Heather Ferguson

Heather Ferguson is an Associate Professor of History at Claremont McKenna College, specializing in Ottoman and Middle Eastern History. Her research focuses on early modern empires, archival practices, and legal/urban transformations in the Mediterranean. She holds a Ph.D. from UC Berkeley and an M.A. from UT Austin. Notable works include *The Proper Order of Things* (2018) and her current project on Ottoman-Habsburg archival dynamics.

• Education:
  • Ph.D. in History, University of California, Berkeley
  • M.A. in Middle Eastern Studies, University of Texas at Austin
• Awards:
  • American Council of Learned Societies Fellow (2014–2015)
  • National Endowment for the Humanities Grant (2019)
  • ACLS Burkhardt Fellowship (2020)

Her research integrates comparative imperial studies, exploring how archives and legal frameworks shaped governance in Ottoman and Habsburg contexts. She emphasizes interdisciplinary approaches, linking ethics, power dynamics, and urban development. Ferguson serves as Editor for the *Review of Middle East Studies* and Associate Editor for the *International Journal of Islamic Architecture*.

Her publications trace themes of archival mobility, legal discourses, and Mediterranean identities. Current projects investigate 'last acts' in imperial courts and the interplay between statecraft and documentary practices.

• Grants and Fellowships: Extensive support from ACLS, NEH, Ford Foundation, and FLAS programs.
• Service: Claremont Faculty Leadership Program member and academic editor roles.

Ferguson’s work bridges historical analysis with contemporary scholarly debates, advocating for multi-perspectival research in Middle Eastern and Islamic studies.