Staff Directory - Department of History

Staff List

Lorna Altstetter
Graduate Program Asst -Fellowships, GSIs
lornamae@umich.edu

1029 Tisch Hall
734-647-6205

Lorna maintains graduate student financial support data, processes fellowship/GSI awards, and monitors the multi-year financial support packages as well as Rackham Merit Fellowships for History graduate students. She also coordinates the financial application process, and works closely with the Director of Graduate Studies, the Graduate Coordinator, and the Fellowships Chair/Committee to determine fellowship awards and appointments. Students should contact Lorna with any questions they have related to their specific funding package. Lorna also handles supply ordering.

Sheila Coley
Curriculum Coordinator
sheilaw@umich.edu

1029 K Tisch Hall
734-647-4882

Sheila coordinates a variety of activities related to History’s curriculum planning, including but not limited to, planning, scheduling and maintaining the department’s time schedule. She works closely with the Associate Chair in curriculum planning, and the Department Administrator assisting with hiring visiting faculty. She also assists faculty with creating new courses and revising existing ones.
Sheila started her career at the University of Michigan in the Program in Linguistics in 1988. Moving to the Medical School in 1994, she quickly found that central campus was the place to be and began working in the Department of History in 1996 working with graduate students. Now in her current position as Curriculum Coordinator since 2006, she finds working mainly with faculty just as enjoyable.

Diana Denney
Graduate Program Manager
dianad@umich.edu

1029 P Tisch Hall
734-764-2559

Diana's primary responsibility is to troubleshoot any problems graduate students may have, particularly in relation to academic progress and/or funding. Diana acts as the liaison between the Director of Graduate Studies and the graduate program staff. She works closely with the Director of Graduate Studies, the graduate student services assistants, and Rackham to resolve issues as expeditiously as possible. Students may direct questions about program requirements and procedures to Diana. She will help ensure that students are making adequate progress to degree and taking the appropriate steps to maximize funding opportunities, both inside and outside of the department. Diana also serves as direct liaison for the Anthropology & History doctoral program.

Kathy Evaldson
Undergraduate Program Coordinator
evaldson@umich.edu

1029 Tisch Hall
734-647-6209

Kathy provides undergraduate students with advice, support, and up-to-date information about the history concentration and minor programs. She holds advising appointments and assists the concentration advisors, coordinates the History Honors Program, arranges graduation events, and maintains the undergraduate web site and email group. She also assists the Curriculum Committee and Phi Alpha Theta, the undergraduate student group.

Terre Fisher
Program Administrator: MEMS and STS
telf@umich.edu

2713 Haven Hall
734-763-2066

Terre coordinates the interdisciplinary Medieval and Early Modern Studies (MEMS) and Science, Technology & Society (STS) programs, where she assists the directors and program faculty, maintains websites and email groups, organizes events and visits, as well as providing support and gateway information for the MEMS and STS undergraduate and graduate programs.

Connie Hamlin
Executive Secretary to Chair and Associate Chair
chamlin@umich.edu

1029 Tisch Hall
734-763-2289

Connie handles general matters of departmental administration, including faculty promotions, award nominations, and position searches.

Karen Higgs-Payne
Financial Specialist Senior
khiggs@umich.edu

1029 M Tisch Hall
734-763-2342

Karen handles business and financial functions of the department. These include managing sponsored and non-sponsored research projects, multi-project funds and daily operations budget; preparing financial reports; analyzing financial data; processing expense reports and reimbursements; investigating and correcting discrepancies and irregularities; processing journal entries; reconciling departmental purchasing cards.

Dawn Kapalla
Academic Secretary
dkap@umich.edu

1029 Tisch Hall
734-764-6306

Dawn is responsible for the general needs of the faculty, including course-related materials and professional correspondence. She is part of the undergraduate support team and oversees the student office assistants.

Kathleen King
Graduate Program Asst - Admissions, Records
kmking@umich.edu

1029 Tisch Hall
734-764-6358

Kathleen is the coordinator for admissions and recruitment for the History Department. In addition, she tracks student milestone completion and maintains graduate student academic records. Students should contact Kathleen with administrative questions regarding their academic record, program requirements/procedures, and to schedule foreign language examinations, preliminary examinations, prospectus presentations and dissertation defenses. Kathleen works closely with the Director of Graduate Studies to ensure that students are making adequate progress to degree and serves as the staff liaison for the joint History & Women's Studies Ph.D. program.

Shelley Rettell
Events & Administrative Asst, Eisenberg Institute
rrettell@umich.edu

1521 Haven Hall
734-615-7400

Shelley assists in event planning, support, and execution for the Eisenberg Institute’s Thursday Series and Friday Workshops. In this capacity, she helps coordinate guest travel and lodging, as well as receptions and catering. Shelley is also the face of the institute; greeting visitors and guests, answering the main phone line and maintaining the EIHS conference room calendar. http://www.lsa.umich.edu/eihs

Shannon Rolston
Program Coordinator, Eisenberg Institute
srolston@umich.edu

1521C Haven Hall
734-647-5407

Shannon coordinates the Eisenberg Institute for Historical Studies Thursday Series and Friday Workshops, as well as EIHS initiatives in global history and K-12 outreach. She is responsible for fellowship coordination, publicity, web-site maintenance and preparing the annual EIHS budget. Shannon also works with the Director and Steering Committee to coordinate the EIHS events calendar, review funding requests, and establish and maintain Institute policies. http://www.lsa.umich.edu/eihs

Joan Wolf
Events Coordinator
joanwolf@umich.edu

1029 Tisch Hall
734-615-0874

Joan focuses on History Department sponsored events and produces communications including the annual newsletter, gift solicitations and thank you letters.

Diane Wyatt
Administrator
dwyatt@umich.edu

1029 L Tisch Hall
734-936-3021

Diane oversees overall budget, facilities, faculty and staff appointments, sabbatical and leave forms, and other HR processes. She is responsible for research, salary and gift accounts and supervises the office staff. She also serves as liaison between the Department and College; interprets University and College policies.

Faculty and Staff - Graduate Program - Undergraduate Program - Courses