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History Professor earns Eastern's only 2025 CSCU Faculty Award

Scott Moore recognized for exemplary research

by Noel Teter

Willimantic, CT (06/12/2025) — History Professor Scott Moore is Eastern Connecticut State University's only recipient of a 2025 Board of Regents (BOR) Faculty Award. A native of Virginia Beach, VA, Moore is one of three recipients across the four Connecticut State Universities to be awarded for research.

The award takes into account a faculty member's past five years of research activity and requires the endorsement of colleagues. "It's always an honor to have your work recognized," said Moore. "It's very motivating to then keep up the effort and to maintain the momentum."

"Dr. Moore is an accomplished, generous, and publicly engaged scholar who brings his enthusiasm for historical research into the classroom," said Dean of Arts and Sciences Emily Todd. "He is the model of the teacher-scholar that we so value here at Eastern."

Much of Moore's research centers on community identity and storytelling. "What I try to do with my research is look at how communities form, how they think about themselves, what makes a community determine their space in the world, and who they are," he said.

Moore, a Virginia Beach native, recently published a book in May 2024 titled "The Witch of Pungo: Grace Sherwood in Virginia History and Legend." This book examines the folklore surrounding Sherwood, who infamously survived a trial by ducking in 1706 after she was accused of witchcraft by her Virginia neighbors.

In works such as this, Moore examines contemporary legends to explore how communities understand accusations like Sherwood faced. "I've really looked at ... how we use rumors and stories to discuss things like crime and criminality," he said.

Moore's award also recognizes his first book, "Teaching the Empire: Education and State Loyalty in Late Habsburg Austria," published in May 2020.

Moore strives to make his published works accessible and engaging for audiences beyond academia. He discussed what he calls "scholarship for blended audiences" at Eastern's Faculty Symposium on April 10.

"There's a huge interest in history, but historians usually don't write for audiences that are interested in history. ... That space then gets occupied by other authors," said Moore.

"Especially as a faculty member at a liberal arts university, it's really important that we write in ways that engage the broader audiences to let them know the importance of the work we do."

This is Moore's second BOR award; his first, in May 2023, was for teaching. Having received a BOR award before, he decided to apply for the Research Award after a conversation with history Professor and Department Chair Caitlin Carenen.

The application process follows several steps. "She writes a letter that outlines why the department is supportive," said Moore. "As the nominee, I then put together a five-page narrative of my research; not just what I accomplished, but how I approach my research, the way I conceptualize it."

Moore then received letters of support from history Professor Jamel Ostwald and colleagues and friends from elsewhere. "All these things require a lot of goodwill from people in your world to support you," said Moore. "The network is as big a part of it as the work itself."

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Eastern Connecticut State University is the state of Connecticut's public liberal arts university, serving upwards of 4,000 students annually on its Willimantic campus. A residential campus offering 41 majors and 68 minors, Eastern offers students a strong liberal arts foundation grounded in a variety of applied learning opportunities. Ranked among the top 25 public institutions in the North by U.S. News & World Report in its 2024-25 Best Colleges ratings, Eastern has also been awarded 'Green Campus' status by the Princeton Review 15 years in a row. For more information, visit www.easternct.edu.

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Scott Moore, history professor

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