2017 Outstanding University Teacher Award Winner, Tenure Track

Richard L. Hughes, Ph.D.

Ph.D. in History from University of Kansas (2001)
Associate Professor, Department of History

Teaching Philosophy

Conceptualizing my class as a history laboratory centered more on questions than answers, I increasingly organize my courses around valuable historical evidence and opportunities for students to develop the historical thinking skills that inform the discipline.

My motivation to become a college professor comes from

Growing up in a multiracial and multicultural Central Texas in the wake of the sixties and later teaching at an urban high school in North Carolina, I developed a passion for the discipline of history from an interest in how race, social class, and gender shaped America, both past and present.

The three most valuable methods that I bring to my teaching practice are

A passion for teaching and learning history

Focusing on learning outcomes and finding creative, relevant ways to assist students in reaching those outcomes

Embracing opportunities for feedback and reflection

The most challenging aspect of teaching for me

A willingness to cover less traditional content in favor of creating meaningful and student-centered experiences with historical content and methodology.

Photo of Richard Hughes — “Teaching history offers an invaluable opportunity to assist students as they develop into engaged citizens capable of understanding the challenges of a diverse and evolving American society.”