Dr. Dean William Bennett

Professor

bennetdw@sunysccc.edu
518-381-1496
Elston Hall, Room 200

Ph.D., M.A., History, University of Washington (2004); Fields: Early Modern Europe; Scandinavia 1500-1800; Early America; Renaissance and Reformation; High and Late Medieval Europe
B.A., Summa Cum Laude, History and Russian, minor Scandinavian Studies, Brigham Young University (1995)
A.S., Performing Arts: Music, SUNY Schenectady County Community College (2014)

 

Dr. Bennett was born in Detroit to Canadian parents, and grew up mostly in Sandy, Utah. He chose to major in History because he did not want to decide which academic subjects he loved most, and History includes just about everything. After years of wandering, he seems to have found a stable home in Schenectady, where he appreciates the city’s historic features and the friendly environment of a smaller college. He is sort of an amateur musician (singing in one of the region’s premier choirs, Albany Pro Musica), and has a weakness for collecting lots of foreign languages. He has lived for periods adding up to several years in Finland, Russia, Sweden, and Norway (where he spends six weeks each summer teaching Norwegian History to students at the University of Oslo International Summer School). Dr. Bennett’s teaching at SUNY Schenectady includes Western and World Civilizations, European Witch Trials, Russian History, Chinese History, a course on the Vikings, and a Topics course that focuses on historical methods. He is dedicated to cultivating a passion for “lifelong learning,” both in himself and others.

Recent Creative/Scholarly Work/Publications

Dr. Bennett is an active participant in the Society for the Advancement of Scandinavian Studies. He has presented several conference papers and reviews historical publications. He has also served for several years as president of the affiliated Society of Historians
of Scandinavia.