis, Jeffrey L. Littlejohn, and Peter B. Levy, eds., Black Citizens and American Democracy: Fighting for the Soul of a Nation, (Gainesville, Florida: University of Florida Press, 2025),106-122.
- Dr. Charles H. Ford published a book with his research partner Jeffrey L. Littlejohn, eds., Queer Virginia: New Stories in the Old Dominion (Charlottesville: University of Virginia Press, 2025.)
Testimonial
Members of the History Club Participate in the 20th Annual Walter Rodney Symposium and Other Events in Atlanta
by Nya Lawrence and Camilia Bell.
From March 23rd to March 26th, Norfolk State University History Club students traveled to Atlanta, Georgia to attend the 20th Annual Walter Rodney Symposium entitled, “Repainting Historical Injustices: An Amplified Call for Reparations for All Peoples of African Descent Reparative Justice for Walter Rodney”. Prior to the event, many of us students were not aware of the vast legacy of the Caribbean academic, activist, and Pan-African leader Walter Rodney. However, it was made clearer to us during the symposium how pivotal Rodney’s work was in the Black community and in other intersectional spaces beyond borders. We heard from panelists, Professor Verene Shepard, and Professor Horace Campbell about active involvement in reparations for people of African descent.
In addition, the History Club students got to hear Angela Davis speak at the symposium, where she spoke on a litany of topics, ranging from radical activism to womanist positions in community-building, and the setbacks of state violence. In great appreciation of our professor, Dr. Geoffrey de Laforcade, the NSU student participants were invited to a private event the day after the symposium. There, we met Clark Atlanta, Spelman, and Morehouse University students and faculty. We became among the first to see the restored version of Walter Rodney’s death certificate, honoring the truth about his murder. During the weekend, we also had a chance to meet some members of the Norfolk State University alumni Chapter of Atlanta, where we got to fellowship and share our personal experiences at NSU, and it made us realize this is why we wanted to become a Spartan.
We also had a very fun moment when we had the opportunity to go to the Atlanta Trap Museum, where we got to look at the culture of hip-hop. This trip is an experience that we will treasure for a lifetime. The NSU History Club’s trip to Atlanta, Georgia was an enlightening and transformative event for us students, and we hope to attend more like it in the future.
Interested in history and interdisciplinary studies?
Listen to an interview with an NSU senior history major about why he studies history.
Communication Reminders
Your NSU email account (yourname@spartans.nsu.edu) is the only email account that you should use to communicate with your advisor, course professors, and any university offices, services, staff members, or administrators. It is important for you to check your NSU email account and your classes’ Blackboard sites frequently. At a minimum, please check these at least once a day. Campus email and announcements will update you on adjustments to any university activities.
Email is the best way to contact your advisor and professors. Therefore, here are the email addresses to the advisors, faculty, and staff in the Department of History and Interdisciplinary Studies:
The History and Interdisciplinary Studies Department’s main phone number is 757-823- 8198. If there is no answer, please leave a message. Ms. Bennett checks the voicemail for this number regularly during weekdays. Dr. Modlin's office phone number is 757-823-9457.
Education Support Services
As we transition back to campus, university services are available in-person or online and offerings may change. Please check with the office you need support from for specific information on office hours and online support. The following links will take you to the contact information for certain support services:
The PLSSSC offers online tutoring for over 100 courses and can help with additional assistance for other courses, if you email ssc@nsu.edu. If you need help with accessing these services or others, please ask your advisor, one of your class instructors, or Dr. Modlin.
Technical Support
If you have technical support issues here are some important contact for help:
Be cautious when clicking on links in email or when replying to email from sources you do not recognize. Our university community is regularly a target by those with malicious intent. This could occur more often now, which is at the same time the Office of Information Technology (OIT) is dealing with an increased workload supporting students and university employees who are off campus.
Memberships
The department is a supporting member of the Association of Interdisciplinary Studies and the American Historical Association Tuning Project.