Teaching “History Stuff”: Professor Wendy Beavers
Photo provided by Rampage student photographer Erin Bowers
“History stuff” is what Wendy Beavers, assistant professor of history at Bluefield University, hopes her students walk away with an interest in.
“I love to learn and teach new information,” Beavers said, “to see new students every semester who maybe never liked history, then to see some of them by the end of the semester say, ‘Hey, maybe this history stuff is pretty interesting.'”
Beavers relates to that sentiment. When she was a student at Bluefield College, now Bluefield University, Beavers was more interested in math but was encouraged to dive into history.
“I was inspired by two history professors here,” Beavers said. “Mr. David Armbrister (who wrote the history of the college in Lighthouse on the Hill) and Dr. Stuart McGehee. The way that they taught and their passion for history made me more interested in it.”
Beavers also aspired to teach like them while studying on the graduate level.
“I had opportunities to work on historical projects in and out of class that inspired me to pursue history in my graduate studies and to teach like them,” Beavers said.
Beavers also had many opportunities to explore the world through history’s lens by studying abroad, traveling to Europe, and visiting historical sites in the United States.
“To visit or stand where someone in history once was gives me chills and inspires me to learn and travel more to better understand the world that these figures in history lived in,” Beavers said.
Though Beavers has found rewarding experiences in places elsewhere, she finds a home at Bluefield.
“I had a great experience as a student at (then) Bluefield College,” she said. “I met my husband while we were both students and made several lifelong friends and colleagues. A number of faculty members became mentors to me and inspired me to teach at the college/university level.”
Besides teaching history, Beavers is coordinator of instructional technology, which means she helps students and faculty with instructional iPads and the university’s learning management system Canvas.
This semester and in the upcoming fall semester, Beavers will be teaching two online courses on the American Revolution and another online class based on the historical event of 9/11. She also regularly teaches World Civilizations, U.S. History, Roman Culture, Virginia History, and History of American Government and Politics.
Among these classes, Beavers says that her favorite historical topic is the ancient world, something she found a love for while a student.
“My favorite classes deal with the Ancient World — Egypt, Greece, and Rome — and I get to teach about those in World Civilizations I online in the summer and on campus and online in the fall, along with the course on Roman Culture and occasional special topics classes,” Beavers said. “I fell in love with ancient history while taking Western Civilization I when I was here as a student, and I love seeing how much the Ancient World impacts our world today.”
Having been with the university for 26 years, Beavers said she’s seen a lot of changes in the classroom, particularly with technology.
“I think that history teaches us about the past and present, but can also inspire our future,” Beavers said. “I embrace technology as a new way to bring the stories of history to students and facilitate learning.”
It’s plain to see that Professor Beavers is making her mark on the history pages of Bluefield University.