News and Events
Spring 2026 Newsletter
We the people of SDSU’s American Revolution and Constitution History Project, are bringing students, faculty, and community members together to discuss the history of the American Republic.
Civic engagement and expressions of patriotism are at historic lows in California. Many in San Diego feel disconnected from the history of the nation's founding, both geographically and historically. Through student-guided research, public engagement, and curated exhibits, ARCH is bridging the gap between America’s past and San Diego’s present. By hosting talks, workshops, and panels with historians, curators, and educational professionals, ARCH is fostering civic engagement within local communities.
Our goal is to cultivate a new, thoughtful form of patriotism that is rooted not in slogans or partisanship, but in curiosity, analysis, and public engagement. By studying how past Americans grappled with difficult questions of liberty, equality, representation, and power, SDSU students will gain insight into how those same challenges continue to shape our world today. Through their work with the ARCH Project, they will become leaders in building a more informed and inspired civic culture in San Diego, one that understands history not as something distant or out there, but as something we actively shape together.
Meet Our Faculty
Edward J. Blum, Ph.D.
College of Arts and Letters
Project Co-Director
Founding Figures Lab
Veterans and the Making of America Lab
Devanshi Unadkat, Ph.D.
College of Education
Project Co-Director
Civic Liberties Lab
Meet Our Student Fellows
Natalie Bishop
Major: English & Comparative Literature
Minors: Business Administration and Spanish
Alyssa-Victoria De La Ossa
Major: Social Science, Single Subject Teaching Credential
Derek Hadge
Liberal Arts & Sciences (M.A.)
Katelynn Jacques
Majors: Art History, History, and Cultural Studies
Jack Krepps
Majors: Political Science and Public Administration
Minor: History
Mark Martin
History (M.A.)
Sheamus O’Brien
History (M.A.)
Karina Repaire
History (M.A.)
Thomas Rogers
History (M.A.)
Ferdinando Scappaticci
History (M.A. War and Society Studies)
Kelly Sorber
History (M.A.)
Colby Tell
History (M.A.)
Mia Tumbaga
History (M.A.)
Donor Spotlight
The ARCH Project is proudly sponsored by the San Diego Shakespeare Society, which generously donated $1,000 to our program. The San Diego Shakespeare Society hosts monthly readings, panel discussions, and workshops to celebrate the remarkable legacy of William Shakespeare.
An undergraduate fellow from the ARCH team, Jack Krepps, will conduct exclusive research on the impact of Shakespeare and his works on the Founding Fathers and on early American society as a whole.
In commemoration of the 250th anniversary of the United States, Jack will further evaluate the correlation between Shakespeare and the events that unfolded in 1776, as well as existing Shakespearian notions regarding “independence” and governmental issues relevant to the subject.
Jack will subsequently give presentations to the San Diego Shakespeare Society itself, local schools, and theater groups to highlight the expansive nature of Shakespeare’s impact on the American Revolutionary period.
The Constitution, the Campus, and the Capital: Higher Education and Federal Power
Wednesday, Sept. 17, 2025
12-1:30 p.m.
Love Library, 2nd Floor Ground Level (open space between LL 261 Financial Markets
Lab and LL 205)
Featuring: Susan McWilliams Barndt, professor of politics at Pomona College and scholar on the U.S. Constitution
How should we understand the relationship between the federal government and higher education in the United States especially during moments of open conflict between administrations and universities? How did we get here? And what’s at stake in this clash, not just for higher education, but for the nation and our constitutional order?
Cosponsored by: The American Revolution and Constitution History (ARCH) Project and the Jack Miller Center.
Contact Us
Edward J. Blum, Ph.D.
Project Co-Director
Email: [email protected]
Devanshi Unadkat, Ph.D.
Project Co-Director
Email: [email protected]