Alumnus John York to Kick Off 18th Annual Undergraduate Scholars Forum
Alumnus John York, Class of 2016, will officially kick off Westminster’s 18th Annual Undergraduate Scholars Forum (USF) with an exciting keynote address at 9 a.m. on April 17, 2025, in Coulter Science Center. Following the opening session, the USF will continue in concurrent sessions throughout the day at the same location, featuring original student work.
All USF activities are free and open to the public.
“We anticipate that John’s presentation will be interesting to students, faculty and staff alike, particularly our museum studies and history students, who will benefit from his varied experience in organizations across the United States,” says Dr. Kali Wright-Smith, Co-Director of the Center for Teaching and Learning and Associate Professor of Political Science.
York is a development officer with the Thomas Jefferson Foundation in Charlottesville, Virginia. He has worked extensively in the public history field, concentrating on oral histories, project management, community research and community engagement, to name just a few areas. These responsibilities followed York’s initial experience in public education at Grain Valley High School in Grain Valley, Missouri, where he taught AP and Introductory Psychology.
Since that time, York has worked with the Mahaffie Stagecoach Stop and Farm in Olathe; the Strawbery Banke Museum in Portsmouth, New Hampshire; and New York State History Day at State University of New York – Oneonta.
At Westminster, York was a Seminar mentor, an employee of America’s National Churchill Museum and a member of multiple honor societies. As president of the Missouri Beta chapter of Phi Delta Theta, he helped lead the chapter in winning the prestigious Kansas City Trophy.
York double-majored in history and secondary education at the College, graduating summa cum laude and as a Senior of the Year. After receiving his bachelor’s degree, York earned a master’s degree in museum studies from the Cooperstown Graduate Program in Cooperstown, New York, where he contributed to community research, oral history projects and fundraising initiatives.
Founded in 2008, the USF promotes undergraduate research and other scholarly work ― integral components of a Westminster liberal arts education. During the USF, approximately 100 students from 17 academic programs present original research through multimedia projects, papers and posters.
Wright-Smith reflects, “It’s highly rewarding to see our students’ work come together at the end of the academic year in this particular celebration of their hard work. The USF truly showcases what we do best at Westminster.”
The USF is generously funded by an endowment established by the Stubbs family, which includes a number of Westminster graduates, including the late David Stubbs, MD ’68, Thad Stubbs ’99, Courtney (Stubbs) Swan ’01, Zach Stubbs ’07, Rebecca Stubbs ’08 and Beth (Howard) MacLellan ’00.
