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Faculty

Click on the tabs below for a list of the Department of History's faculty members alphabetically and by discipline. Unless otherwise noted, all faculty offices are located on the fourth floor of Major Williams Hall. 

Carmen Gitre is an associate professor of History.

faculty

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  • Bio Item
    Danna Agmon , bio

    Associate Professor | Specialties: France; Europe; South Asia & Indian Ocean; Colonial & Imperial; Legal | dagmon@vt.edu

  • Bio Item
    Roxana Aras , bio

    Visiting Assistant Professor | Specialties: Christian theology, Christian communities in the Middle East, ethnographies | aroxana@vt.edu

  • Bio Item
    Mark V. Barrow, Jr. , bio

    Professor | Specialties: US; Environmental; Science; Wildlife | barrow@vt.edu

  • Bio Item
    Laura Belmonte , bio

    Professor and Dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences | 200 Stanger St., Blacksburg, VA 24061 | Specialties: U.S. foreign relations; Modern U.S.; Human Rights; LGBTQI | 540-231-6779 | belmonte@vt.edu

  • Bio Item
    Glenn Richard Bugh , bio

    Associate Professor | Specialties: Greece and Rome; Ancient Greek Military Institutions & Cavalry; Venetian studies; Classical studies; Byzantine & Modern Greek | gbugh@vt.edu

  • Bio Item
    Sam Cook , bio

    Associate Professor | Specialties: Indigenous Political Economies and Ecologies; American Indian Law and Policy; Indigenous Knowledge Systems; Appalachian Cultures; Human Ecology and Sustainability | sacook2@vt.edu

  • Bio Item
    Nicholas Copeland , bio

    Associate Professor | Specialties: Political Anthropology; Development; Indigenous and Peasant Politics; Water; Guatemala | ncopel@vt.edu

  • Bio Item
    Amanda C. Demmer , bio

    Associate Professor | Specialties: US Foreign Relations, War & Society, Migration Studies, Human Rights; US | demmer@vt.edu

  • Bio Item
    A. Roger Ekirch , bio

    University Distinguished Professor | Specialties: Early US; Atlantic; History of Sleep | arekirch@vt.edu

  • Bio Item
    E. Thomas Ewing , bio

    Professor and Associate Dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences | 200 Stanger St., Blacksburg, VA 24061 | Specialties: Eurasia; Medicine; Public; Russian/Soviet; Empires | 540-231-3212 | etewing@vt.edu

  • Bio Item
    Debra Freas , bio

    Collegiate Assistant Professor | Specialties: gender and race in Greek and Latin literature; the ancient Mediterranean | dfreas@vt.edu

  • Bio Item
    Carmen Gitre , bio

    Associate Professor and Associate Chair | Specialties: Egypt; Theater and Performance; Imperialism | cgitre@vt.edu

  • Bio Item
    Edward J. K. Gitre , bio

    Associate Professor | Specialties: War and Society; Digital; Modern Intellectual and Cultural; US/Transnational | egitre@vt.edu

  • Bio Item
    Heather L. Gumbert , bio

    Associate Professor | Specialties: Modern Germany; Television Studies; Cold War; Cultural; Media | hgumbert@vt.edu

  • Bio Item
    Dennis Halpin , bio

    Associate Professor | Specialties: Post 1865 US; African American; Labor; Social Movements | dphalpin@vt.edu

  • Bio Item
    Jennifer Hart , bio

    Professor and Chair of the History Department | Specialties: Africa; Urban; Technology; Digital and Public | jenniferhart@vt.edu

  • Bio Item
    Matthew Heaton , bio

    Professor | Specialties: Africa; Global/Transnational; Colonialism/Decolonization; Health, Illness, & Medicine | mheaton@vt.edu

  • Bio Item
    Richard F. Hirsh , bio

    Professor | Specialties: Technology; Science; Research Methods | richards@vt.edu

  • Bio Item
    Melanie Kiechle , bio

    Associate Professor and Director of Graduate Studies | Specialties: US; Environment; Health & Medicine; Senses | mkiechle@vt.edu

  • Bio Item
    Rachel Midura , bio

    Assistant Professor | Specialties: Early Modern Europe; Italy; Habsburg Empire; Digital History; History of Information/Communication | rmidura@vt.edu

