About CHA

Chair

Mrinalini is a senior at Columbia College majoring in History and Mathematics who serves as CHA Chair. She is interested in intersections of gender, religion, and law, spanning the women’s movement in British India to exchanges between French missionaries and Enlightenment philosophes over Indian religion. She enjoys knitting, art, badminton, and learning new languages!

Specialization: Early modern European intellectual history

Favorite history book: Sex, Law, and Sovereignty in French Algeria, 1830-1930 by Judith Surkis

Vice Chair

Kay is a junior at Columbia College studying History and Political Science. She currently serves as the Vice Chair of CHA. She is interested in 20th-century international and diplomatic history, but she is always excited to learn new niche and fun historical facts. Outside of the classroom, she loves reading fantasy and science fiction novels, playing jazz music, and watching tennis!

Specialization: Histories of the Global Cold War

Favorite history book: Magnetic Mountain: Stalinism as a Civilization by Stephen Kotkin

Newsletter Coordinator

Tenley is a senior at Columbia College studying History. She currently serves as one of CHA’s outreach coordinators, and is the main author of the CHA newsletter. She is interested in Ancient Greek and Mesopotamian history, as well as Native American history in the 19th and 20th Centuries. Outside of school, she loves attending operas, reading historical fiction novels, and boxing!

Specialization: Ancient Mediterranean History

Favorite history book: Code Name Verity by Elizabeth E. Wein

Outreach Coordinator

Tymesha-Elizabeth is a senior majoring in History and Sustainable Development. She serves an Outreach Coordinator, developing content for CHA’s social media. She’s always loved history, and she loves to learn new history facts! Her hobbies include cheering, reading, and watching sports (Go Dawgs!).

Specialization: 19th and 20th C. United States History

Favorite history book: The Autobiography of Malcolm X by Malcom X, ed. Alex Haley

Outreach Coordinator

Kira (she/her) is a sophomore in Columbia College intending to major in History, with a special concentration in Public Health. She currently serves as one of CHA’s Outreach Coordinators. She is interested in the legal and social histories of women’s and LGBTQ+ rights and environmental health policy. In her free time, she enjoys playing squash (badly), rollerblading (even worse), and trying out dumpling spots in Chinatown (she’s pretty good at this).

Specialization: Gender and Sexuality History (Western)

Favorite history book: Coming Out Under Fire: The History of Gay Men and Women in World War II (by Allen Berube)

Outreach Coordinator

Belan is a sophomore at Columbia College majoring in History and Political Science, and serving as one of CHA’s outreach coordinators. She is especially interested in histories of decolonization and independence movements of the 20th century and legal American history. She also has broader interests in ancient Roman history, a result of studying Latin for a handful of years. In her free time, she enjoys taking geography quizzes, attempting to bake, and discovering new books to read with her friends.

Specialization: 20th Century Intellectual History

Favorite history book: Worldmaking after Empire: The Rise and Fall of Self-Determination by Adom Getachew

Mentorship Coordinator

Megan is a senior in Columbia College majoring in History and Applied Mathematics and serves as the Mentorship Coordinator of CHA. She is interested in the ways large historical events (especially both world wars) manifest in art and literature (especially in popular culture through fantasy and detective fiction literature). In her free time, she enjoys listening to Broadway music (and finding every affordable way to see Broadway shows); reading/writing fantasy literature/fanfiction; and eating/cooking/baking!

Specialization: Modern European history

Favorite history book: The Unpleasantness at the Bellona Club by Dorothy Sayers

Transfer and GS Student Coordinator

Sophia is a senior in Columbia College majoring in History and serves as the Transfer and GS Coordinator of CHA. She’s primarily interested in World War History and frequently researches how history manifests in films, social life, and sports. When not writing her thesis in Butler Big Room, Sophia enjoys surfing, playing water polo, hanging out with friends, and trying lots of new food.

Specialization: Modern Western European history

Favorite history book: All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque

Treasurer

Janus is a history major at Columbia College with wandering interests in classics, religion, and anthropology. Besides these preoccupations he is also a geography nerd, milk tea connoisseur, and wikipedia junkie. His ideal state is watching Minecraft redstone videos on Youtube while snuggled under his favorite blanket.

Specialization: 19th Century United States History

Favorite history book: Land of Desire by William Leach