About
Matthew Basso is an Associate Professor in the College of Humanities at the University of Utah, holding appointments in both the History and Gender Studies departments. His research spans the theory and history of masculinity, labor history, race and ethnicity, military-society relations, U.S. Western history, Pacific settler societies, and transnational history, often intersecting with public history initiatives.
- Primary Affiliation: University of Utah (2013–present)
- Secondary Affiliation: Gender Studies Department (2017–present)
His scholarly work bridges academic and community-focused projects, including digital archives, oral histories, and K-12 curriculum development. Recent publications include World War II and the American Home Front, Volume 2 (2024), which examines environmental and marginalized group histories of the WWII era, and a forthcoming book on settler masculinity in World War I Aotearoa/New Zealand with the University of California Press.
Key trends in his research include:
- Analysis of hegemonic masculinities in labor movements
- Transnational comparisons of settler societies
- Intersectional studies of race, gender, and disability
- Public history projects with national impact
Notable awards and grants include:
- Presidential Societal Impact Scholar (2025)
- National Park Service Grant (2020–2025) for WWII home front studies
- Mellon Foundation Grant (2018–2021) for Pacific Islander Studies
- Utah Department of Community and Culture funding for archival projects
He has received multiple teaching and mentorship awards, including the Distinguished Teaching Award (2020) and Distinguished Graduate Mentor Award (2012), and leads initiatives like the Utah American Indian Digital Archive and Pacific Islander Studies Initiative. His community engagement includes roles at the Western History Association and American Historical Association committees.
