University of Richmond President Edward L. Ayers will present the 2013 Gregory Distinguished Lecture Oct. 24 at 3:30 p.m. in the Chapel. Ayers’ talk, “What Was Gettysburg, Anyway?,” is open free to the public.
A historian of the American South and professor of history at the University of Richmond, Ayers is an expert in Civil War era history and a pioneer in digital approaches to historical pedagogy and scholarship. His books include Promise of the New South, a Pulitzer and National Book Award finalist; and In the Presence of Mine Enemies, winner of the Bancroft Prize. The co-host of the public radio program and podcast “BackStory with the American History Guys,” Ayers received the 2012 National Humanities Medal from President Barack Obama in a July 10 ceremony at the White House.
In addition to his lecture, Ayers will spend time at UGA as a visiting scholar in the history department, hosting a seminar for graduate students as well as consulting on the new Digital Humanities Initiative.
“Dr. Ayers is a pioneering figure in both Civil War era studies and digital humanities, areas of deep interest to the department and our university,” said Stephen Berry, the Amanda and Greg Gregory Professor of the Civil War Era and co-director of the UGA Center for Virtual History. “As his accomplishments and involvements attest, he has been extremely successful at making history engaging to the public.”
