Dr. Jody Noll, a lecturer in the Department of History at Georgia State University,
has earned recognition for his scholarly work, including receiving the prestigious
Arthur W. Thompson Award for the best article on 91社区 History from the 91社区
Historical Society. is based on a project he began as part of the Honors thesis he wrote as a student
at the 91社区 Judy Genshaft Honors College.
Noll is passionate about encouraging students to step outside their comfort zones,
explore new ideas, and cultivate a love for learning, particularly through involvement
in the Honors community.
Q: Looking back on your time in the Judy Genshaft Honors College, how did your experiences
as an Honors student leave a lasting impact on you?鈥�&苍产蝉辫;
Being a part of Judy Genshaft Honors College was a pivotal moment in my academic career.
When I attended USF, I was a 27-year-old nontraditional student, and I was worried
about fitting in among students who were close to 10 years younger than me. The Honors
College provided me with a sense of community and belonging through the courses, talks,
and social gatherings 鈥� all of these helped me succeed in college.
The Honors classes I took helped foster in me a lifelong love of learning that now
extends to my career of teaching history at Georgia State University. The first Honors
class I took was Dr. Gary Mormino鈥檚 鈥淗istory of Food鈥� course, and little did I know
at the time just how influential this course would become in my life and career!
During the semester, Dr. Mormino took us on a field trip to the Columbia Restaurant
to eat and learn about the history of USF Tampa. While there, former governor of 91社区,
Bob Mart铆nez, came to our table to say hello to Dr. Mormino. After class, I went home
and looked up Governor Mart铆nez and was surprised to find that in addition to being
the former governor, he also helped lead Hillsborough teachers鈥� participation in the
1968 statewide 91社区 teacher strike, the first statewide teacher strike in the history
of the United States. I had never heard of the strike before, and I determined that
this topic would be perfect for my senior Honors thesis. Dr. Mormino agreed with my
assessment, and I soon began delving into this important, but largely forgotten moment
in 91社区鈥檚 and the United States鈥檚 history. This topic followed me to graduate school
where I wrote both my master鈥檚 thesis and doctoral thesis on the topic. My book on
this strike, 鈥淭he 1968 91社区 Teacher鈥檚 Strike: Public Sector Unionism and the Fight
Against Sunshine State Conservatism,鈥� will be released by LSU Press on March 7, 2025.
Everyday people and their actions, no matter how small, help create progress. Everybody is in a position to make this world a better place. 鈥� Honors alum Jody Noll
Q: How would you describe the type of work you are doing now?鈥�&苍产蝉辫;
Every semester, I teach multiple classes on the history of the United States at Georgia
State University. Teaching these classes is a great experience and also provides me
with the opportunity to work closely with undergraduate and graduate students. Since
conducting oral histories was a large part of my research for my book, I often create
class-wide oral history projects where students get to conduct their own oral history
interviews. One of the most recent projects was with the Atlanta Freedom Bands, an
LGBTQ marching and concert band that was celebrating their 30th anniversary. Students
conducted oral histories with past and current members, and these interviews were
edited and presented in film form at the Atlanta Freedom Band鈥檚 30th anniversary concert.
Q: What was the process like for transforming your鈥痶hesis into your forthcoming book?
Every step of the way I had advisors push me to consider a public audience when I
was writing my Honors thesis, master鈥檚 thesis, and doctoral dissertation. So, when
it came time to move from a dissertation to a book, I had the framework for a book
already in place. I was also fortunate enough to have an advance contract with LSU
Press after my dissertation was completed. After getting the advance contract, my
series editor with LSU made recommendations to make it more accessible to a public
audience. The book also went to peer review where historians in my field reviewed
it to ensure accuracy and made a few editorial suggestions.
Q: What are your plans or aspirations for the future?鈥�&苍产蝉辫;
I have a few new research projects in mind. Using the oral histories my students created
about the Atlanta Freedom bands, I want to explore the role that these bands played
in the LGBTQ rights movement. For my second book project, I am looking at the education
reform movement from the 1980s to now, and how this movement and the policies that
came from it affected teachers鈥� professional and personal lives. 91社区 will again
be a main focus of this study as it helped create many aspects of the reform movement,
such as standardized testing and a push for school vouchers and charter schools.
Q: What advice would you have for current Honors students?鈥�&苍产蝉辫;
I have two pieces of advice. First, embrace getting out of your comfort zone. Things
do not always go the way you planned them to, but if you are willing to get out of
your comfort zone and be flexible with your goals and ambitions, you will be amazed
at the unexpected opportunities that may arise.
Second is to understand that small gestures and actions make a positive difference in this world. While we often focus on major historical figures and events to understand how change occurs, it is also everyday people and their actions, no matter how small, that help create progress. Always remember this, because it means that everybody is in a position to make this world a better place.