The 2023 Norm Jones Faculty Fellow will be Dr. Julia Gossard. She will hold the title, “Norm Jones Faculty Fellow” for calendar year 2023 and receive $4000 in recognition of her work. Dr. Gossard was described by the selection committee as having vision and enormous energy, and as particularly proactive in advancing research and teaching in History. Her teaching evaluations are consistently high, whether for introductory history surveys or majors courses. According to selection committee members, "Dr. Gossard is a fireball of energy, interested not only in her field but also in higher education writ large." When asked what it meant to her to have been selected, Julia said, "Norm's time as a researcher, educator, and administrator in the History Department made Utah State University a better institution. It is an honor to be recognized as the 2023 Norm Jones Faculty fellow, following in Norm's (big) footsteps for excellence in research and teaching. I'm planning on using these funds to continue a strong research and teaching trajectory that can hopefully have a positive impact on our community like Norm provided." 

 The 2023 Norm Jones Graduate Student Fellow will be Marie Skinner. This award is given by application to a graduate student with a high GPA who has demonstrated deep commitment to scholarship and service to the History Department and the community. Marie, upon receiving this honor, said, "Norm is a brilliant scholar and a delightful person to interact with. I'm honored to have been selected for this fellowship, and I hope I can continue supporting the department in the ways I have been, but also in the ways Norm has for so many years and continues to do."

Here is what the History graduate committee wrote about Marie’s accomplishments:

Marie Skinner is a second-year student in the ALC M.A. program whose contributions to the Department are substantial. In terms of service, she has served as a panel moderator, participated in graduate student interviews for History job candidates, acted as one of the judges for the 2021 Fall Student Research Symposium, and was tapped to serve as the Ancient Language Research Laboratory assistant. Her research is impressive, in light of both the scope (Vergilian poetry to Tacitus and World War II propaganda) and number of presentations at multiple conferences at the local, state, and regional level. Most impressive perhaps is her recent performance of original translations (Latin and Old Norse) and adaptions of historical stories at USU's Phi Alpha Theta's Fright Night. As part of her thesis work, she is investigating the barditus, a chant or sound made by Germanic soldiers.

We are so appreciative of Norm and his wife Cecile for their generosity in establishing the Norm Jones and Cecile Gilmer Benefice. The Benefice is a wonderful recognition for faculty and students, and it celebrates Norm’s career as a distinguished historian, an award-winner teacher, DH of History, and Director of General Education at USU.

Congratulations to Dr. Gossard and Marie!