Gunther W. Peck

Gunther W. Peck is a Professor in the Sanford School of Public Policy and Professor of History at Duke University since 2025. His research bridges human trafficking, racial ideology, humanitarian intervention, and immigration policy in North America and Europe.

• Ph.D., Yale University (1994)
• M.A., Yale University (1991)
• M.A., University of Wisconsin, Madison (1989)
• B.A., Princeton University (1984)

His work examines the historical ties between labor history and racial hierarchies, with a focus on transnational perspectives. Key publications include studies on white slavery narratives, working-class racism, and intersections of environmental and labor history.

Articles highlight his expertise in labor abolition, voter turnout dynamics, and gendered approaches to trafficking. Awards include the Warren Fellowship and ACLS Fellowships.

• Warren Fellowship, Harvard University (2010)
• ACLS Fellows (2005)
• NEH Fellowship (2002)
• RAY ALLEN BILLINGTON PRIZE (2001)
• National Humanities Center Fellow (2001)

He teaches courses like 'Historicizing Whiteness' and 'Human Trafficking, Past to Present,' and leads initiatives like the Student Voting Rights Lab. Grants include a Visiting Associate Professorship at Yale University (2017-2018).