Ivana Polić obtained her Ph.D. in Modern European History at the University of California San Diego but received her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in her home country, Croatia, which remains a strong professional and personal anchor. Growing up in a war-torn society served as her motivator to become even more curious about the ways in which humans resist, survive and remember such tumultuous events.
She is especially interested in the history of children and youth and the ways in which they have been critical for global, large-scale processes like state and nation building. Dr. Polić is currently in the process of developing a book project that grew out of her dissertation research, which explored the role of children in wartime nation building in Croatia after the country declared independence from socialist Yugoslavia and a violent ethnic conflict erupted within its borders. Her additional research interests involve the relationship between music and politics, as well as history and memory. She particularly enjoys teaching about topics related to (South)Eastern Europe, a region with an incredible diversity and cultural richness that has often been a subject of many misconceptions.
Besides teaching, Dr. Polić also served as an expert historian consultant for textbook revision projects in Southeastern Europe and is involved in regional projects that include dealing with the past and reconciliation. Having been exposed to both European and U.S. public and private educational settings has been fundamental in shaping her teaching approaches, which revolve around active learning as a platform for community building, and creating an environment which allows students to be curious about the world they live in.
Alongside teaching, researching and mentoring, she enjoys traveling (especially summers in Croatia, where she also helps lead the FSU study abroad program), reading, outdoor activities, socializing over coffee, dancing and watching Eastern European and Balkan movies (as Balkan humor is truly a cultural gem).
Honors Signature Courses
- IDH3126: Public Scholarship for Honors: Expertise and Media in Modern America
- IDH3424: War of the Mind: Conflict and Contested Memory
- IDH3431: Always Prepared!: Children and Childhood in Authoritarian and Totalitarian Societies
- IDH3462: Eastern Bloc Party: Popular Culture, Resistance and Identity in post-1945 Eastern Europe