Office: TECH 123
Front Desk: 281.290.5273
The History program serves students interested in pursuing careers in government, the law, or education. History courses help students hone the skills they will need to pursue a career as a civil servant, an attorney, teacher, or community leader, while preparing them for post-graduate studies required for most of these careers.
Faculty and Staff
| Keith Altavilla, Ph.D Department Chair 832.482.1011 Office: CASA 220-D |
I have taught at Lone Star College-CyFair since 2016. I have a BA from Colgate University (Go ‘Gate!), and MA and PhD from TCU (Go Frogs!). Before coming to Houston, I worked and taught at various institutions in Texas and New York, including TCU, Tarrant County College, and the United States Military Academy at West Point (Beat Navy!). My expertise is in American political and military history, especially in the American Civil War, but I am also interested in adding global and transnational themes into my courses. I teach US History (1301/1302), World Civilizations (2321/2322), both the regular and Honors sections of those courses. Through lecture, readings, and discussion, I want to help students find their voice and see themselves in the past, understanding the choices and actions of others as a way to help us better understand our own decisions and ideas. |
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| Angela Bell, Ph.D. Dual Credit Department Chair 281.290.3595 Office: CASA 320-E |
I am Dr. Angela Bell, professor of history. I teach American history and African American history survey courses, serve as the Dual Credit Department Chair, and am a member of the executive committee for the forthcoming history department’s Sestercentennial podcast releasing in 2026. I am a native Missourian and attended the University of Missouri where I earned a PhD and MA in American religious history and a BSED in Secondary Social Studies and English Education. Since 2014, I have participated in the Max A. Kaplan Institute for Educators at Holocaust Museum Houston and was the Henia Leibman Fellow for the 2019 International Seminar (in English) at Yad Vashem, the World Holocaust Remembrance Center in Jerusalem, Israel. My doctoral dissertation, Trouble in Zion: The Radicalization of Mormon Theology, 1831-1839, considers how persecution by Missouri religious, civic, and political leaders impacted the development of LDS beliefs and practices over time. |
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| Chelsea Branch Professor 832.745.5065 Office: TECH 216-G |
Chelsea Branch earned her undergraduate degree in History with a minor in secondary education from Sam Houston State University in 2012 and her graduate degree in 2014. Chelsea started as a dual credit instructor at Jersey Village High School in CyFair ISD in the fall of 2015 and became an adjunct faculty in the summer of 2016. Chelsea joined as a full-time faculty in the fall of 2022 to teach United States History survey courses (1301 & 1302). Chelsea is committed to creating lasting connections with her students beyond the semester. She strives to make each class relevant and engaging and plans her lessons with student success in mind. Her passion for serving the Cypress community at Lone Star CyFair indicates her love for teaching.? |
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Robert Coyle |
Rob Coyle teaches United States History and Western Civilizations both in the classroom and online. He has been an avid practitioner of Study Abroad and any other form of travel learning. He is likely to wander off to Europe at a moment’s notice. He has spent far too much of his life in various schools, having degrees from Schreiner University and Marquette University. He has also attended Texas Tech University and the University of Bonn. For more than thirty years, he has taught History to students at Lone Star College, Brazosport College, Marquette University, Texas Tech University and Texas A&M University Galveston. He worked in History research on the Oral History Project at the NASA Johnson Space Center and has done financial analysis in the Trust department of a major bank. |
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| Sandra D. Harvey, Ph.D Professor 281.290.3282 Office: TECH 216-P |
Dr. Sandra Harvey has served Lone Star College as a Professor of History since 2003. During that time, she held positions as Department Chair, Faculty Senate President, and as faculty advisor to multiple student organizations, including Phi Theta Kappa. Prior to joining the faculty at Lone Star College, she served as a faculty member in History at Brazosport College. Dr. Harvey holds a Ph.D. in History from Texas Tech University as well as Master’s and Bachelor’s degrees from Baylor University. Originally from Waco, Texas, Dr. Harvey now resides in Cypress with her husband, who is also a faculty member at Lone Star College-CyFair. When not in the office, she is a busy band mom, supporting her three children. |
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| Robert Holmes, Ph.D. Professor 281.482.1014 Office: CASA 225-E |
Robert Holmes has been teaching history at Lone Star College-CyFair since 2012. Before that, he taught at UT-Austin and Austin Community College after earning his PhD in history at UT-Austin in 2010. He teaches HIST 1301 and 1302 (face-to-face and online) and taught for years in the Honors College. In Spring 2025 he is returning to a full teaching load after spending four years as the History Department Chair. His teaching style is rooted in the goal of integrating lecture, primary sources, and historical scholarship into a coherent whole that stresses understanding and thoughtfulness over memorization. Outside of school he likes to spend time with his wife, two daughters, two cats, and lots of books, records, and musical instruments. |
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| Jennifer Jenkins, Ph.D. Professor 832.482.1017 |
