Lilly Havstad

Lilly Havstad is a full-time Lecturer in the Department of History & Literature at Harvard University and serves as Assistant Editor at the International Journal of African Historical Studies. She joined the Hist&Lit team in 2022 after six years teaching college writing courses, including first-year seminars, advanced interdisciplinary writing, and scientific writing. Her research focuses on Afro-Portuguese history, the intersection of motherhood with academia and humanities, and anti-war activism. She is committed to decolonizing knowledge production and fostering critical thinking in students.

Her teaching includes a new Oral History research seminar in the Mindich Program in Engaged Scholarship and a Spring 2024 course on global student activism with digital storytelling components. Publications include work in Gender & History, the South African Historical Journal, and Africasacountry.com. Current projects explore academic job insecurity and family history in activism.