About
Brent Cebul is an Associate Professor of History at the University of Pennsylvania's School of Arts & Sciences. His research focuses on 20th-century U.S. history, emphasizing political economy, urban development, race and inequality, and business-state dynamics. He earned a PhD from the University of Virginia and a BA from Hamilton College. Cebul co-edited Shaped by the State (2019) and is completing a book, Illusions of Progress, examining liberal economic policies and persistent racialized poverty.
His work integrates digital humanities, notably as co-lead on the Renewing Inequality project, which received the 2019 Roy Rosenzweig Prize. Courses taught include the Age of Reagan, Urban Transformations, and 1970s U.S. political crises. His research bridges liberal and neoliberal thought, analyzing how market-driven policies entrenched inequalities despite progressive goals.
- Education: PhD, University of Virginia; BA, Hamilton College
- Key Projects: Renewing Inequality (American Panorama), Illusions of Progress (forthcoming)
- Recent Awards: 2019 Roy Rosenzweig Prize for Innovation in Digital History
Professional experience includes posts at the University of North Carolina, Charlotte, and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. His scholarship critiques liberal assumptions about growth-driven policies and their unintended consequences for equity and federalism.
