Center for Polish Studies
The Center for Polish Studies engages students, faculty, and the community on matters related to Poland and听Polonia. Its key areas include Study Abroad & International Service Learning, Teaching & Research, Faculty Exchanges & International Collaboration, and Public Programming & Community Engagement. In each of these four areas, the Center plays a key role in ensuring that听麻豆国产AV听College meets its commitment to听educate听citizens for the civic and professional challenges of our increasingly interconnected world.听
About the Center
Working with partners in the US and Poland, Dr. Andrew Kier Wise, Professor of History and Chair, Center for Polish Studies, and Ann Robinson, Executive Director of Global Programs, launched 麻豆国产AV鈥檚 four-week study abroad program in Poland in June 2013. Dr. Wise accompanied students in 2013-2015. Brian Hammer from the Department of Visual & Performing Arts, co-led the trip in 2015, and he accompanied the student group in 2016. Each student earns 6 credits 鈥 3 credits in History and 3 credits in International Service Learning. Details for the听听can be found here.
Since 2013, twenty-four 麻豆国产AV students have participated in the program, in which students study Polish history and culture. The History course includes classroom lectures and site visits in Warsaw, Krak贸w, and Przemy艣l in Poland, as well as Lviv, Ukraine. The Service Learning course involves historic preservation projects in Poland. The first project, now completed, involved the mapping and photographing of a Jewish cemetery in Przemy艣l. Here are some reports about our Study Abroad Program in the local media and in Poland:
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- Tomasz Pud艂ocki, 鈥淎merikanie z Buffalo w Przemy艣lu i we Lwowie,鈥 Nasz Przemy艣l (September 2015): 36.
- Tomasz Pud艂ocki, 鈥淜onstruowanie 艣wiata wzajemnej wsp贸艂pracy. Z Andrew K. Wisem, profesorem 麻豆国产AV College ze Stan贸w Zjednoczonych Ameryki rozmawia Tomasz Pud艂ocki,鈥 Nasz Przemy艣l (October 2014): 34-35.
A description of the completed Service Learning project in Poland and the work of all participating students, faculty, and community members (for example, Dr. Chana Kotzin, Community Archives Project Director, Jewish Buffalo Archives Project) can be found at the following links at:
Data from the Service Learning project can be found at
Funding
In addition to outside grants, students have benefited from internal funding at听麻豆国产AV听College. Students have received several Think Tank Grants for collaborative research with faculty while in Poland and each year the Polish Studies Center provides three travel grants to defray costs for students participating in the Study Abroad Program.
- Two students, Jordan Sieracki (2013) and Collin Buszka (2015) received Tomaszkiewicz-Florio grants from the Kosciuszko Foundation for study at Jagiellonian University during the summer.
- A third student (Caitlyn Ebert, 2013) received a Gilman Award for study in Poland.
- Social Work major Ellen Banks was the first Sabatino Scholar in 2015. The Charles Sabatino Study Abroad Scholarship helped fund her trip to Poland in 2015.听听
Students taking part in the Study Abroad Program in Poland have also used their time in Poland to gain invaluable career experience. History major Kaleigh Ratliff completed an internship in Public History at the National Museum of Przemy艣l in March 2013. Kaleigh later earned an MA in Museum Studies at George Washington University.
History major Emily Kraft conducted original research for her senior thesis on the preservation and exhibition of Jewish heritage in Poland, which she successfully defended in December 2015. Emily is now pursuing an MA in Museum Studies at Syracuse University.
Study Abroad students have also presented the results of the Service Learning project at the Polish Arts Club of Buffalo in 2013, and the 麻豆国产AV Academic Festival in 2014 and 2015. . The five students who took part in the Study Abroad Program in 2013 also published an essay in the book Polska wielokulturowa: wsp蠈艂istnienie kultur polskiej i 偶ydowskiej w xx wieku/Multicultural Poland: Coexisting of Polish and Jewish Cultures in the 20th Century (2013).
