William Connell, Seton Hall Professor of History and Joseph M. and Geraldine C. La Motta Chair in Italian Studies, has been recognized as a 2019 Andrew Carnegie Fellow.
The fellowship includes a $200,000 grant which is dedicated to research, publishing and writing in the humanities and social sciences.
According to Connell, the research will reflect changing ideas of citizenship in the Florentine region during the late 15th and early 16th century, in part, as a result of permit policy. Additionally, his discovery in the Archivo di Stato in Florence while analyzing a book of law, he recognized that these work permits can help understanding this mobile population.
According to the Seton Hall website, Connell has received the Villa I Tatti fellowship, the Presidential Award from the Columbian Foundation among many other accomplishments. Additionally, Connell has published an edition of “The Prince” by Niccolo Machiavelli in 2016.
Kevin Fallon, a junior history, said Connell is a tremendous lecturer and can vividly portray the lives of those who lived during Renaissance Europe.
“He is an extremely nice man and is always there to help his students,” Fallon said. “He keeps his courses interesting and is able to provide a plethora of information whilst still keeping things entertaining
“A man of his intelligence and skill is without a doubt the perfect choice for the Carnegie fellowship and I know he will continue to do great things.”
A panel of 16 jurors chose the Carnegie fellows, “based on the quality, originality and potential impact of their proposals, as well as each scholar’s capacity to communicate the findings to a broad audience.”
Michelle Mattei, a graduate history student explained how Dr. Connell shared his knowledge and enthusiasm in the classroom. She said that he is not haughty and wants students to explore the material.
“You could tell that Dr. Connell was enrapt in telling you the history of the Renaissance and the Reformation, he brings history to life in the classroom,” Mattei said. “You felt that you were walking down the cobblestone streets of Florence as well as Wittenberg.”
“The topic of immigration trends as well as associated regulations is a very timely topic,” Mattei said “It just proves that we do learn from history.”
Interim President Mary Meehan nominated Connell for the recognition as she has had a “longstanding respect and admiration for his scholarly work.”
“Dr. Connell is a wonderful example of the fine scholarship of our faculty,” Meehan said. “I could not be more delighted that he was selected for this distinction.”
Thomas Schwartz can be reached at thomas.schwartz@student.shu.edu.
