2026 Texas Conference on Introductory History Courses

Event Type

AHA Regional Conference

AHA Topics

Academic Departmental Affairs, K–12 Education, Teaching & Learning, The History Major, Undergraduate Education

Location

Austin, TX

Event Description

The 2026 Texas Conference on Introductory History Courses will take place Friday, September 25 and Saturday, September 26 at St. Edwards University in Austin. This statewide conference focuses on issues, challenges, and opportunities associated with introductory courses in US and world history that many students will encounter at several stages in their education, whether in middle and high schools, community colleges, or four-year universities. Attendees will participate in workshops, network with colleagues from across the region, and hear from leading history educators. We invite educators at all levels to join us in discussing our shared interest in student success.

The conference is free to attend and meals will be provided. The event will run from 10:00 PM-5:00 PM Friday, and 9:00 AM-3:00 PM Saturday.

Location: Registration and the plenaries will take place in the Mabee Ballroom, on the third floor of Ragsdale Hall. The full schedule is below. Print programs will contain room assignments for breakout sessions.

Parking:

On-campus parking is available for $3 total, for two days. Parking Lot F is close to registration in Ragsdale Hall. Attendees should either use this link—https://vpermit.com/stedwards/ClaimableEvents/Claim—and enter their information and the claim code: HISTORY

Or you may use the QR Code and it will take you straight to the form with the code already entered:

Once you have filled out the information and clicked the “Start” button you will receive confirmation that you have registered for event parking. Vehicle registration for this event allows parking in all Standard (Green), Economy (Yellow), and Faculty (Black) lots.

Campus Parking Map

Accommodations: For those looking at lodging close to St. Edward’s, there is no conference hotel, and you should feel free to stay where you like. Please be aware, however, that the Village Motor Inn and the Bel Air Motel are unlikely to meet your expectations.

Featured Speakers

Photograph of a man, Brandon Griggs, smiling

Brandon Griggs, Ph.D., serves as Assistant Commissioner for Academic and Health Affairs at the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. In this role, he provides strategic leadership for statewide academic policy, academic program approval and review, transfer and curriculum alignment, institutional authorization and oversight, health professions education, and health-related grant programs. He works with institutions, state agencies, policymakers, and other stakeholders to advance academic quality, strengthen student pathways and progression, address workforce needs, and support the goals of Building a Talent Strong Texas.

Dr. Griggs also leads the development and implementation of policies and initiatives related to the Texas Core Curriculum, Fields of Study, Texas Direct, common course alignment, graduate and professional education, and health workforce capacity. He advises agency and Board leadership on complex higher education issues and represents the Coordinating Board before institutional leaders, professional organizations, state agencies, legislative offices, and other key stakeholders.

Previously, Dr. Griggs served as Assistant Vice President and Dean of Student Affairs and Chief Student Affairs Officer at Texas A&M University–Central Texas. During more than 20 years in higher education, he provided leadership for a comprehensive portfolio of student success and support programs, including academic support, career and professional development, student engagement and leadership, residence life, student wellness and counseling, and transition programs. Dr. Griggs has also taught graduate courses in higher education leadership, administration, organizational change, strategy, and human resources. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Tarleton State University, a Masters in Higher Education from Baylor University, and a Doctoral-Level Certificate in Strengths-Oriented Higher Education and a Ph.D. in Higher Education from Azusa Pacific University.

Emily Hermans is the Chief Educator for the Texas Historical Commission, where she leads education initiatives across the agency’s 42 state historic sites, supporting site educators and expanding the reach of site-based programs.

Emily has over 20 years of experience in the museum field. She has also worked for the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, the High Museum of Art, the National Trust for Historic Preservation, and the Michael C. Carlos Museum. She holds a bachelor’s degree in art history from Emory University and a master’s degree in museum education from The George Washington University.

Dr. Carlos Kevin Blanton is the Barbara White Stuart Professor of Texas History at the University of Texas at Austin in the Department of History. His books and articles involve the intersection of Chicana/o history with education, civil rights, immigration, politics, and Texas history, including George I. Sánchez: The Long Fight for Mexican American Integration (Yale University Press, 2014) and The Strange Career of Bilingual Education in Texas, 1836–1981 (Texas A&M University Press, 2004). He holds a 1999 PhD from Rice University, a 1995 MA from Southwest Texas State University, a 1993 BA from Texas A&I University, and has held faculty positions at Portland State University and at Texas A&M University before joining the University of Texas at Austin community in the fall of 2024.

Dr. Kate Rogers is a community leader and nonprofit executive serving as Chief Development Officer at the Tobin Center for the Performing Arts and Founder of Landmark Horizon Advisory. Previously, she served as President and CEO of the Alamo Trust, where she helped lead the $550 million Alamo Plan and secured nearly $90 million in private funding. Her career also includes leadership roles with H-E-B and the Charles Butt Charitable Foundation, where she helped launch the Holdsworth Center.