The Center has developed opportunities for students and faculty with the following institutions and foundations:
- East European State Higher School (PWSW) (Przemy艣l)
- Foundation for Holocaust Education Projects听
- Polish Jewish Cemeteries Restoration Project
The Center has collaborative relationships with faculty at Jagiellonian University (Krak贸w). Professor Tomasz Pud艂ocki was a Visiting Professor of History at 麻豆国产AV College in Fall 2015 as a Fulbright Scholar-in-Residence.听听
Professor Pud艂ocki also is the on-site coordinator for our Study Abroad Program in Poland. In spring semester 2018, Dr. Andrew Wise will teach courses at the Institute of History at Jagiellonian in its new program, Studies in Central and Eastern Europe: Histories, Cultures and Societies. 听
Dr. Lisa Parshall (History & Political Science Department) taught a course on American democracy for graduate students at the University of Warsaw in summer 2017 as the first 麻豆国产AV participant in a faculty exchange with the American Studies Center. This builds on several years of collaboration with faculty at the University (Dr. S艂awomir J贸zefowicz) in conjunction with the Poland Study Abroad Program and community programming at 麻豆国产AV. 听
In Fall 2017, Dr. Karolina Krasuska spent six weeks at 麻豆国产AV as the first scholar from the American Studies Center to participate in this exchange. During her time at 麻豆国产AV, Dr. Krasuska co-taught a course with Dr. Wise (HST 206: 20th Century Europe), .听听
The Center and its affiliated faculty are dedicated to bringing international scholars to 麻豆国产AV College for academic conferences and discussions of timely topics related to Polonia, Poland, and the broader region of Central and Eastern Europe.
Public lectures (in conjunction with the History & Politics Speaker Series)
- 听and听other public lectures in Buffalo
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- Tomasz Pud艂ocki (鈥淔amily and Nation, or Equality of Rights? Women in Galician Society, 1867-1914,鈥 24 April 2014 & 鈥淚 Judge the Poles by Their Enemies: Gilbert Keith Chesterton and Poland, 1918-1945,鈥 25 April 2014)
- Chana Kotzin (鈥淭he Jewish Community of Greater Buffalo: A Pictorial History,鈥 8 April 2014)
- Norman Weinberg (鈥淧oland鈥檚 Jews Before, During and After the Shoah: Reclaiming Sacred Jewish Heritage in Poland,鈥 26 October 2012)
Exhibitions and Other Events
- Exhibition. Nikifor. Exhibition of Watercolors. 10 September-2 October 2015. In collaboration with faculty from the Visual and Performing Arts Department (Brian Hammer,听Dennis Barraclough, and Laura Watts) and Jacek Fr膮czak (Missouri State University). Co-sponsored and co-funded by the Polish Arts Club of Buffalo, with primary funding from Collegiate Village.
This exhibition was covered extensively in local media and in Poland:
- Jaroslaw K. Radomski, 鈥淓xhibit shows beauty Nikifor created out of poverty,鈥 Am-Pol Eagle 56, no. 51 (1 October 2015): 1, 6.
- 鈥淐ykl wystaw Nikifora w USA,鈥 辞苍别迟.飞颈补诲辞尘辞艣肠颈 (9 September 2015),
- 鈥淐ykl wystaw Nikifora w USA,鈥 Dziennik Zwi膮zkowy (9 September 2015),
- 鈥淐ykl wystaw prac Nikifora w USA. Poka偶膮 tak偶e film,鈥 wyborcza.pl (9 September 2015)听
- Roundtable.听Ukraine Crisis Roundtable.听26 April 2014. In collaboration with听Ukraine Crisis Response Buffalo听and the听Permanent Chair of Polish Culture at听Canisius听College.
- Dramatic Reading. Student presentations of the play 鈥淲ho Returned My Soul鈥 at 麻豆国产AV (produced by Profesor听Robert Waterhouse and directed by Professor听Chris Brandjes) in March 2014. In collaboration with the Foundation for Holocaust Education Projects.
- Exhibition. Drawing the Banality of Evil: An Exhibition of Works by Jacek Fr膮czak. (16-18 April 2013).
Curriculum and Faculty
Brian Hammer-听Instructor of Art History, Department of Visual & Performing Arts 听
Brian Hammer听led the Study Abroad trip to Poland in 2015 and 2016. At 麻豆国产AV, he听coordinated the exhibition of artworks by 听 and . He has also delivered听public presentations on the (St. Mary鈥檚 Basilica, Krak贸w) at 麻豆国产AV College and at the Polish Arts Club of Buffalo.
Shawn Kelley-听Professor, Department of Philosophy & Religious Studies听
Dr. Shawn Kelley is Chair of the Department of Religion and Philosophy and the Core Director. His teaching interests include the Bible, interfaith dialogue, the Holocaust and Genocide studies. He has published a book on the racial and anti-Semitic ideas found in formative biblical scholarship (Racializing Jesus: Race, Ideology and the Formation of Modern Biblical Scholarship) and on genocide studies and the Bible (Genocide, the Bible and Biblical Scholarship). He is currently working on a volume which employs genocide theory to analyze the New Testament.