  • Bio Item
    Marian Mollin , bio

    Associate Professor | Specialties: US Women & Gender; Social Movements; Religion & Politics | mmollin@vt.edu

  • Bio Item
    Anndal Narayanan , bio

    Instructor | Specialties: Modern Europe; Decolonization; Counterinsurgency; Veterans; Extremism & Political Violence | anarayanan@vt.edu

  • Bio Item
    Edward Anthony Polanco , bio

    Assistant Professor | Specialties: Latin America; Indigenous Studies; Mesoamerica; Settler Colonialism | polanco@vt.edu

  • Bio Item
    Paul Quigley , bio

    Associate Professor and Director of Virginia Center for Civil War Studies | Specialties: US Civil War Era; US South | pquigley@vt.edu

  • Bio Item
    Helen Schneider , bio

    Associate Professor | Specialties: Modern China; Women; War & Society in Modern East Asia | hms@vt.edu

  • Bio Item
    Brett L. Shadle , bio

    Professor | Specialties: East Africa and the Horn; Refugees; Colonialism | shadle@vt.edu

  • Bio Item
    Robert P. Stephens , bio

    Associate Professor | Specialties: Drugs & Alcohol; Cultural; Media | rosteph2@vt.edu

  • Bio Item
    Jessica Taylor , bio

    Associate Professor | Specialties: Public; Oral; Native History; Early US | jessicataylor@vt.edu

  • Bio Item
    Daniel B. Thorp , bio

    Associate Professor | Specialties: Early US; Slavery & Emancipation | wachau@vt.edu

  • Bio Item
    Peter Wallenstein , bio

    Professor | Specialties: From Civil War to Civil Rights; US South; Virginia; US Higher Education; Legal & Constitutional | pwallens@vt.edu

  • Bio Item
    LaDale Winling , bio

    Associate Professor | Specialties: U.S. Urban; U.S. Political; Higher Education; Architectural and Planning; Digital | lwinling@vt.edu

  • Bio Item
    Anna Zeide , bio

    Associate Professor and Director of the Food Studies Program | Specialties: Food; Environment; US | zeide@vt.edu

 

Name Position Office Specialties Email
 

Kira A. Dietz

Assistant Director, Special Collections and University Archives

University Libraries

Archives/Special Collections; Food/Drink History

kadietz@vt.edu

 

Matthew Gabriele

Professor and Department Chair

115A Major Williams

Medieval Studies; Religion; Violence

gabriele@vt.edu

 

Jason Higgins

Digital Scholarship Coordinator (Humanities)

Virginia Tech Publishing Office, 424 Newman

Modern US and the World; African American History; War and Society; Veterans Studies; Oral History; Digital Humanities

jasonhiggins@vt.edu

 

Kurt Luther 

Associate Professor

5-012 VTRC-Arlington

Digital; Public; Military; US Civil War

kluther@vt.edu

 

Aaron Purcell

Professor and Director of Special Collections & University Archives

University Libraries

Archives; 20th Century US History; Publishing & Editing

adp@vt.edu

 

Peter L. Schmitthenner

Associate Professor

103 Major Williams

Modern India & South Asia; Culture, Religion, & Technology; British Colonialism

pschmitt@vt.edu

 

Matthew Wisnioski

Associate Professor - Blacksburg Campus

331 Lane Hall

Science; Technology; Innovation; Education

mwisnios@vt.edu

Name Email

Linda Arnold                            

redtape@vt.edu

William C. “Jack” Davis            

widavis6@vt.edu

Thomas Howard                       

tchoward@vt.edu

Kathy Jones                              

kjwj@vt.edu

William L. Ochsenwald            

ochsen@vt.edu

J. Dean O’Donnell                    

odonnell@vt.edu

Amy Nelson

anelson@vt.edu

Crandall Shifflett                      

shifflet@vt.edu

Name Position

James I. Robertson, Jr. (1930-2019) 

Alumni Distinguished Professor Emeritus of History

Neil Larry Shumsky (1944-2020)

Associate Professor Emeritus

Trudy Harrington Becker (1961-2022)

Senior Instructor of History

Faculty By Specialization

  • Bio Item
    Mark V. Barrow, Jr. , bio

    Professor | Specialties: US; Environmental; Science; Wildlife | barrow@vt.edu

  • Bio Item
    A. Roger Ekirch , bio

    University Distinguished Professor | Specialties: Early US; Atlantic; History of Sleep | arekirch@vt.edu

