Dr. Lauren Thompson Named Associate Professor of History at McKendree University
Lebanon, IL (07/21/2021) — McKendree University is proud to announce the recent promotion of Dr. Lauren Thompson, Ph.D., to associate professor of history in the University's Social Science division. Thompson has been working at the University for four years and also serves as the director of Ethnic Studies & Gender Studies and the co-coordinator of University 101.
"Dr. Thompson confronts racial injustices head-on and asks students of all races to understand systemic racism while connecting the history she teaches to what is happening in the real world. She is not afraid to speak truth, and will always stand up for her students, which she has done repeatedly in her time at McKendree," said Dr. Brenda Boudreau, professor of English at McKendree University.
Thompson teaches a variety of historical events and movements, including the Civil War era, African American history, race and ethnicity, U.S. immigration, sports history and much more. She recently published a book, Friendly Enemies: Soldier Fraternization throughout the American Civil War (University of Nebraska Press, 2020), and has authored other history-based publications. Among her many accolades, Thompson was the recipient of the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Humanitarian Award in 2019 at McKendree University, and she attended and participated in the Gilder Lehrman Fellow seminar, "Civil War in American Memory" at Yale University in June 2019. Thompson is also a member of Phi Alpha Theta, The Society of Civil War Historians, The Southern Historical Association, The Society of Military Historians and the Organization of American Historians.
"History is messy. I like to teach the history that 'we never learned in high school.' It's not easy, but I believe we need to embrace the past - all of it - the good, the bad, and the ugly," Thompson said. "Through this approach, I hope to empower my students and foster their journey in becoming educated citizens."
When Thompson isn't teaching or immersing herself in history, she enjoys fitness, trying new restaurants, traveling, watching sports, taking part in community social justice initiatives, and involving herself in community activism.
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