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Rebecca Berens Matzke

• Ph.D. in modern British history, modern European history, United States diplomatic history, Cornell University
• M.A. in history, Cornell University
• B.A. in history and English, University of Nebraska

Hi! I’m Professor Matzke, and I’ve taught history at Ripon College since 2003. While my PhD is in the history of modern Britain and Europe, I teach a variety of courses, including World History, the Cold War, and World War I, and Catalyst classes. I really enjoy teaching Public History, in which students think critically about all the ways non-academics learn about history (including museums and movies) and learn skills to create their own special public history projects. My scholarly interests include the role of Britain’s naval power in its foreign policy in the 19th century, British propaganda to the U.S. in World War I, and the reception of Atlas missiles in Nebraska during the Cold War. I love history, and I hope my enthusiasm makes my students love history as well!

Sarah Frohardt-Lane

• Ph.D., University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
• B.A., Swarthmore College

I teach a variety of courses in United States history and global environmental history. I got interested in history when I realized that people could have different interpretations about historical developments and that those varying interpretations could shape how we view ourselves and our relation to one another. I decided I wanted to be a history professor before I headed off to a liberal arts college, and then got interested in other pursuits, including anti-poverty work and being a park ranger. When I figured out that I could combine these interests in the study of US history, I decided I wanted to go into history after all. I’m thrilled to be working at Ripon, as part of a wonderful college community, teaching history and environmental studies. One of my favorite aspects of teaching at Ripon is when I get to know students over multiple courses during their college experience. My research interests combine my background in race and environmental history in 20th century U.S. history, and I’m currently examining the history of lead poisoning from drinking water. Some of the courses I teach include U.S. History 1815-1914, U.S. History 1914-Present, United States Environmental History, Prisons and Punishment in American History, The Civil Rights Movement, Natural Disasters in World History, and World War II Home Fronts.

Brian Bockelman

• Ph.D., in History, Brown University
• A.M., in History, Brown University
• A.B., in Religion, Dartmouth College

Hi! I grew up in Lincoln, Nebraska (about 25 miles from Prof. Matzke!) and did my studies in New England and abroad before coming to Ripon in 2008. I am a specialist in Latin American history (Mexico, Brazil, Cuba, etc.) but also teach a wide variety of courses at Ripon, from historical methods to the history of cartography to the history of the modern world as seen through the evolution of soccer, the global game. Someday I’ll get brave enough to offer a class on Japan, a side interest ever since a high school friend moved there. My research and writing focus on the intellectual, cultural, and environmental history of modern Argentina, which has some surprising similarities to our country, especially Chicagoland and the greater Midwest. These days I live in Madison with my wife Emma (a history professor at Northern Illinois University), son Teddy, and annoying cat Basia.

If you would like to learn more about my scholarship or other professional activities, feel free to peruse my CV.