  • Bio Item
    E. Thomas Ewing , bio

    Professor and Associate Dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences | 200 Stanger St., Blacksburg, VA 24061 | Specialties: Eurasia; Medicine; Public; Russian/Soviet; Empires | 540-231-3212 | etewing@vt.edu

  • Bio Item
    Heather L. Gumbert , bio

    Associate Professor | Specialties: Modern Germany; Television Studies; Cold War; Cultural; Media | hgumbert@vt.edu

  • Bio Item
    Jennifer Hart , bio

    Professor and Chair of the History Department | Specialties: Africa; Urban; Technology; Digital and Public | jenniferhart@vt.edu

  • Bio Item
    Matthew Heaton , bio

    Professor | Specialties: Africa; Global/Transnational; Colonialism/Decolonization; Health, Illness, & Medicine | mheaton@vt.edu

  • Bio Item
    Richard F. Hirsh , bio

    Professor | Specialties: Technology; Science; Research Methods | richards@vt.edu

  • Bio Item
    Melanie Kiechle , bio

    Associate Professor and Director of Graduate Studies | Specialties: US; Environment; Health & Medicine; Senses | mkiechle@vt.edu

  • Bio Item
    Edward Anthony Polanco , bio

    Assistant Professor | Specialties: Latin America; Indigenous Studies; Mesoamerica; Settler Colonialism | polanco@vt.edu

  • Bio Item
    Robert P. Stephens , bio

    Associate Professor | Specialties: Drugs & Alcohol; Cultural; Media | rosteph2@vt.edu

  • Bio Item
    E. Thomas Ewing , bio

    Professor and Associate Dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences | 200 Stanger St., Blacksburg, VA 24061 | Specialties: Eurasia; Medicine; Public; Russian/Soviet; Empires | 540-231-3212 | etewing@vt.edu

  • Bio Item
    Jennifer Hart , bio

    Professor and Chair of the History Department | Specialties: Africa; Urban; Technology; Digital and Public | jenniferhart@vt.edu

  • Bio Item
    Rachel Midura , bio

    Assistant Professor | Specialties: Early Modern Europe; Italy; Habsburg Empire; Digital History; History of Information/Communication | rmidura@vt.edu

  • Bio Item
    Marian Mollin , bio

    Associate Professor | Specialties: US Women & Gender; Social Movements; Religion & Politics | mmollin@vt.edu

  • Bio Item
    Paul Quigley , bio

    Associate Professor and Director of Virginia Center for Civil War Studies | Specialties: US Civil War Era; US South | pquigley@vt.edu

  • Bio Item
    Jessica Taylor , bio

    Associate Professor | Specialties: Public; Oral; Native History; Early US | jessicataylor@vt.edu

  • Bio Item
    LaDale Winling , bio

    Associate Professor | Specialties: U.S. Urban; U.S. Political; Higher Education; Architectural and Planning; Digital | lwinling@vt.edu

  • Bio Item
    Danna Agmon , bio

    Associate Professor | Specialties: France; Europe; South Asia & Indian Ocean; Colonial & Imperial; Legal | dagmon@vt.edu

  • Bio Item
    Carmen Gitre , bio

    Associate Professor and Associate Chair | Specialties: Egypt; Theater and Performance; Imperialism | cgitre@vt.edu

  • Bio Item
    Jennifer Hart , bio

    Professor and Chair of the History Department | Specialties: Africa; Urban; Technology; Digital and Public | jenniferhart@vt.edu

  • Bio Item
    Matthew Heaton , bio

    Professor | Specialties: Africa; Global/Transnational; Colonialism/Decolonization; Health, Illness, & Medicine | mheaton@vt.edu

  • Bio Item
    Edward Anthony Polanco , bio

    Assistant Professor | Specialties: Latin America; Indigenous Studies; Mesoamerica; Settler Colonialism | polanco@vt.edu

  • Bio Item
    Helen Schneider , bio

    Associate Professor | Specialties: Modern China; Women; War & Society in Modern East Asia | hms@vt.edu

  • Bio Item
    Brett L. Shadle , bio

    Professor | Specialties: East Africa and the Horn; Refugees; Colonialism | shadle@vt.edu