Provisional Program

Friday, September 25

9:00-10:00 AM Registration, coffee and light breakfast—Outside Mabee Ballroom

10:00-10:30 Welcome from Provost Marianne Ward-Peradoza (St. Edward’s Univ.). Agenda overview, Julia Brookins (American Historical Assoc.)

10:30-11:30 Data and Updates (with Q&A) from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. Brandon Griggs, Assistant Commissioner for Academic and Health Affairs.

11:30-12:00 Plenary: The Value of Teaching History Gateway Courses.

Theresa Jach (Houston City Coll.)
Gene Preuss (Univ. of Houston Downtown)

12:00-12:15 History in General Education. Julia Brookins (AHA)

12:30-1:20 Concurrent Sessions 1

Out of this World? The Western Civilization Course in Context. Kent McGaughy (Houston City Coll.), Grace Barry (Texas Tech Univ.), and Cynthia Ross (East Texas A&M Univ.)
What Will Future K-12 Educators in Texas Need from Introductory History Courses? Valerie A. Martinez (Our Lady of the Lake Univ.), Andria Crosson (Univ. of Texas at San Antonio)
Approaches to integrating AI in Intro Courses for Student Writing and Support. Taylor Tomlin (Texas State Univ.), Steven Mintz (Univ. of Texas at Austin)
Teaching African-American History. Dwonna Goldstone (Texas State Univ.)

1:30-2:30 Lunch, sponsored by The Teagle Foundation

2:40-3:55 Plenary: A General Education of Value, sponsored by The Teagle Foundation

Chair: Jonathan Lee (Alamo Coll.)
Nancy Baker (Sam Houston State Univ.)
Nicholas Cox (Houston City Coll.)
Ted Hadzi-Antich (Austin Community Coll.)
Daniel Glenn (St. Edward’s Univ.)

4:10-5:00 Concurrent Sessions 2

The Future of Higher Education, Steve Mintz (Univ. of Texas at Austin),
Navigating the Current Landscape of K-12 Civic Education, Joseph Kotinsley (St. Edward’s Univ.)
Discussion: Integrating Post-1970 History into Intro Courses (Mark Lawrence, Univ. of Texas at Austin)
Workshop: Everyone Participates! Structuring Class Discussion for Maximal Inclusion, Ted Hadzi-Antich (Austin Community Coll.)
Teaching Mexican-American History. Valerie A. Martinez (Our Lady of the Lake Univ.)

Saturday, September 26

8:15-9:00 AM Registration, coffee and light breakfast

9:00-9:15 Program Recap

9:15-10:30 Plenary: Teaching History during the Civics Turn

Daniel Watkins (Baylor Univ.)
Marjorie Brown (Houston City Coll.)
Meghan Dougherty (Del Valle ISD)
Joseph Kotinsley (St. Edward’s Univ.)

10:45-11:35 Concurrent Sessions 3

Understanding Texas’ New Social Studies Standards. Meghan Dougherty (Del Valle ISD) and David Howard (Univ. of Texas Rio Grande Valley)
Measuring the Value of History to a Well-Rounded K-16 Education: ROI and Workforce Readiness. Julia Brookins (AHA)
Teaching Women’s History in Texas Today. Jessica Pliley (Texas State Univ.)
Immersive Learning, Civic Education, and The Great Experiment. Warren Hofstra (Shenandoah Univ.)
Workshop: Assignment Show-and-Tell. Nancy Baker (Sam Houston State Univ.)

11:50-12:40 Concurrent Sessions 4

Workshop: Mapping the Past: Using ClioVis to Ground Historical Thinking and Slow Down the Use of AI. Erika Bsumek (Univ. of Texas at Austin) and Alina Scott (Univ. of Texas at Austin).
Museums and Historic Sites in a Changing Educational Landscape. Kate Rogers (independent, formerly The Alamo Trust), Emily Hermans (Texas Historic Commission), Carlos Blanton (Univ. of Texas at Austin).
Discussion: Dual Credit History Courses and Issues [Facilitators TBC]
Discussion: Can Historians Teach Western Civilization for the Twenty-First Century World? Kent McGaughy (Houston City Coll.), Grace Barry (Texas Tech Univ.), and Cynthia Ross (East Texas A&M Univ.)

12:55-2:00 Lunch

2:10-3:00 Closing Plenary: Aligning Policy to Our Learning Expectations: Currents Risks and Opportunities for Quality History Education. Julia Brookins (AHA) and Steven Mintz (Univ. of Texas at Austin)