A renowned Civil War scholar will join the West Virginia University faculty this fall as the first Eberly Civil War Studies Professor in the Department of History.

Peter S. Carmichael, whose scholarly research focuses on the American South and the Civil War, comes to WVU from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro to work with doctoral students, teach courses at the undergraduate level and engage in public outreach.

What is unique about this endowed professorship is that it brings together scholarship, teaching and service,Carmichael said.The position offers a wonderful unity among all three responsibilities as a professor.

The addition of a Civil War scholar to the departments faculty will strengthen the graduate level history curriculum in the Eberly College of Arts and Sciences and will offer students the chance to work with 19th century scholars whose research overlaps.

WVU has a reputation as a place where teaching, service and research are not viewed independently of each other,Carmichael noted.There is an organic relationship among all three fields, and I am excited for the opportunity to pursue my scholarly interests and to be able to work with graduate students.

Carmichael earned a bachelors in history from Indiana University at Indianapolis in 1988 and a masters degree and doctorate from The Pennsylvania State University in 1992 and 1996, respectively.

He was named a Mellon Research Fellow at the Virginia Historical Society in 2002 and also served as a scholar-in-residence at the Gettysburg National Military Park.

He has written and edited several books, includingThe Last Generation: Young Virginians in Peace, War and Reunion(Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 2005),Lees Young Artillerist: William R. J. Pegram(University Press of Virginia, 1995) andAudacity Personified: The Generalship of Robert E. Lee(Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press, 2004).

He is currently working on a book,Black Rebels,which will explore the experience of slaves who served as Confederate soldiers.

Carmichael hopes that the position at WVU will allow him to share knowledge not only with students, but with the public as well.

This provides an opportunity to take my research and make it accessible to a broader audience,he said.I believe Civil War studies will bring a great deal of attention to WVU and that it will attract the attention of potential students as well as the general public. This is a unique opportunity to connect with a range of audiences.

For more information, contact Steve Zdatny, WVU Department of History, at 304-293-2421 ext. 5243 or szdatny@wvu.edu .