  • Bio Item
    Daniel B. Thorp , bio

    Associate Professor | Specialties: Early US; Slavery & Emancipation | wachau@vt.edu

  • Bio Item
    Mark V. Barrow, Jr. , bio

    Professor | Specialties: US; Environmental; Science; Wildlife | barrow@vt.edu

  • Bio Item
    Carmen Gitre , bio

    Associate Professor and Associate Chair | Specialties: Egypt; Theater and Performance; Imperialism | cgitre@vt.edu

  • Bio Item
    Edward J. K. Gitre , bio

    Associate Professor | Specialties: War and Society; Digital; Modern Intellectual and Cultural; US/Transnational | egitre@vt.edu

  • Bio Item
    Heather L. Gumbert , bio

    Associate Professor | Specialties: Modern Germany; Television Studies; Cold War; Cultural; Media | hgumbert@vt.edu

  • Bio Item
    Jennifer Hart , bio

    Professor and Chair of the History Department | Specialties: Africa; Urban; Technology; Digital and Public | jenniferhart@vt.edu

  • Bio Item
    Melanie Kiechle , bio

    Associate Professor and Director of Graduate Studies | Specialties: US; Environment; Health & Medicine; Senses | mkiechle@vt.edu

  • Bio Item
    Robert P. Stephens , bio

    Associate Professor | Specialties: Drugs & Alcohol; Cultural; Media | rosteph2@vt.edu

  • Bio Item
    Dennis Halpin , bio

    Associate Professor | Specialties: Post 1865 US; African American; Labor; Social Movements | dphalpin@vt.edu

  • Bio Item
    Matthew Heaton , bio

    Professor | Specialties: Africa; Global/Transnational; Colonialism/Decolonization; Health, Illness, & Medicine | mheaton@vt.edu

  • Bio Item
    Marian Mollin , bio

    Associate Professor | Specialties: US Women & Gender; Social Movements; Religion & Politics | mmollin@vt.edu

  • Bio Item
    Edward Anthony Polanco , bio

    Assistant Professor | Specialties: Latin America; Indigenous Studies; Mesoamerica; Settler Colonialism | polanco@vt.edu

  • Bio Item
    Paul Quigley , bio

    Associate Professor and Director of Virginia Center for Civil War Studies | Specialties: US Civil War Era; US South | pquigley@vt.edu

  • Bio Item
    Brett L. Shadle , bio

    Professor | Specialties: East Africa and the Horn; Refugees; Colonialism | shadle@vt.edu

  • Bio Item
    Daniel B. Thorp , bio

    Associate Professor | Specialties: Early US; Slavery & Emancipation | wachau@vt.edu

  • Bio Item
    Peter Wallenstein , bio

    Professor | Specialties: From Civil War to Civil Rights; US South; Virginia; US Higher Education; Legal & Constitutional | pwallens@vt.edu

  • Bio Item
    LaDale Winling , bio

    Associate Professor | Specialties: U.S. Urban; U.S. Political; Higher Education; Architectural and Planning; Digital | lwinling@vt.edu

  • Bio Item
    Mark V. Barrow, Jr. , bio

    Professor | Specialties: US; Environmental; Science; Wildlife | barrow@vt.edu

  • Bio Item
    Glenn Richard Bugh , bio

    Associate Professor | Specialties: Greece and Rome; Ancient Greek Military Institutions & Cavalry; Venetian studies; Classical studies; Byzantine & Modern Greek | gbugh@vt.edu

  • Bio Item
    Amanda C. Demmer , bio

    Associate Professor | Specialties: US Foreign Relations, War & Society, Migration Studies, Human Rights; US | demmer@vt.edu

  • Bio Item
    Edward J. K. Gitre , bio

    Associate Professor | Specialties: War and Society; Digital; Modern Intellectual and Cultural; US/Transnational | egitre@vt.edu

  • Bio Item
    Heather L. Gumbert , bio

    Associate Professor | Specialties: Modern Germany; Television Studies; Cold War; Cultural; Media | hgumbert@vt.edu

  • Bio Item
    Marian Mollin , bio

    Associate Professor | Specialties: US Women & Gender; Social Movements; Religion & Politics | mmollin@vt.edu

