Thom Rath

Thom Rath is a Professor in the Department of History at University College London (UCL). His research focuses on modern Latin America, particularly the political, social, military, and environmental dimensions of governance. He has authored influential books like The Dread Plague and the Cow Killers (2022), examining animal disease politics, and Myths of Demilitarization in Postrevolutionary Mexico (2013). Rath co-edits the Journal of Latin American Studies and co-convenes the IHR Latin American history seminar.

Education: PhD in History from Columbia University, MPhil in Latin American Studies from the University of Oxford, and undergraduate degree in History from UCL.

Research interests include Latin America’s global connections, military history, and the intersection of science, politics, and development. Current projects explore animals in modernization efforts and the history of military policing in Mexico.

Rath has secured grants from the Wellcome Trust and sponsors the Leverhulme Early Career Fellowship for Dr. Nathaniel Morris. He contributes to media outlets like the BBC World Service and Sky News, discussing topics such as Mexican history and Latin American politics.

Teaching includes modules on Latin American history, memory, and democracy, such as History of Latin America, c.1830-1930 and Animals and Modernity, 1750-present.