Lillian Williamson, Our 2022-23 Managing Editor Says Farewell!

The 2022-23 school year marks my fourth and final year as a member of The Historical Review. When I co-founded this journal in 2019 as a freshman, I did so with the intention of making historical scholarship more accessible to all students. Most academic journals only accept submissions from professionals, but the fact is that undergraduates are producing some of the most unique, significant, and creative historical research. Just like those further along in their careers, young scholars also deserve a place for their work to be spotlighted, and a chance to go through an academic review process by their peers.

The Historical Review is not meant to just copy the work of more established journals. It's meant to be a unique place where young people can come together and explore ideas, develop skills, and think critically without the fear of judgment or the pressure of a grade. As one of a small handful of UW journals that accept undergraduate work, and one of only a half-dozen undergraduate historical journals nationwide, the Historical Review offers something unique.

Despite not being a history major myself, I've always had a deep appreciation for the insight that looking into history can provide to all other fields, including my own majors of political science and environmental studies. It's been an incredibly meaningful experience to deepen my understanding of the field in this way. Just like it did for me, The Historical Review has served as an entrypoint into history for many history majors and non-majors alike.

Building The Historical Review has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my undergraduate career. From the immense technical processes involved with building the journal's infrastructures, to the hours of tabling in the Quad encouraging people to join, The Historical Review has been a labor of love. In my fourth year as the Managing Editor of the journal, I feel immensely grateful to have worked alongside so many amazing Editors-in-Chief over the past four years, most notably Wendi Zhou and Sierra Muehlbauer. Wendi Zhou, who was a co-founder of the journal and participated from 2019-2022 has left a significant mark on the UW through her scholarship in international relations. Sierra Muehlbauer, this year's Editor-in-Chief, is one of the most talented and careful editors and organizers I have ever had the pleasure of meeting.

I'm grateful to warmly hand this journal off to this year's executive team, Editor-in-Chief Makenna Page and Managing Editor Asa Madarang. Both are talented, intelligent, and driven individuals who I'm confident will take The Historical Review to new heights. I hope that The Historical Review can continue to serve as a place for experimentation, creativity, and peer-to-peer collaboration without the pressure of a stern academic environment. I hope that we can expand our readership and our authorship to a more diverse group of students, and that we can cement the 

Historical Review as not just an integral part of the UW community, but as a part of the Seattle community.

This Spring, I will be graduating Magna Cum Laude Phi Beta Kappa in Environmental Studies & Political Science, with interdisciplinary, departmental, and college honors, and as the College of the Environment’s Undergraduate Deans’s Medalist and gonfaloniere. I depart in September for a year-long Fulbright grant in Madrid, Spain, where I will be teaching and working with an environmental non-profit. When I return to the U.S., I plan to work in environmental policy, using the interdisciplinary perspectives I’ve learned at The Historical Review to help me advocate for environmental justice.

I am immensely grateful for the opportunity to have served as your managing editor from 2019-2023. Thank you for your faith in me, this journal, and in the strength of undergraduate scholarship.

Lillian M. Williamson