Emerging Scholar honoree brings history to life

KALAMAZOO, Mich.—Through books, public history projects and community partnerships, Dr. Evan Kutzler has connected historical research with students, community members and readers. The Western Michigan University associate professor of history is receiving the Emerging Scholar Award for research and public history projects that span Civil War prisons, African American history, historic preservation and local history.

“Dr. Evan Kutzler represents the best of publicly engaged scholarship,” says Dr. Chris Cheatham, provost and executive vice president for academic affairs. “His innovative work brings overlooked histories to light and makes rigorous historical research accessible to audiences well beyond the University. Through his publications, digital projects and community partnerships, he is advancing his field while helping people better understand the histories of the places around them. This award recognizes both the impressive body of work he has already developed and the exciting trajectory of his scholarship.”

Kutzler will be formally recognized at the Fall Awards Celebration alongside recipients of the Distinguished Faculty Scholar, Distinguished Service, Distinguished Teaching and annual Make a Difference awards. The event on Friday, Oct. 2, begins at 11 a.m. in the Fetzer Center’s Kirsch Auditorium.

“Dr. Kutzler is an exemplary candidate for this honor, as his career thus far has masterfully and gracefully demonstrated the multi-dimensional and publicly influential roles of a modern historian as a scholar-citizen. Western Michigan is fortunate to have him as part of its scholarly community,” wrote Anne Mitchell Whisnant, a historian and an associate professor at Duke University.

Since earning his doctorate in 2015, Kutzler has authored or edited five books and published on topics ranging from Civil War incarceration and sensory history to public memory and African American history. His book “Living by Inches: The Smells, Sounds, Tastes, and Feeling of Captivity in Civil War Prisons” introduced new approaches to understanding the experiences of Civil War prisoners and earned recognition for its innovative perspective.

At WMU, Kutzler combines research with Experience-Driven Learning opportunities that connect students with communities beyond the classroom. Through projects in digital humanities, historic preservation and local history, students apply historical methods in real-world settings. One current initiative focuses on Kalamazoo’s historic settler cemetery in South Westnedge Park, where students are helping document and interpret the site’s history through research and digital exhibits.

Kutzler’s work also reaches audiences beyond the University. He has created digital history tours, partnered with museums and historical organizations, contributed newspaper articles, and delivered public presentations on topics ranging from Civil War history to local heritage. His latest book project, “Framing Rosa Lee Ingram: Stories of Self-Defense, Murder, and Jim Crow Justice in the American South,” examines a nationally significant case and explores questions of race, gender and justice in the Jim Crow South.

“By any measure, Dr. Kutzler is incredibly productive,” wrote Dr. Sally Hadden, professor of history at WMU. “Beyond his scholarly output, he has embraced the mandate as a public historian to engage his students and the general public through projects, public talks, podcasts, driving tours, and newspaper columns to learn more about the history of their region and community.”

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