History Graduate Student Association (HGSA)

The NIU History Graduate Student Association (HGSA) is a student-run organization that provides opportunities for academic collaboration, professional development, and social engagement while promoting the discipline of history in a supportive intellectual environment.

Each spring, we host a national conference showcasing graduate student research and a keynote by a distinguished historian. The 17th conference welcomed participants from NIU and across the United States and Canada, and featured Dr. Mary Hicks of the University of Chicago, whose keynote Researching in the Para‑Archives of Slavery: Methods for History from Below explored ways to uncover silenced voices and gaps in the historical record.

We are planning for the HGSA 2026 Annual Conference, which will take place on the NIU campus in April. Stay tuned for more details.

2025-26 Officers

• Yakubu Naporo- president
• Jacob Rigby- vice president
• Grant Kolean- secretary
• Kaylee Van Der Steeg- treasurer
• Juliana Garcia- social chair
• Tayleigh Greene- media chair
• Damián Fernández - faculty advisor