Matthew Restall

Matthew Restall is the Edwin Erle Sparks Professor of Colonial Latin American History, Anthropology, and Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies at Pennsylvania State University. He serves as Director of Latin American Studies. His research focuses on Yucatan and Mexico, Guatemala and Belize, Maya history, the Spanish Conquest, Africans in Spanish America, and the history of popular music.

Restall’s interdisciplinary work bridges history, anthropology, and gender studies, with particular emphasis on colonial-era indigenous populations and transatlantic diasporic communities. His scholarship challenges traditional narratives of conquest and colonization, emphasizing indigenous agency and cultural resilience.

Awards:

• Edwin Erle Sparks Professorship

While no specific grants or advising records are noted, his role as a chaired professor reflects significant academic recognition. No lab affiliations or teams are explicitly mentioned.