The Department of History is excited to welcome its 2025–26 first-year graduate students to Brown! From kinship and memory to finance and capitalism, this year’s cohort brings a vibrant array of research interests to College Hill.

Seth Rockman's latest book, Plantation Goods: A Material History of American Slavery (University of Chicago Press, 2024) has been named winner of the 2025 Philip Taft Labor History Prize.

Seth Rockman's latest book, Plantation Goods: A Material History of American Slavery (University of Chicago Press, 2024) has been named a Pulitzer Prize finalist in History.

As the 2025 winner of a New York Times essay contest, history concentrator Sofia Barnett '25 will spend two weeks on a global voyage alongside Pulitzer Prize-winning New York Times columnist and international reporter, Nick Kristof.

Emily Owens is an Associate Professor of History who teaches about U.S. slavery, the legal history of race and sexual violence, and the intellectual history of American feminisms. In this spotlight, she discusses what Women's History Month means to her and her research.

April 16 is National Librarian Day! With the month of April right around the corner, we're revisiting a Fall 2024 class experience at the John Hay Library.

Rebecca Nedostup is an Associate Professor of History and East Asian Studies. In this spotlight, she discusses what Women's History Month means to her and her research.

Michael Vorenberg's new book, "Lincoln’s Peace: The Struggle to End the American Civil War" (Alfred A. Knopf, 2025) challenges the narrative of a Civil War that ended neatly with an iconic surrender in April 1865. The book examines the many endings and non-endings of the war, from failed peace meetings to emancipation celebrations, arguing that the choice of an end date determines how the war is defined and remembered.

In this spotlight, the department spoke with Legal History and Political Science concentrator Alexandra Mork to hear how she utilized travel funding from the history department to complete thesis research.

Ahead of Family Weekend 2024, the Department of History spoke with Anya Goldstein '06—a panelist at the upcoming event "What Can't You Do with a History Concentration!" In this spotlight, Anya details how her undergraduate experience prepared her for a successful career as a civil and criminal litigator.

Jennifer Lambe's new book, "The Subject of Revolution: Between Political and Popular Culture in Cuba" (University of North Carolina Press, 2024) explores how knowledge about the 1959 Cuban Revolution was produced and how the Revolution in turn shaped new worldviews.

Get to know the undergraduate student leaders behind the relaunch of the Brown Journal of History (BJH).

In this spotlight, Ph.D. Candidate Ebru Erginbas elaborates on a yearlong fellowship where she spent time in the U.S. and Europe focusing on distinctive therapeutic practices in hydrotherapy, mineral therapy, and inhalation therapy.

The Knight-Hennessy Scholarship is a multidisciplinary, multicultural graduate fellowship program spanning all seven schools at Stanford University.

The department welcomes new faculty member, Aparajita Majumdar to Brown! She will serve as an Assistant Professor of History and Environment and Society (IBES).

Bathsheba Demuth is a writer and environmental historian specializing in the lands and seas of the Russian and North American Arctic. In this summer spotlight, she delves into her recent explorations along the Yukon/Alaska border.

History and East Asian Studies concentrator Deven Kamlani '25 spent six weeks completing a summer internship at global law firm DLA Piper as a Raja Gaddipati Fellow. The competitive fellowship serves as an in-house pipeline initiative offering undergraduate students insight into a large law firm environment. In this spotlight, Deven reflects on his experience.

In her new role as Graduate Student Affairs Manager, Emily is committed to supporting the department’s graduate students throughout their academic careers at Brown and beyond.

In this spotlight, Ph.D. Candidate in History Ola Morehead shares two exciting updates about her research and upcoming travels.

A generous gift leads to lasting impact for the Department of History.

The Cogut Institute launches its collaborative humanities lab program with a three-year project exploring AI.

In this spotlight, Roni Wine '24 delves into his work with Professor of Modern Latin American History James Green, which has spanned over the course of Wine's four years as an undergraduate at Brown.

When he's not out patrolling College Hill, Brown University Public Safety Officer Leonard "Lenny" Ballesteros can be found taking notes in class. As an enrolled student in HIST 1501: The American Revolution, Ballesteros has learned how to successfully balance his role as an officer and dedicated pupil.

Madeleine Rosenberg '10 is the Pomeroy Foundation Semiquincentennial Manager at the American Association for State and Local History (AASLH). In this spotlight, she shares details about her personal career trajectory and offers advice to students interested in pursuing a career connected to their history degree.

In her new role as Communications Manager at the John Carter Brown Library, Katherine Goldman looks forward to enhancing library outreach and engagement as well as continuing her work with JCB Director and Professor of History Karin Wulf.

Last spring, Ph.D. Candidate Phoebe Labat received a Fulbright Award for France 2023-2024. Since her arrival in October, she has been working on a dissertation around natural disasters in the French Atlantic world. In this spotlight, Phoebe offers an update on her research, travels, and what she's looking forward to for the remainder of her Fulbright experience.

On Thursday, November 2nd, members of the history department gathered in the Chair’s Office to honor the life and work of renowned historian of the early modern world and marginalized people, Natalie Zemon Davis.

On Wednesday, October 18, students in Professor Seth Rockman's first-year seminar "A Textile History of Atlantic Slavery” undertook an experiential research project with wax-resist fabric dyeing.

On Thursday, October 12th the Department of History was joined by the family of William G. McLoughlin, a professor in history from 1958-1992, for a dedication ceremony in his honor.

Faiz Ahmed publishes latest article in Law and History Review, dedicates it to mourned Brown student John Owen Habib '24.

In this spotlight interview, the Department of History caught up with Ph.D. Candidate Ebru Erginbas to learn more about her dissertation research in the U.S. and Europe and paper presentations on hydrotherapy.

Get to know Amanda Valdés Sánchez and Josef Řídký!

The Department of History is thrilled to welcome a new graduate cohort to Brown! Get acquainted with each new member and learn more about their research interests.