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Featured Student: April 2008

Diana Belscamper

As a teenager in the late 1980s, when Diana Belscamper “scoured used record stores, bookstores, and record conventions for old teen magazines because I was a huge fan of 1960s music,” she didn’t realize she was laying the foundation for her dissertation research at UWM decades later.

After earning her master’s degree in U.S. history from Marquette University, dissertation research must have seemed distant as well: Belscamper held such jobs as stock photography researcher, IT administrator, legal secretary, corporate training coordinator, and diversity trainer while living in Chicago and Minneapolis.

Finally, when the time was right—and she discovered the UWM History Department’s modern studies PhD specialization—she returned to Milwaukee to resume her study of 1960s youth culture.

Her academic honors have included high-school valedictorian, four-year recipient of Wisconsin’s Academic Excellence Scholarship, two-time winner of the Lucetta Bissell Memorial Fellowship in the UWM History Department, UWM Dissertation Fellowship recipient for the 2008-’09 academic year.

She is currently a lecturer in film studies at UWM, an instructor in history at MATC, and a GRE preparation instructor for Kaplan.

1) How would you describe your field of study/research to a friend who is not in your graduate program?

I broadly describe my research as investigating the intersections of pop culture, mass media, youth culture, and gender in mid-twentieth century America. Obviously, there are various junctures between these categories, as well as numerous contrasting and conflicting ideologies that dominate the theoretical discussions of these topics. My goal is to negotiate these theories while exploring texts (such as teen magazines, youth-oriented television shows, and pop music lyrics) that have, to this point, been cast aside as irrelevant, inconsequential, or unworthy of analysis because they are considered childhood whims, girlhood fantasies, or “bubblegum culture.” Frankly, I find it curious that many scholars have dismissed these types of cultural texts that are closely associated with youth in the 1960s.

2) What brought you to UWM for your graduate studies?

I took a six-year break between the completion of my M.A. and the beginning of my Ph.D. studies. I realized that my desire to continue my graduate studies never really faded, only that the circumstances hadn’t been quite right for me to continue. When those circumstances changed and I started researching graduate programs, I quite accidentally came across the UWM Web site on a day when the new History Ph.D. program was announced, featuring a Modern Studies option. As I read the description, which included an interdisciplinary course requirement and cultural studies as a research option, I realized that this program was exactly what I was seeking. Having lived in Milwaukee for most of my life, I also knew that I would be comfortable returning to the city and its academic environment.

I also was attracted to this program because it was completely new. There were no precedents, no established traditions, no formulas to follow—and that excited me. I believed that I would be able to carve out my own path and pursue the research that was important to me, which is exactly how my experience has unfolded. There have been some struggles along the way, but nothing that couldn’t be overcome with the advice and cooperation of the department’s administrators and my dedicated advisor—setting precedents can be strenuous work!

3) What's been your best experience so far?

Without hesitation, I honestly can say that my best experience has been teaching. As a teaching assistant in the history department, I was fortunate to work with fantastic supervising professors who helped shape the methods and structures I use as a classroom instructor today. In addition, I was provided the opportunity to teach some phenomenal students who will undoubtedly make a great impact as future teachers, lawyers, scientists, business executives, and in many other roles. Having an influence on their development, either enlightening or reinforcing their comprehension of how studying history and effectively communicating ideas can affect their understanding of and influence on the world around them, has been a great privilege for me.

4) If you were able to merge another discipline with yours, what would that be and why?

One of the great advantages of the History Ph.D. in Modern Studies is that it is an interdisciplinary program. During my years of coursework, I took classes that incorporated media studies, cultural theory, gender studies, and literary criticism. My classes outside of the history department were critical to the development of my research methods and applications of theory. They also introduced me to several outstanding scholars, including members of my dissertation committee and fellow graduate students who have provided valuable suggestions for my research.

5) What is your favorite stress-reduction activity?

I’m a huge sports fan, and I love going to games to get away from the stress and intellectual rigors of my academic work. Spending an afternoon at a Brewers game, a night at a Bucks game, or a Sunday watching a Packers game alleviates a lot of stress—it’s a fun distraction, and you can work out a lot of tension by cheering for your team! I’m also a crossword puzzle aficionado. They’re a good wind-down after a long day of intense work, and it’s not unusual to find a variety of half-completed puzzles around my apartment!

6) What do you most enjoy about Milwaukee?

I’ve lived in Milwaukee for most of my life and I like to describe the city as “accessible.” Milwaukee is an easy city to navigate and, as an avid walker and frequent bus rider, I easily can wander around neighborhoods, study the architecture, people-watch, and meander through local businesses. Regionally, it’s in close proximity to other cities to which I like to visit, such as Chicago, Minneapolis, and Cleveland. I do see Milwaukee as a “big small town,” but I say that affectionately. It has the amenities of a large city, yet it doesn’t have the frantic pace or elitist vibe that large metropolitan areas often have.

7) Is there anything that you've had to "give up" as a graduate student?

My immediate answer is a normal sleeping pattern! However, the most difficult sacrifice I’ve made as a graduate student is not being able to see my family and friends on a regular basis. Most of my immediate family lives in Texas and Georgia, and it is hard to go for months or even years without seeing them because our schedules just don’t align. I’ve missed watching my nieces and nephews grow up, and I have very dear friends whose children I haven’t even met yet. My best friends are as far-flung as Florida, Minnesota, and New York, and it can be complicated to even find compatible times to talk on the phone, much less visit in person.

8) What are your plans for after graduate school?

I don’t know that I have “plans” as much as “goals” for my years after graduation. I have always surveyed my options and taken the path that looks like it holds the most potential for the circumstances in which I find myself. I’m a very adaptable person, so as long as I have the opportunity to pursue my goals, the specific plan can change without much concern on my part. I am very dedicated to incorporating the study of popular culture into education, so that is a primary focus for me. My intent is to keep educating in some fashion, whether that is as a classroom instructor, writer, curriculum designer, or in some other role. Ideally, I’ll have some variety in my options and be able to maintain several avenues for my work. At this point, I am so accustomed to having multiple roles and several jobs at once that I think holding one steady position would be a huge adjustment for me!

9) What trait do you find most necessary to succeed in graduate school?

Motivation—without it, I’m not sure any graduate student can succeed. I’ve known many graduate students who did not have the drive or passion to pursue a field of study and enrolled in graduate school simply because they didn’t know what else to do with a humanities degree. The vast majority of those students just don’t make it to the end of their programs—or if they do, they have a lot of frustration, still feel unsatisfied, and usually have a larger mountain of debt than when they started. There has to be a specific reason for your pursuit of a graduate degree or a goal in mind when you start a program—otherwise, you will never believe that the sacrifices you must make for success will be justified.

10) Do you have any advice that you would give to a new graduate student in your program?

Be prepared to be challenged every single day. Know your limits, whether they involve time management, research accessibility, or sleep deprivation. Find mentors and advisors who understand, and can work with, your personality, your goals, and your rationale—even if you can’t quite explain them! Don’t let criticism deflate you—learn from it and appreciate that someone pointed out the flaws in your methods or research. Make connections with other graduate students and faculty, and don’t be afraid to ask for advice from them. And, above all, enjoy the privilege you’ve been granted to pursue your graduate studies with some fantastic scholars.