A Humanities Instructor at the Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences, & the Arts, Dr. Zachery Cowsert is also a former ASMSA student. He is a member of the Class of 2008, and he met his wife Jeridan (Class of 2009) at ASMSA.
Dr. Cowsert earned his Ph.D. in History from West Virginia University, where he also earned his MA in History. He taught history as a graduate student and lecturer for seven years at WVU before joining the ASMSA faculty in 2022. Dr. Cowsert’s research focuses on the American Civil War, specifically Trans-Mississippi military history, Native-American involvement in the war, Southern Unionism, and soldier newspapers. His work has been published in the Chronicles of Oklahoma, North Louisiana History, and Hallowed Ground.
Beyond academia, Dr. Cowsert also worked for the National Park Service at Fredericksburg & Spotsylvania National Military Park. He has helped develop various digital history projects, including Chronicling America and Clio (through AmeriCorps). He co-edits a popular history blog: Civil Discourse: A Civil War Era Blog.
“Dr. Zac” teaches and co-teaches a variety of history and humanities courses at ASMSA, including: U.S. History, World History, American Studies, American Military History, U.S. Government, and Humanities Capstone. He lives in Royal, Arkansas, with his wife Jeridan, daughter Claire, and their two cats Rigby and Roscoe. He enjoys reading (history, science-fiction, & fantasy), watching college sports, wargaming, and exploring historic sites.