Casey Nichols

Casey Nichols is an Assistant Professor in the Department of History at Texas State University, joining in Fall 2019. She previously taught at California State University, East Bay; California State University, Long Beach; and Dickinson College. Her research focuses on African American, Mexican American, and U.S. urban history, with an emphasis on civil rights, social justice, and post-1964 antipoverty policies.

Education:

• PhD in U.S. History, Stanford University (2015)
• MA in History, University of Washington, Seattle (2009)
• BA in History, California State University, Long Beach (2007)

Research Interests:
Dr. Nichols examines Black and Brown protest movements, federal urban policies (e.g., Model Cities Program), and interethnic alliances in Los Angeles. Her book project, Poverty Rebels: Black and Brown Protest in Post-Civil Rights America, explores how antipoverty policies shaped activist movements and reshaped U.S. racial dynamics.

Awards:

• Liberal Arts Consortium for Faculty Diversity Postdoctoral Fellowship
• Moody Research Grant (Lyndon Baines Johnson Presidential Foundation)
• Huntington Library Research Fellowship

Teaching and Advocacy:
Dr. Nichols prioritizes linking history to social justice, teaching U.S. history through the lens of marginalized communities. Her classroom approach emphasizes diverse historical actors and their struggles for equity.