Story and photo by Logan Jackson
During her time as a departmental lecturer in the University of Oxford’s Rothermere American Institute (RAI), Katherine Fapp interacted with a variety of students – even some from the University of Missouri. RAI and the Kinder Institute on Constitutional Democracy have collaborated in a variety of ways over the years, and Fapp – who lectured on U.S. History – had the opportunity to meet with several Mizzou students while at Oxford.
This fall, Fapp began teaching Tigers full time. Fapp joined Mizzou as an assistant teaching professor, with appointments in the Honors College, the Kinder Institute and the Department of History. Fapp is helping lead the Social Sciences Sequence in Honors, which includes two courses: Revolutions and Constitutions.
“Mizzou and Kinder were definitely on my radar, so when this position opened up, it seemed like a really good fit for me,” Fapp said. “Being part of the Honors College was a really great selling point as well. Hands-on learning is so vital for students, and I loved the fact that Honors has so many opportunities of that nature.”
The current version of the Social Sciences Sequence has been offered to students pursuing the Honors Certificate for the past two years. The two courses provide a complete picture of revolutions and constitutions in their historical and political contexts. The lectures are supplemented by speakers from a range of disciplines.
Along with Fapp, Billy Coleman (associate director for the Kinder Institute) and Matthew Frierdich (assistant teaching professor) teach the courses within the sequence. Fapp also leads an Honors Book Club course.
“It’s been really great to jump right in and begin interacting with Honors and Kinder students,” Fapp said.
Fapp grew up in Tucson, Arizona, and decided to pursue a history degree during her freshman year at the University of Arizona. She eventually graduated – summa cum laude – with a bachelor’s degree in history.
“As I began to think about a potential major, I sat down and thought about what I was good at and what I wanted to pursue in the future,” Fapp said. “History kept rising to the top of the list. It also felt like a degree that I could do a lot with.”
Fapp was active as an undergraduate student and her studies took her to England, where she studied abroad at the University of Nottingham.
“I was always interested in studying abroad, so I jumped at the chance to travel to England,” Fapp said. “I absolutely loved my experience there, and I knew that I wanted to continue my education overseas.”
Fapp was accepted to the University of Oxford for her graduate studies, where she earned her Master of Studies (MSt) from Pembroke College and her Doctor of Philosophy (DPhil) from St. Peter’s College.
Her MSt work focused on films about the Civil War and how those movies portray the events and people during that time. That research eventually led to a podcast idea – Flashback: American Historians on Movies. Fapp has been discussing a variety of films with various historians since 2022.
“I think about movies way too much,” Fapp said. “I love movies, and it’s interesting to me how we’re often introduced to historical concepts through film. The podcast has allowed me to have some really fun and insightful conversations about a range of films, not just those centered on historical events.”
Fapp’s DPhil study was on American woman suffragists in the Pacific World, with a focus on illustrating a new side of the transnational women’s suffrage movement and uncovering the development of feminist networks prior to the end of the World War I.
“Studying American history while in England was very eye opening,” Fapp said. “It was a totally different perspective, and it really influenced by work.”
After completing her DPhil, Fapp stayed at Oxford as a departmental lecturer.
“I was looking to stay at Oxford after completing my degree, and this opportunity opened at the perfect time,” Fapp said. “It was amazing. I had done a bit of teaching before, but I was able to do so much more through the position. I also had the opportunity to supervise undergraduate students and expand my ability as a professor. It definitely helped prepare me for my current role here at Mizzou.”