Barbara Ganson

Dr. Barbara Ganson is a Professor in the Department of History at Florida Atlantic University specializing in Latin American History and Aviation History, with deep expertise in Guarani studies, ethnohistory, and the Rio de la Plata region. She previously served as Director of Latin American and Caribbean Studies at FAU and held leadership roles as president of both the Southwestern Historical Association and the Latin American/Caribbean History Section of the Southern Historical Association.

Dr. Ganson earned her Ph.D. from the University of Texas at Austin in 1994. Her research examines indigenous agency within colonial structures through meticulous archival work in Spanish, Guarani, and English sources. She bridges ethnohistory with gender studies and technological history, producing scholarship that spans colonial Latin America and early American aviation.

Her publication trajectory reveals evolving scholarly focus: from foundational work on Guarani-Spanish relations (The Guarani Under Spanish Rule, 2003) to aviation history (Texas Takes Wing, 2014), then to Jesuit-Guarani linguistic intersections (The Spiritual Conquest, 2017) and contemporary indigenous politics (Native Peoples, Politics, and Society, 2021). Current research explores gendered knowledge systems among the Guarani and women's contributions to early aviation.

Notable scholarly recognition includes:

• 2003 Choice Award for Outstanding Academic Title
• 2005 Murdo MacLeod Book Award from the Southern Historical Association

Dr. Ganson maintains an active research agenda with recent publications in Oxford Bibliographies and edited volumes on indigenous knowledge. Her teaching portfolio covers undergraduate and graduate courses spanning colonial Latin America, ethnohistory, gender studies, and aviation history, reflecting her interdisciplinary approach. While specific grant details aren't publicly documented, her sustained publication record and research fellowship at Boston College's Institute of Advanced Jesuit Studies (2017) indicate robust scholarly support.