Logan Banks is a senior majoring in political science and minoring in history. Logan was born in Tampa bay his family moved to Virginia when he was in middle school. In his spare time Logan likes to listen to music, read, and watch movies. He also plays sports when he has the time. He is looking forward to the trip as an opportunity to learn about the Holocaust. As well as experience a different culture.
Melonie Bourque is a senior majoring in History with a minor in Public Law in the concentration of Law and Society. She has been involved working with legalities for many years, and enjoys the fact that each day is different from the other. After graduation Melonie will stay on at ODU to persue a Masters degree in International Studies. Kelly grew up in a military family and has traveled everywhere, but the place calls home is Wisconsin. She travels back home with her family annually to reconnect with wilderness and family. Not a day goes by when she isn’t her girls on the lake fishing. Melonie is a mother to three girls. Her oldest is about to graduate from high school and continue on with her education in the western part of the state. When Melonie does find some downtime for herself, she enjoys reading historical literature or being outdoors with her girls.
Kelly McCorkindale is a junior in the IDS Teacher Prep (PreK – 6) program. Her heart isn’t quite set on a specific grade level, but eventually she would love to instruct and prepare college students to become future educators. Kelly was born in Germany, though she calls Virginia Beach home since she has resided there from the time she was a toddler. Kelly’s family is extremely important to her, which is part of the reason she stayed so close to home for college. She is in the middle of three sisters, and the proud aunt of a five-year-old niece, one-year-old nephew, and two-year-old golden retriever pup. She enjoys spending time with friends and family, attending sporting events and concerts, binge-watching Netflix, and eating Chick-fil-a. Kelly looks forward to the journey that lies ahead, knowing this experience will be one she will carry with her for the rest of her life.
Daniel O’Connor is a senior majoring in history and will be graduating this coming May. He hails from upstate New York and has two dogs, a golden retriever and a chocolate lab. His mother is of Jewish heritage so this trip will be of great personal significance to him. He is also a big baseball and football fan and absolutely loves the Yankees and Patriots.
Elena Simon is pursuing her bachelors degree in interdisciplinary studies as well as a certificate in diversity studies. She is an avid reader and deep thinker concerned by the realities of international migration and its impact on the human experience, the changing tides of politics and leadership, and how the intersectionality of identities affects dimensions of oppression. Her background in living and traveling abroad have shaped who she is, her perception of the world, and how we treat each other. After graduation, Elena aspires to join the Peace Corps and dedicate her time to assisting others by supporting the sustainability and empowerment of at-risk populations. Her outside interests biking, practicing yoga, spending time outdoors, and cooking for her friends and family.
Kaerra Smiley is a veteran of the U. S. Army. He is currently working as government contractor in the environmental remediation field. Kaerra earned his BS in Geography and a BA in History at ODU in 2017. He is currently preparing to return to ODU’s campus in 2020 to earn a master’s degree in History, followed by a master’s in Geography. His study interests include Historical GIS, East Asian History, The Ottoman Empire, and the 20th Century. When Kaerra isn’t studying or working, he likes to play board games, sports, cards, and video games. He is looking forward to expanding his knowledge of the Holocaust, and continuing to work on producing geographic research that may aid in our understanding of this dark period in human history.
Dr. Annette Finley-Croswhite is a scholar and historian with a focus on the history of religious and political violence. She has always been intrigued by the hatreds generated by religions. Her main area of focus is France, and she is a “French historian.” She has published on the French wars of religion in the 16th century and crimes against humanity committed during the Shoah. She also publishes on the history of medicine and on political violence in France in the 1930s and 1940s. Never one to sit still (physically or intellectually), she has lately become completely fascinated by historical geography,and is thrilled to be working with Dr. Chapman on this Study Abroad. When Dr. Finley was a teenager (around 18-19), she fell in love with Isaac Bashevis Singer novels that often are set in Warsaw in the pre-war period. She credits her fascination with Poland and the rich history of Yiddish culture before the Holocaust to the world Singer created on Krochmalna Street in Warsaw in his novels. That teenage exploration of literature certainly inspired the Study Abroad trips she created some four decades later. Dr. Finley is a total travel-junkie and is probably happiest trekking through foreign locales, planning her next trip and/or making new friends abroad! She doesn’t even mind airplane rides! The picture attached was taken in front of a street mural in Kraków. She can’t wait to show it to you because, in the end, Dr. Finley really loves traveling with students and teaching Study Abroad.
Dr. Tom Chapman is a cultural geographer with over 20 years practical experience in geographic information systems (GIS). His research interests mostly revolve around examinations of the historical landscape from a social justice point of view. He also does work in the geo-humanities using visualization techniques to enrich cultural and historical narratives. He teaches a variety of cultural geography courses at ODU and in geo-spatial techniques. Dr. Chapman’s current primary interest is studying the Holocaust as a geographical strategy of human movement, dispersal, concentration, suffering, and secrecy. He hails from Michigan, so midwestern DNA runs through his veins. His Boston Terrier is pretty much in charge of his life. In his downtime, he likes to play in his greenhouse with his large orchid collection.