Co-founder of the ViS conferences at Virginia Tech while a PhD student, Eric Hodges is now assistant professor of political science at Longwood University, Farmville, VA.  He was awarded one of eleven NEH Dialogues on the Experience of War grants in 2021 to direct a research and outreach project focusing on the military and homecoming experiences of Black military veterans in the United States. The project used historical documents, works of literature, and public history to facilitate a discussion on four themes: patriotism, race in war, homecoming, and the role of Black women in combat.

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