Emily J. Arendt

Emily J. Arendt, Associate Professor in the Department of History at Montana State University Billings (College of Letters, Arts, and Social Sciences), is a distinguished scholar recognized with the 2022 Faculty Excellence Award for her innovative teaching and award-winning research in Early America and culinary history.

• Co-Chair of the General Education Committee
• Advisor for Phi Alpha Theta (History Club)
• Contributor to the "Interstate Passport" program
• Active in Women’s and Gender Studies and interdisciplinary honors courses

Arendt's research bridges historical analysis with cultural studies, focusing on how food production and consumption shaped identity in Early American political contexts. Her 2022 article in the Journal of the Early Republic exemplifies this approach, winning the Ralph Gray Article Prize for its groundbreaking exploration of Whig culinary partisanship during the 1840 election.

Her scholarly achievements are complemented by leadership in university accreditation efforts, curriculum development, and community engagement through public lectures and hands-on historical pedagogy using period recipes.