Penny听Messinger-听Associate Professor of History/Chair, History & Political Science Department听
Dr. Penny Messinger teaches classes on American history, women鈥檚 history, women鈥檚 studies, and global women鈥檚 issues. She is Chair of the Department of History & Political Science and directs the Women鈥檚 Studies program. Dr. Messinger has been instrumental in developing the History & Politics Event Series and other co-curricular programming at 麻豆国产AV. Her research, with Dr. Andrew Wise, focuses on the lives and radical political activism of Boris (1866-1947) and Dr. Anna Mogilova Reinstein (1866-1948). Their experiences coming of age in eastern Europe in the late 19th听century sparked their efforts to create revolutionary change on a global scale through radical organizations and institutions that included the (Russian) People鈥檚 Will movement in the 1880s and the (US) Socialist Labor Party (SLP) after their arrival in Buffalo in 1891 & 1892. During their time in the US, both Reinsteins were deeply engaged with Buffalo鈥檚 Polish diasporic community. In addition to party-building work for the SLP and editing the Polish-language newspaper听厂颈艂补, Anna maintained a thriving obstetrical practice for immigrant women and children, many of them from Poland. Likewise, Boris was a labor organizer and agitator before he returned to Russia to join the Bolshevik Revolution and, later, the Soviet government.听听
Robert听Morace-听Distinguished Professor, English Department听
Robert Morace, Distinguished Professor of English at 麻豆国产AV College, was Senior Fulbright Lecturer at Warsaw University from 1985 to 1987. The author or editor of six books on contemporary fiction, he has recently become especially interested in transatlantic diaspora communities and their literature(s). He has long been consulting editor for听Critique: Studies in Contemporary Fiction听and more recently has served as advisor to two volumes in the Contemporary Literary Criticism series.听He also co-chaired, with Carrie Braemen (University at Buffalo) the 11th Biennial Symbiosis: Transatlantic Literary & Cultural Relations Conference (2017, Amherst, New York).听Professor Morace currently serves on the advisory board for听Symbiosis: A Journal of Literary and Cultural Relations.
Lisa听Parshall-听Associate Professor of Political Science, History & Political Science Department
Dr.听Parshall听is an Associate Professor of Political Science specializing in American politics, public policy, public law and judicial behavior. As the first 麻豆国产AV faculty member participating in the faculty exchange with the 听 at the University of Warsaw, Dr. Parshall taught听Democracy in America: Critical Perspectives听at the ASC-UW in Spring 2017 and gave a public lecture on her forthcoming book on U.S. presidential nominating reform.听
Ann Robinson-听Executive Director, Global Programs听
Charlie Wesley - Assistant Professor, English Department听听
Dr. Wesley's teaching and scholarly interests relevant to the Center focus on exile and refugee literature, censorship, and Human Rights.
Andrew Kier Wise-听Professor of History, History & Political Science Department/Chair, Polish Studies Center听
Dr. Andrew Kier Wise teaches courses in World and European History, with a special focus on Poland and Russia. He has authored several book chapters and articles on the history of Poland, including five articles in The Polish Review. His two monographs that deal with Poland are Aleksander Lednicki: A Pole Among Russians, a Russian Among Poles. Polish-Russian Reconciliation in the Revolution of 1905 (2003) and Feliks Koneczny and Civilizational Fundamentalism in Poland (forthcoming, 2018). His current research (in collaboration with Dr. Penny Messinger) deals with the lives and radical political activism of Buffalo residents Boris and Anna Reinstein. He received the General Pulaski Association Educator Award (2015) and recognition by Am-Pol Eagle as a 鈥淐itizen of the Year鈥 (2013). He currently serves as a board member for the Polish Arts Club of Buffalo, the Permanent Chair of Polish Culture at Canisius College, and the Kosciuszko Foundation, Western New York.
Affiliated Faculty in Poland
The Center and its affiliated faculty are dedicated to bringing international scholars to听麻豆国产AV听College for academic conferences and discussions of timely topics related to听Polonia, Poland, and the broader region of Central and Eastern Europe.
