Thomas J. Adams

Thomas J. Adams is an Associate Professor in the Department of Integrative Studies at the University of South Alabama's College of Education and Professional Studies. His teaching philosophy emphasizes interdisciplinary engagement and critical analysis of societal complexities. He holds a Ph.D. in History from the University of Chicago, M.A. in Social Sciences from the University of Chicago, and B.A. in History and Women’s Studies from Tulane University.

Research focuses on American social, political, and cultural history with emphases on labor, racial/gender ideologies, urban studies, and Gulf South regionalism. Current projects include a book on the service economy and inequality, and a historical study of labor migration in the Gulf South. His work spans collaborations with anthropologists, sociologists, and urban planners.

• Awards: Mellon Fellowship, ACLS Fellowship
• Outreach: Senior advisor at Monument Lab (public history projects), co-chair of New Orleans Street Renaming Commission (2020-2022)
• Former Affiliations: University of Sydney (permanent faculty 2014-2022, honorary faculty status retained)

Publications include contributions to the American Historical Review, Neoliberal Cities, and creative essays linking art, ecology, and globalization.