Elizabeth "Libi" Sundermann, Ph.D.

My Professional experience includes fifteen (15) years teaching at universities. Before my academic career, I was a layout/copy editor for a daily newspaper.
As a competitively-hired lecturer at the University of Washington, Tacoma, I teach European and world history. Awards include UWT Outstanding Woman and nominations for the Distinguished Teaching award and for UWT OSCARs Adviser of the Year. I am active in faculty governances on the UWT Lecturer Affairs Committee, in professional advocacy with the UW chapter of the American Association of University Professors (AAUP), and in faculty labor rights as Secretary of External Communications for UW Faculty Forward Steering Committee. I was recognized by the AAUP with "Outstanding contribution: extraordinary leadership and advocacy to advance the conditions of Lecturers at the Univesrity of Washington: Courage in Pursuit of Excellence in Washington State Higher Education."
I maintain an active research agenda in history and higher education pedagogy. My additional background in print journalism includes research, reporting, editing, and design skills which contribute to my ability to communicate my research and knowledge to diverse audiences.

I teach modern European history with a focus on British (mostly English) history as well as a growing number of world history courses and the required research and writing course for history majors preparing to write a senior paper/thesis. The following descriptions of the courses I teach come from the UW Tacoma course catalog.

THIST 150: World History I: Surveys the social, political, economic and cultural history of the world from Prehistory to the 15th century.

THIST 151: World History II: Surveys the social, political, economic and cultural history of the world from the end of the 15th century to the present

THIST 203: Europe and the Modern World Political, economic, social and intellectual history of modern Europe.

THIST 260: Empires & Imperialism in World History: Examines world history of the Roman, Chinese, Mongol, Ottoman and Modern European empires and imperialism from ancient to modern times. Themes include empire as historical pattern related to political, economics and cultural spheres of influence and exchange.

THIST 375: British Empire: Examines origins, expansion and decline of British imperialism at home and abroad. Analyzes culture, society, economics and politics of British imperialism using scholarly, popular and primary sources from imperialists, anti-imperialists, colonists and the colonized.

THIST 380 Humanities Research and Writing: Covers developing a thesis, designing an outline, doing preliminary research, writing drafts and presenting a paper.

THIST 475: Twentieth Century Britain: Examines twentieth century British history, interpreting Britain's global role in the nineteenth century, its decline in the twentieth and its re-emergence as a Western leader in the twenty-first century. Covers history from the Boer Wars to the 7/7 London bombings.

SIAS Dean Search Committee (2015)

UWT Representative

2014 to 2016 UW AAUP Executive Board

Faculty member

Lower Division Revision Committee (Lead I&S team)

Senator

2013 to 2015 UWT representative to UW Faculty Senate

Co-coordinator (with Stephanie Lile, Education Coordinator at WSHS)

2013 to 2015 Interdisciplinary Arts & Sciences: “Scholarly Selections” at the Washington State History Museum

Lecture series featuring UWT lecturers’ scholarship open to the campus and public communities

Advisor/Panel Chair

2013, 2014 & 2015 UWT Undergraduate Conference

UWT Representative

2013 to 2014 Provost/Senate Tri-Campus Committee on Lecturer Affairs

Chair

2012 to 2014 Lecturer Affairs Committee (ad hoc under Faculty)

Developed committee webpage: www.tacoma.uw.edu/faculty-assembly/lecturer-affairs

Coordinated lecturer issues with UW tri-campus administration, faculty governance, and UW Senate, UW AAUP, and Provost/Senate Tri-campus Committee on Lecturer Affairs

Member

2013 to 2014 Native American search and hiring committee

Moderator

2013 Faculty Brown Bag Reading Group, Embracing Non-Tenure Track Faculty: Changing Campuses for the New Faculty Majority, ed. Adrianna Kezar

Faculty presenter

2013 Faculty Workshop: “History Mystery” Second Annual Pack Forest Retreat [for pre-major students]

Panelist

2012 "Teaching Research Skills: Developing Effective Assignments that Engage
Students with the Library and Scholarly Resources,” Cheryl Greengrove, Elizabeth Conner, and Libi Sundermann, University of Washington, Tacoma

Administrator

SHS Facebook page

(Interim for Michael Kucher 2014 to 2015) Digital Commons History Undergraduate Theses

Faculty Salary Working Group

IAS faculty salary working group

Faculty reviews

Teaching evaluation for IAS part-time lecturer Stephanie Lile and associate professor Michael Kucher

Member

UWT Phi Alpha Theta National History Honor Society

UWT interim faculty coordinator for one year