Brooklyn Heights

St. Francis College History Prof. named to ‘40 Under 40: Professors Who Inspire 2015’

March 25, 2015 Brooklyn Daily Eagle
Sara Haviland, a history professor at St. Francis College, has been named to the “40 Under 40: Professors Who Inspire 2015” list by NerdScholar. Photo courtesy of St. Francis College
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St. Francis College History Professor Sara Haviland is making a difference in the lives of her students, and now she’s been recognized for her work, being named to the “40 Under 40: Professors Who Inspire 2015” list by Nerd Scholar. NerdWallet is a consumer finance website that helps people make better financial decisions, and NerdScholar is the higher education branch of the site that offers advice and resources specifically for college students.   

Dr. Haviland was nominated by one of her students, Elizabeth Peralta (’15), who said that Prof. Haviland convinced her to stick with being a History major. “Now, after I graduate, I will be fulfilling one of my dreams and going to work at the Smithsonian in Washington, D.C.,” said Peralta.

To be named to the list, NerdScholar chose professors who leave “impressions on our lives that change the way we think, work and view the world around us.” Nominations for the professors have to show a professor’s “ability to captivate and engage students in the classroom, their outstanding involvement on campus and in the community, and their overwhelming passion for their subject matter.”

In addition to teaching History courses, Haviland has also written the forthcoming book, James and Esther Cooper Jackson: Love and Courage in the Black Freedom Movement.” 

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She has worked with the Brooklyn Historical Society’s Students and Faculty in the Archives project to teach history students about using archives as a tool to study civil rights in Brooklyn.  Haviland was also part of the American Historical Association’s Tuning Project, which helps promote the importance and relevance of being a History major. 

Haviland earned her Bachelor of Arts Degree from Mount Holyoke College and her Ph.D. from Rutgers University. Her favorite nerd is W.E.B. Du Bois.


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