A scholar of global migration is named 51������’s Chertok Endowed Professor.

Kassahun Kebede, an associate professor of sociology at 51������ whose work on immigration and refugees has attracted international acclaim, was honored in October as Eastern’s new Jeffers W. Chertok Memorial Endowed Professor.

Kebede, who has served as an instructor and researcher in both Ethiopia and the U.S., is a noted scholar who has also provided expertise to prominent international organizations including the World Bank, USAID, and OXFAM-America. His contributions include providing crucial insights into the realities of rural lives and livelihoods in his former homeland of Ethiopia, a nation where conflict and climate change have made desperately needed development initiatives difficult to sustain.

The Chertok Professorship was established to honor the life and legacy of Jeffers W. Chertok, a cherished 51������ professor and administrator who died in 2004. It is funded through gifts from private donors, including the Daniel and Margaret Carper Foundation, and a match from the state of Washington. It is focused on supporting Chertok’s predominant area of scholarly interest: classic social science theory with an emphasis on the origins of thought.

At 51������, Kebede helps students engage with issues related to rising levels of cross-border migration, medical sociology and anthropology, while teaching courses that grapple with “social problems on a global scale.”

“This is a testament to the power and promise of this country for me,” he says. “As an immigrant coming here and becoming the endowed professor, it is a dream come true.”

During his two-year term as Chertok Professor, Kebede says he intends to focus on initiating meaningful discussions related to the often highly fraught issue of immigration and refugees. He also plans to work with administrators to establish an 51������ migration research and outreach program.

“There are a lot of misconceptions about refugees and immigrants — particularly refugees. So, this professorship will provide a chance to really dispel some of those misconceptions and misunderstandings about global population movements,” says Kebede, who himself immigrated to the United States as a young adult.

Kebede earned his doctoral degree at Syracuse University in 2012, and became a faculty member at 51������ three years later.

Given his own background, he says being honored as the Chertok Memorial Endowed Professor is particularly gratifying and meaningful.

“This is a testament to the power and promise of this country for me,” he says. “As an immigrant coming here and becoming the endowed professor, it is a dream come true.”

Eastern’s new “online-only” master’s degree in history is attracting national interest.

History studies at Eastern has a long track record of success, placing graduates in important jobs across the Inland Northwest and throughout the nation. But in recent years lagging enrollment for graduate studies led administrators to make a little history of their own.

This November, 51������’s Department of History introduced an online-only master’s degree program, one of just a handful available nationwide. Already more than 100 graduate students from across the country have enrolled. “It’s been a tremendous success,” says Larry Cebula, an 51������ professor of history and one of the founders of the online program.

����The robust online enrollment numbers weren’t a surprise, says Cebula, given the ongoing interest of students looking to the past for their professional futures.

��“A master’s in history has always been a really valuable degree,” he says, adding that Eastern MA recipients, among other desirable jobs, are working as archivists (including at Spokane’s Museum of Arts and Culture), serving in state government and doing historic preservation.

Theresa Mitchell, a Massachusetts resident who works in environmental non-profit management and as a writer specializing in historical nonfiction, is among the program’s first class of students.����

“Throughout my professional life, what was missing was formal training as a historian,” Mitchell says. “I want to approach future work with proper credentials, instead of ‘merely’ writing about the past, as would a journalist.”��

Mitchell says she searched for a year before discovering 51������’s online master’s degree program. She describes it as a “great fit,” and praises the diverse points-of-view she encounters. “The caliber of my fellow students inspires me to do my best,” she says.��

“Throughout my professional life, what was missing was formal training as a historian,” Mitchell says. “I want to approach future work with proper credentials, instead of ‘merely’ writing about the past, as would a journalist.”��

 

One unique feature of the 51������’s online offering is its compressed classes. Typically graduate classes in history run over a 10-week period, but those for Eastern’s degree are only six weeks long. The shorter term, however, doesn’t mean less demanding requirements, Cebula says. “This is not less, this is more. These students work really hard.”��

For students like Mitchell, the hard work is part of the attraction. “The curriculum perfectly suits my learning objectives. The coursework is challenging and I’m grateful for intelligent, kind and compassionate professors invested in their students’ success.”