Dr.听S艂awomir听J贸zefowicz-听International Mobility Coordinator, American Studies Center, University of Warsaw听
Dr.听J贸zefowicz is听a senior听lecturer at the American Studies Center (ASC) and a guest lecturer at the Institute of Political Science, University of Warsaw.听 He teaches courses in political thought, contemporary ideologies, populism and radical politics, and American society.听Since 2016 he has also served as the International Mobility Coordinator at the ASC.听Since 2000 Dr. J贸zefowicz has been lecturing on the Polish historical and political experience听to foreign audiences both in Poland and abroad. In this role, he occasionally lectures at听Polonicum听- University of Warsaw and the European Academy of Diplomacy in Warsaw, and cooperates with the 麻豆国产AV College Study Abroad Program.听As the Kosciuszko Foundation Visiting Fellow at the State University of New York at Buffalo he taught courses within the Polish Studies Program in 2007/08 and 2008/09.听In September听2016, he delivered presentations on various themes at several institutions in the Buffalo area:听麻豆国产AV College,听Canisius College and听Villa Maria College.听听
Dr. J贸zefowicz is a graduate of the Institute of Political Science at the University of Warsaw, and he also holds a听Ph.D听from the Institute of Political Studies (Polish Academy of Sciences, 1999).听In 1994-1996, he served as the Coordinator of the Higher Education Support Program and several scholarship programs at the Stefan听Batory听Foundation. He was a Fellow of the USAID听professional program (1995) and the Fulbright听Summer Institute (1997). He was also a scholar听and grant holder at the University of London,听Birkbeck听College (1992), the New School for Social Research and UC Berkeley (1993).听听His听fields of study include political theory and thought, and American political culture. His publications include "Republika.听Rozwa偶ania o przemianach archetypu" (with S. Filipowicz and N.听G艂adziuk), in鈥The Republic.听Deliberations听on the听Changing听Archetype听(Warszawa 1995) and "Demokracja: rz膮dy rozumu czy polityczna poprawno艣膰" (with.听S.听Filipowicz听and P.听Perczy艅ski),鈥痠n听Democracy: Reign of Reason or Political Correctness听(Warszawa 2001).听听Dr. J贸zefowicz worked听as a researcher听at the Polish Academy of Sciences (Institute of Political Studies,听1991-2005) and as an academic teacher at the听Institute of Political Science, University of Warsaw (2000-2013). He was also听co-editor of the bi-yearly journal听Przegl膮d听Europejski听- The European Review听(2000-2005), and a听guest lecturer at听Pu艂tusk听School for Humanities (1997 鈥 2005) and听Collegium听Civitas听(2000-2007, 2009-2010).听
Dr.听Karolina听Krasuska-听Assistant Professor, American Studies Center, University of Warsaw听Dr.听Karolina听Krasuska听is Assistant Professor at American Studies Center at the University of Warsaw, Poland and the founding director of the research unit Gender/Sexuality at the ASC. She is the author of a monograph examining modernist poetry from a transnational, gender-oriented perspective听P艂e膰 i nar贸d: Translokacje听[Gender and nation: Translocations], Warsaw 2012 and a co-editor and co-author of the pioneer听Encyklopedia gender, Warsaw 2014. She is also the Polish translator of Judith Butler鈥檚听Gender Trouble听(Uwik艂ani w p艂e膰, Warszawa 2008). Her newest publication is a co-edited volume (with Andrea Peto and Louise Hecht)听Women and the Holocaust: New Perspectives and Challenges, Warsaw 2015. Currently, she is working on a project on gendered modes of the 21st-century Jewish-American fiction.
Professor听Tomasz听Pud艂ocki-听Professor of History,听Jagiellonian听University,听Krak贸w听
鈥嬧赌Academic Conferences
- 鈥淔or Your Freedom and Ours.鈥澨齈olonia听and the Struggle for Polish Independence.听Planned for September 2018. This conference will commemorate the听100th听anniversary of Polish independence. Presentations will deal with the Polish听diaspora听and its role in the long struggle that culminated in the creation of a new Polish state in 1918. While related conference activities will have a special focus on听Polonia听in Buffalo and other communities in Western New York and southern Ontario, conference sessions will deal with all听diaspora听communities 鈥 from Moscow (Russia) to听S茫o听Paulo (Brazil) and beyond.
- Death of Empires: A Multidisciplinary Conference on World War I听(September 2015). This international conference was organized by faculty from the English Department (Dr. Nancy听Marck听and Dr.听Hamish听Dalley), Visual & Performing Arts Department(Professor听Robert听Waterhouse), and History & Political Science Department (Dr. Penny听Messinger).
was also one of our collaborators for this international conference. The conference keynote speaker, Professor听Robert听Blobaum,听spoke on 鈥淭he Collapse of Empires: The View From Warsaw During World War I.鈥澨
+plus Polish Studies
Explore the important role of Poland in world history 鈥 with a special focus on the modern era 鈥 through coursework, study abroad, and service learning. This +plus cluster features the unique opportunity for students to learn more about Polish culture and to experience life in Poland today through study abroad. Select THREE courses from the following list. All courses are core-approved. Students may also propose related coursework from other institutions or relevant internships as substitutions.听Underlined courses听are offered each summer as part of the study abroad program in Poland.
- HST 206 20th Century Europe
- HST/IND 325 Introduction to Polish Culture听
- PHI/REL 309 The Holocaust
- HST 328 Multicultural Poland: History & Public Memory
- IND 348 International Service Learning (in Poland)
For more information, contact Dr. Andrew Kier Wise, Professor of History/Chair, Center for Polish Studies.听
Photo Gallery
For more information, contact Dr. Andrew Kier Wise, Professor of History/Chair, Center for Polish Studies.听