  • Bio Item
    Paul Quigley , bio

    Associate Professor and Director of Virginia Center for Civil War Studies | Specialties: US Civil War Era; US South | pquigley@vt.edu

  • Bio Item
    Helen Schneider , bio

    Associate Professor | Specialties: Modern China; Women; War & Society in Modern East Asia | hms@vt.edu

  • Bio Item
    Brett L. Shadle , bio

    Professor | Specialties: East Africa and the Horn; Refugees; Colonialism | shadle@vt.edu

  • Bio Item
    Danna Agmon , bio

    Associate Professor | Specialties: France; Europe; South Asia & Indian Ocean; Colonial & Imperial; Legal | dagmon@vt.edu

  • Bio Item
    E. Thomas Ewing , bio

    Professor and Associate Dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences | 200 Stanger St., Blacksburg, VA 24061 | Specialties: Eurasia; Medicine; Public; Russian/Soviet; Empires | 540-231-3212 | etewing@vt.edu

  • Bio Item
    Marian Mollin , bio

    Associate Professor | Specialties: US Women & Gender; Social Movements; Religion & Politics | mmollin@vt.edu

  • Bio Item
    Edward Anthony Polanco , bio

    Assistant Professor | Specialties: Latin America; Indigenous Studies; Mesoamerica; Settler Colonialism | polanco@vt.edu

  • Bio Item
    Helen Schneider , bio

    Associate Professor | Specialties: Modern China; Women; War & Society in Modern East Asia | hms@vt.edu

  • Bio Item
    Brett L. Shadle , bio

    Professor | Specialties: East Africa and the Horn; Refugees; Colonialism | shadle@vt.edu

  • Bio Item
    Sam Cook , bio

    Associate Professor | Specialties: Indigenous Political Economies and Ecologies; American Indian Law and Policy; Indigenous Knowledge Systems; Appalachian Cultures; Human Ecology and Sustainability | sacook2@vt.edu

  • Bio Item
    Nicholas Copeland , bio

    Associate Professor | Specialties: Political Anthropology; Development; Indigenous and Peasant Politics; Water; Guatemala | ncopel@vt.edu

  • Bio Item
    Edward Anthony Polanco , bio

    Assistant Professor | Specialties: Latin America; Indigenous Studies; Mesoamerica; Settler Colonialism | polanco@vt.edu

  • Bio Item
    Jessica Taylor , bio

    Associate Professor | Specialties: Public; Oral; Native History; Early US | jessicataylor@vt.edu

Faculty By Geographic Region

  • Bio Item
    Carmen Gitre , bio

    Associate Professor and Associate Chair | Specialties: Egypt; Theater and Performance; Imperialism | cgitre@vt.edu

  • Bio Item
    Jennifer Hart , bio

    Professor and Chair of the History Department | Specialties: Africa; Urban; Technology; Digital and Public | jenniferhart@vt.edu

  • Bio Item
    Matthew Heaton , bio

    Professor | Specialties: Africa; Global/Transnational; Colonialism/Decolonization; Health, Illness, & Medicine | mheaton@vt.edu

  • Bio Item
    Brett L. Shadle , bio

    Professor | Specialties: East Africa and the Horn; Refugees; Colonialism | shadle@vt.edu

  • Bio Item
    Danna Agmon , bio

    Associate Professor | Specialties: France; Europe; South Asia & Indian Ocean; Colonial & Imperial; Legal | dagmon@vt.edu

  • Bio Item
    Helen Schneider , bio

    Associate Professor | Specialties: Modern China; Women; War & Society in Modern East Asia | hms@vt.edu

  • Bio Item
    Danna Agmon , bio

    Associate Professor | Specialties: France; Europe; South Asia & Indian Ocean; Colonial & Imperial; Legal | dagmon@vt.edu

  • Bio Item
    Glenn Richard Bugh , bio

    Associate Professor | Specialties: Greece and Rome; Ancient Greek Military Institutions & Cavalry; Venetian studies; Classical studies; Byzantine & Modern Greek | gbugh@vt.edu

  • Bio Item
    A. Roger Ekirch , bio

    University Distinguished Professor | Specialties: Early US; Atlantic; History of Sleep | arekirch@vt.edu

