Jonathan F. Vance

Jonathan F. Vance is a distinguished academic and historian at Western University, serving as the Distinguished University Professor and J.B. Smallman Chair in the Department of History. His research focuses on military history, Canadian history, and social memory, particularly regarding the First and Second World Wars, prisoners of war, and commemoration practices. He has authored numerous books and chapters, including The True Story of the Great Escape and Death So Noble: Memory, Meaning and the First World War.

He holds a PhD from York University (1993) and has received prestigious awards such as the Charles P. Stacey Prize, Floyd S. Chalmers Award, and membership in the Royal Society of Canada. His research is supported by the Ley and Lois Smith War, Memory, and Popular Culture Research Collection, a key resource for studies on war and society.

Teaching includes courses like HIST 1810E - Wars that Changed the World and supervises graduate students at both master’s and doctoral levels. His work bridges historical analysis with cultural studies, examining how societies remember and represent conflict.