As the result of a generous gift, Towson University’s Department of History has developed the Jenny Jochens History Faculty Research Endowed Fellowship. It supports TU’s mission to foster intellectual inquiry, critical thinking and academic excellence through research and the creation of new knowledge. 

The fellowship was named in honor of Jenny Jochens, a prolific scholar, pioneering women’s historian and longtime TU faculty member with a remarkable legacy of research, teaching and global scholarly engagement. The endowment was established through a generous $500,000 gift from her son, Dr. Peter Baldwin, Ph.D., global professor at NYU’s Center for European and Mediterranean Studies.

While an increasing number of historical sources are available digitally, the most impactful historical scholarship still depends on sustained, in-person work in archives, where many essential materials remain undigitized and new discoveries are made. 

For history faculty professors whose research spans the globe, extended time in often distant collections is critical to producing original, high-impact scholarship. By supporting archival research, this donation removes a major barrier to faculty research and enables ambitious projects.

The benefits of this gift extend directly to students as well as faculty. Research-active faculty enhance learning in the classroom by bringing current scholarship into the discussions, mentoring students in primary-source research and modeling the intellectual practices they ask students to develop. 

Faculty supported by the endowment  will develop peer-reviewed articles and books and help students gain richer learning experiences and greater exposure to historical knowledge. The fellowship strengthens the integration of teaching and scholarship that is central to the College of Liberal Arts’ identity.

The first Jenny Jochens History Faculty Research Endowed Professor will be selected in 2027.