Gillian MacDonald

Gillian MacDonald is an Assistant Professor of History and Director of the Lab for the Education and Advancement of Digital Research (LEADR) at Michigan State University. She holds a Ph.D. in Transnational and Comparative History from Central Michigan University, with prior degrees from the University of Strathclyde. Her research focuses on early modern Scottish political and social history, particularly the 1688-90 Scottish Revolution, post-revolution politics, and the 1707 Act of Union. She examines themes like borderlands, security studies, and transnational interactions.

Her work includes studies on spy networks during the Scottish Revolution, wartime prisoners, and coastal governance. She currently explores mapping captives during the War of the Three Kingdoms. Her articles analyze topics like war widows’ charity, maritime espionage, and revolutionary petition systems. She leads LEADR, advancing digital research methods.

Educational background: Undergraduate/MRes (University of Strathclyde), M.A./Ph.D. (Central Michigan University). Her research also addresses Atlantic connections, Scottish-Irish-French dynamics, and early modern state-building. Contact: macdo313@msu.edu, Old Horticulture Room 216.