Dr. Jenkins has been an instructor at LSC-CyFair since 2014. She teaches HIST 1301 and 1302. Prior to LSC-CyFair, she taught at prominent private schools, in her graduate program, and at a university in The Netherlands. In addition to helping students hone their critical thinking, analytical, and writing skills and to mentoring students, Dr. Jenkins aims to assist students in understanding the relevance of history in their lives by regularly connecting the past to the present and to the future. Having studied, researched, and taught in different European countries, and having traveled to various other countries, she brings her international experiences to the classroom. Although she is a native English speaker, she is proficient in Spanish and French. She has some speaking capability in Dutch. B.A. Wellesley College: Mellon Undergraduate Research Fellowship, Study Abroad in Madrid, Spain. M.A. The University of Michigan at Ann Arbor: Rackham Graduate Fellowship and CIC Pre-Doctoral Fellowship. M.A. Brandeis University: Teacher Assistantships. Ph.D. Brandeis University: Exchange Scholar-in-Residence at L'Ecole Normale Superieure in Paris. |
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| Raúl Muñoz Professor 281.290.5933 Office: CASA 220-A |
Raúl I. Muñoz joined Lone Star College-CyFair in 2018 and teaches US History (1301/1301), Texas History (2301), and Mexican American History I & II (2327/2328). He began his education at a 2-year college and earned his AA in History in 2010 from Palo Alto College in San Antonio, Texas. He graduated with his BA in History in 2013 from the University of Northern Iowa and enrolled in graduate school at the University of Texas at El Paso where he earned his MA in History in 2015. Trained as a borderlands historian, his teaching interests include the Texas Revolution, the U.S. War with Mexico, the Mexican Revolution, immigration, labor, assimilation, oral history, and the Latinos’ conceptualization of race, class, and gender. |
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| Amy Newhouse, Ph.D. Professor 832.745.5015 Office: CASA 220-N |
I grew up in this area and attended Mayde Creek High School "Go Rams." I then went to Texas A&M, where I studied History and Philosophy. My master's is from Wheaton College, and my PhD is from the University of Arizona. I have been American teaching at LSC Cyfair since 2015, full-time since 2019, but my PhD is in Germany in the 1500s. I lived in Germany for a couple of years, love German food, beer, discotheques, and speak German somewhat well. The oldest book I held in my hands was from 1505! While I initially focused on Germany, I have enjoyed my journey into teaching American history. My teaching style is fast-paced, energetic, and fun…hopefully. I write on the board throughout class because if it is worth a student’s time and effort to write, then it is worth my time and effort. I believe this method keeps the class spontaneous and engaging. |
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| Robert O’Brien Lead Faculty 281.290.3257 Office: TECH 200-I Faculty Web site |
I have been teaching at Lone Star College-CyFair since the beginning of time, which is the Fall of 2003 when the campus opened. Previously, I was a professor at Tomball College and taught at colleges in China, Kentucky and Pennsylvania. I earned my Bachelor of Science in History at Austin Peay State University and my Master of Arts in History from Western Kentucky University. Classes I teach are United States History to 1877, United States History since 1877, World Civilizations I, and History of Film. US History since 1877 and World Civilizations have an International Studies designation. My areas of special interest in history are American slavery, civil rights, immigration, the Progressive Era, World War I, American culture, and China. I enjoy teaching online and in-person classes with an emphasis on discussion and international perspectives, so students sharpen their critical thinking skills. At LSC-CyFair I co-planned and co-led two study abroad programs to Hangzhou, China. Outside of teaching, I enjoy exploring Houston’s international culture and cuisine, watching old and new movies at the Alamo Drafthouse, participating in LSC-CyFair’s book clubs, and cycling around the city. Most of all I love spending time with my wife and child. |
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| James Seymour, Ph.D Professor 281.290.5231 Office: CASA 325-H Faculty Web Site |
I graduated from Texas A&M with a Ph.D. in U.S. History, where my research focused on the First World War, women’s rights, prohibition, and politics. I started at Lone Star College in 2003 as a founding faculty member. At LSC, I teach U.S. History I and II, and honors U.S. History I and II. My students have transferred to NYU, Rice, Boston, Texas Tech, Baylor, University of Rochester, Cornell, Texas A&M, and even UT. At LSC, I won the Faculty Excellence Award, Employee Writing Award, and Faculty Excellence in Honors Education Award. Professionally, I served as Department Chair for History/Anthropology, Faculty Senate President, and Lead Faculty over History Dual Credit. Outside the classroom, I spoil three dogs and a cat, am a proud U.S. Navy dad, do volunteer work for Cypress Assistance Ministries, and read a lot of books. |
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| Alex Smith Professor 281.290.3227 Office: CASA 325-D |
Alex Smith has been teaching at Lone Star College-CyFair since 2005. He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in history and political science from Texas State University in San Marcos and his Master of Arts degree from Texas State University. Teaching history is his passion, and just as his favorite teachers inspired him and changed the trajectory of his life, he hopes to inspire his students and show them how history is relevant to their lives. Becoming a professor at LSC-CyFair has indeed been a dream come true. Professor Smith strives to create a dynamic, informative, and entertaining classroom environment that invites discussion and scholarly debate. In his spare time, he enjoys playing with his kids, reading, exercising, and watching Houston sports teams. |
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Sandra Harvey. Ph.D.
Acting Dean
281.290.3282
Office: TECH 123-F