ABERDEEN, S.D. – Northern State University Professor of History Dr. Steven Usitalo has participated in two recent international workshops, and also has a book chapter and article forthcoming in separate publications.
"Our Science has Surpassed the West: Lomonosov as a Soviet Newton, or Franklin, or indeed Both," will be published in “Biography for the Masses: The Lives of Remarkable People in Russia (1890-the present), vol. 2” (Lexington Books, 2021). In this chapter, Usitalo analyzes how Soviet political and cultural leaders used science as a way to argue that scientific achievements in the Soviet Union far surpassed so-called Western Science.
Also, Usitalo’s essay, "Sergei Parajanov, Ispoved', and Armenian Identity," will be published in the upcoming “Studies in European Cinema.” This piece examines a script and unreleased film by Armenia's most celebrated film director, the late Sergei Parajanov.
Usitalo also recently participated in the British government-funded research network, Legacies of the Roma Genocide in Europe Since 1945. He took part in their two most recent workshops, first in Paris, and then London. He has begun work on a book-length project on the Roma Genocide and its aftermath, in German-occupied territories in the Soviet Union during World War II. This work will entail extensive archival work in Russia and Ukraine especially.
Usitalo has worked at Northern for 15 years. He earned his bachelor’s degree in history from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor; his master’s certificate in political history at the University of Helsinki; his M.A. in Soviet and East European Studies from Carleton University in Ottawa; and his Ph.D. in history from McGill University in Quebec. A Fulbright Scholar, Usitalo spent the 2011-12 academic year teaching in Armenia.
About Northern State University
Northern State University is a student-centered institution that provides an outstanding educational experience, preparing students through the liberal arts and professional education for their future endeavors. A regional university, Northern offers rigorous academics; diverse civic, social and cultural opportunities; and a commitment to building an inclusive environment for all points of view. Northern also offers a broad-based athletics program, sponsoring 15 NCAA Division II intercollegiate varsity sports that compete in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (NSIC). The university strives to enrich the community through partnerships such as its Educational Impact Campaign, which opened a new South Dakota School for the Blind and Visually Impaired; new athletic and recreation fields; and, soon, an on-campus regional sports complex. With the $55 million campaign, NSU has been the recipient of more than $120 million in privately funded building projects and scholarships within a decade. To learn more, visit NSU Admissions.