  • Bio Item
    E. Thomas Ewing , bio

    Professor and Associate Dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences | 200 Stanger St., Blacksburg, VA 24061 | Specialties: Eurasia; Medicine; Public; Russian/Soviet; Empires | 540-231-3212 | etewing@vt.edu

  • Bio Item
    Heather L. Gumbert , bio

    Associate Professor | Specialties: Modern Germany; Television Studies; Cold War; Cultural; Media | hgumbert@vt.edu

  • Bio Item
    Rachel Midura , bio

    Assistant Professor | Specialties: Early Modern Europe; Italy; Habsburg Empire; Digital History; History of Information/Communication | rmidura@vt.edu

  • Bio Item
    Anndal Narayanan , bio

    Instructor | Specialties: Modern Europe; Decolonization; Counterinsurgency; Veterans; Extremism & Political Violence | anarayanan@vt.edu

  • Bio Item
    Robert P. Stephens , bio

    Associate Professor | Specialties: Drugs & Alcohol; Cultural; Media | rosteph2@vt.edu

  • Bio Item
    Mark V. Barrow, Jr. , bio

    Professor | Specialties: US; Environmental; Science; Wildlife | barrow@vt.edu

  • Bio Item
    Sam Cook , bio

    Associate Professor | Specialties: Indigenous Political Economies and Ecologies; American Indian Law and Policy; Indigenous Knowledge Systems; Appalachian Cultures; Human Ecology and Sustainability | sacook2@vt.edu

  • Bio Item
    Amanda C. Demmer , bio

    Associate Professor | Specialties: US Foreign Relations, War & Society, Migration Studies, Human Rights; US | demmer@vt.edu

  • Bio Item
    A. Roger Ekirch , bio

    University Distinguished Professor | Specialties: Early US; Atlantic; History of Sleep | arekirch@vt.edu

  • Bio Item
    Edward J. K. Gitre , bio

    Associate Professor | Specialties: War and Society; Digital; Modern Intellectual and Cultural; US/Transnational | egitre@vt.edu

  • Bio Item
    Dennis Halpin , bio

    Associate Professor | Specialties: Post 1865 US; African American; Labor; Social Movements | dphalpin@vt.edu

  • Bio Item
    Richard F. Hirsh , bio

    Professor | Specialties: Technology; Science; Research Methods | richards@vt.edu

  • Bio Item
    Melanie Kiechle , bio

    Associate Professor and Director of Graduate Studies | Specialties: US; Environment; Health & Medicine; Senses | mkiechle@vt.edu

  • Bio Item
    Marian Mollin , bio

    Associate Professor | Specialties: US Women & Gender; Social Movements; Religion & Politics | mmollin@vt.edu

  • Bio Item
    Edward Anthony Polanco , bio

    Assistant Professor | Specialties: Latin America; Indigenous Studies; Mesoamerica; Settler Colonialism | polanco@vt.edu

  • Bio Item
    Paul Quigley , bio

    Associate Professor and Director of Virginia Center for Civil War Studies | Specialties: US Civil War Era; US South | pquigley@vt.edu

  • Bio Item
    Jessica Taylor , bio

    Associate Professor | Specialties: Public; Oral; Native History; Early US | jessicataylor@vt.edu

  • Bio Item
    Daniel B. Thorp , bio

    Associate Professor | Specialties: Early US; Slavery & Emancipation | wachau@vt.edu

  • Bio Item
    Peter Wallenstein , bio

    Professor | Specialties: From Civil War to Civil Rights; US South; Virginia; US Higher Education; Legal & Constitutional | pwallens@vt.edu

  • Bio Item
    LaDale Winling , bio

    Associate Professor | Specialties: U.S. Urban; U.S. Political; Higher Education; Architectural and Planning; Digital | lwinling@vt.edu

  • Bio Item
    Anna Zeide , bio

    Associate Professor and Director of the Food Studies Program | Specialties: Food; Environment; US | zeide@vt.edu

  • Bio Item
    Nicholas Copeland , bio

    Associate Professor | Specialties: Political Anthropology; Development; Indigenous and Peasant Politics; Water; Guatemala | ncopel@vt.edu

  • Bio Item
    Edward Anthony Polanco , bio

    Assistant Professor | Specialties: Latin America; Indigenous Studies; Mesoamerica; Settler Colonialism | polanco@vt.edu