Nancy P. Appelbaum

Nancy P. Appelbaum is a Professor in the History Department at Binghamton University, with a courtesy affiliation to the Latin American and Caribbean Studies Program (LACAS). Her research focuses on Latin American history, particularly Colombian history, and examines intersections of race, gender, migration, and transnational links between Latin America and the United States.

Education:

• PhD and MA in History from the University of Wisconsin-Madison
• BA in History from Vassar College

Appelbaum’s work explores how Latin Americans have defined and experienced race, region, nation, and migration, with an emphasis on how nation-state formation reinforced or revised inequalities. Her recent publications analyze 19th-century Colombian geographers’ role in shaping national identity and long-term impacts of racial and gender dynamics in multiracial communities.

Her scholarship trends include interdisciplinary approaches to historical cartography, postcolonial nation-building, and transnational social histories. She has held leadership roles as Chair of the History Department and former Director of LACAS.

Scientific awards:

• Prizewinning book Muddied Waters: Race, Region, and Local History in Colombia, 1846–1948

Appelbaum teaches undergraduate courses in Latin American history and the Latin American and Caribbean Studies Program. She advises graduate students in modern Latin American history, aligning with the department’s strengths in transnational and gender studies.