Jonathan Hagel

Jonathan Hagel is an Assistant Professor in the Department of History at the University of Kansas. His teaching and research focus on Modern U.S. History, American Cultural and Intellectual History, and intersections of sports and cinema in American society. He has taught courses on the Great Depression, Postwar America, and the history of sports and mass culture since joining KU in 2012.

• Education: B.A. in American Studies (1998) and Ph.D. in History (2012) from Brown University

Dr. Hagel’s research explores America’s evolving discourse on racism, examining how intellectuals redefined racial issues in the 20th century. His current book project, The Souls of White Folk: A Nation’s Search for the Racist Within, investigates historical debates about racial identity and anti-racism, drawing inspiration from W.E.B. DuBois’s writings.

He teaches foundational courses like The Historian’s Craft (HIST 301) and specialized classes including America in the Great Depression (HIST 345) and The Crowd Goes Wild: History of Sports in America (HIST 510). As faculty advisor for Phi Alpha Theta, he mentors history majors at KU.