معرفی
Franklin Howard is a Graduate Student in History at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) and an Adjunct Professor of African American History at Oakland Community College. They use they/them pronouns and specialize in LGBTQ+ history, the AIDS Crisis, and the history of disease and illness. Howard has taught diverse history courses as a Teaching Assistant at UIC, UNLV, and Ohio Northern University.
Howard's educational background includes:
- Master of Arts in American History (Minor: Public History) from the University of Nevada Las Vegas (2018), with thesis: "The Only People Who Get AIDS—Are People: The AIDS Crisis in Mainstream Comic Books, 1981-1995"
- Bachelor of Arts in History (Minors: Public History, Museum Studies, Asian Studies) from Ohio Northern University (2014)
Research focuses on intersections of LGBTQ+ identity, public health policy, and cultural representation, particularly regarding the AIDS Crisis in American Southwest and pop culture. Current projects examine climate impacts on public health, U.S./Canadian AIDS activism, and Stonewall Riots memory. Work bridges oral history, disease studies, and queer theory to analyze marginalized communities' experiences.
Publications explore 20th-century LGBTQ+ representation through visual and literary culture, emphasizing racial dynamics in gay art and spatial politics in pulp fiction. Research spans American Studies, Art History, and Literary Studies, revealing how marginalized groups navigated identity under social constraints.
Notable honors include:
- History Doctoral Award Grant, UIC History Department (2020)
- Robert and Anita Hulse Foundation Scholarship, UNLV (2015)
- Jerry Kalafatis Lodge Scholarship, UNLV (2015, 2016)
- Walter Pengrey Rogers Award, UNLV (2014)
Howard mentors students as Teaching Assistant and Adjunct Professor while conducting funded doctoral research. Active in professional organizations including Phi Alpha Theta and Oral History Association, they contribute to public history initiatives through archival work and conference participation.
