LSUS history professors featured in Smithsonian lecture series

SHREVEPORT – Two LSUS history professors will again be featured in a Smithsonian Institution Museums lecture series this fall.

Dr. Alexander Mikaberidze and Dr. Cheryl White will give talks in their respective areas of expertise, continuing a relationship between the Smithsonian and the LSUS history department that dates to 2019.

“The fact that we have two faculty members lecturing in this series regularly speaks to the quality of faculty that we have here at LSUS,” said Mikaberidze, a Fulbright Scholar. “We have great faculty here that can compete on a national level.

“The lectures we give are a reflection of the original research we’ve conducted, and we’re honored to be associated with The Smithsonian.”

White will give an evening lecture Sept. 4 on the daily life in Tudor London (5:30-7:30 p.m.), what the typical citizen experienced during England’s explosion on the world stage in the 15^th and 16^th centuries.

“Events like this give us an opportunity to expand our audience,” said White, who has appeared as an expert on The History Channel’s ‘History’s Greatest Mysteries’. “We get to reach more people with what we like to talk about – and I think both Alex and I like to talk.”

Mikaberidze has three lectures on the docket this fall.

The first centers around the Marquis de Lafayette, a French aristocrat who fought in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War and a key figure in the French Revolution that followed. The lecture title is Lafayette: The Hero of Two Worlds Revisited (Sept. 17, 5:30-7:30 p.m.).

Mikaberidze’s most written about subject is The Napoleonic Wars, examining the global impact of France’s empire under Napoleon Bonaparte (Oct. 19, 9 a.m.-3 p.m.). The Napoleonic Wars: A Global Conflict is an all-day workshop that allows academics and other patrons a deep dive into Mikaberidze’s research and analysis.

The final lecture is Foundations of Freedom: The Documents That Shaped America and France on Dec. 5, 5:30-7 p.m.). Mikaberidze analyzes the foundations (and documents) of both independence movements.

All four events can be viewed virtually through Smithsonian Associates, the largest museum-based education program in the world.

“Before (the COVID-19 Pandemic, you would physically go to Washington D.C. and give these lectures,” Mikaberidze said. “But with these lectures now being virtual, it allows The Smithsonian to bring in a larger audience than the halls that could accommodate 150-200 people.

“(White) has drawn 600 people to her lectures before, while I bring in about 300-350 on a good day.”

The Smithsonian-LSUS connection originated from a local talk Mikaberidze gave about six years ago.

“A lady came up to me after an event and said she worked with The Smithsonian and asked about my interest in being part of their series,” Mikaberidze said. “What an honor that was, and I’ve been lecturing every season since 2019.

“A lot of people viewing my (Smithsonian) lectures tend to be professionals, especially retirees or active members of the State Department.”

White joined the series the following year in 2020, showcasing her research about The Shroud of Turin, which led to lectures on other topics like The Knights Templar, The Crusades, and various British historical subjects.

White’s Tudor London lecture is part of Smithsonian Associates’ online certificate programs, which allows attendees an immersive experience in particular subject matters.