Spencer D Segalla

Spencer D. Segalla is Professor and Chair of the Department of History, Geography and Legal Studies at the University of Tampa. He holds a B.A. in Religious Studies from Yale University (1993), an M.A. in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages from Stony Brook University (1995), an M.A. in History from Stony Brook (1998), and a Ph.D. in History from Stony Brook (2003).

His research examines colonialism and decolonization in Europe and North Africa, with emphasis on the political/cultural impacts of natural disasters, educational policies, and environmental history. Key themes include French colonial legacies, geoenvironmental catastrophes, and post-colonial state formation. He currently studies the Agadir earthquake's influence on anti-imperialist thought.

Awards and Honors:

• Outstanding Teaching Award (University of Tampa, 2014-2015)
• American Institute of Maghrib Studies Research Grant (2014)
• J. Eccles article prize (2003)
• Spencer Foundation Fellowship (2002-2003)
• Best Teaching Assistant Award (Stony Brook, 1999)

He taught English and history in Morocco for five years, directed theatrical productions, and authored two books: The Moroccan Soul (2009) and Empire and Catastrophe (2022).