Andrew T. Urban

Andrew T. Urban is an Associate Professor in the Department of American Studies and the Department of History at Rutgers University, New Brunswick, within the School of Arts and Sciences. He is actively engaged in research, teaching, and public humanities, focusing on migration, labor, empire, and public memory. His work bridges academic scholarship with community engagement through digital exhibitions, oral history projects, and public art initiatives.

Urban's research centers on the intersections of labor and migration in U.S. history. His first book, Brokering Servitude: Migration and the Politics of Domestic Labor during the Long Nineteenth Century (NYU Press, 2018), investigates the regulation of domestic labor markets. His current book project, Processing History: Labor, Capitalism, and Memory at Seabrook Farms (forthcoming 2027), examines the use of incarcerated Japanese Americans, guestworkers, and displaced persons at a New Jersey agribusiness. His research is deeply informed by community collaboration and public-facing scholarship.

Urban’s recent publications, exhibitions, and digital projects reflect a strong commitment to public history. Notable works include the digital exhibition Invisible Restraints: Life and Labor at Seabrook Farms, Chinese Exclusion in New Jersey, and Mapping New Brunswick Memories. His articles appear in Journal of Asian American Studies, Journal of American Ethnic History, Gender and History, and The Public Historian. His writing also extends to public commentary in outlets like the Washington Post and Inside Higher Ed.

Andrew Urban has received significant recognition for his work, including:

• Mellon Foundation Monuments Project Grant (2024)
• National Endowment for the Humanities Summer Institute Grant (2018)
• Fulbright Fellowship in American Studies (2019)

As an educator and mentor, Urban supervises student internships and leads collaborative research projects. He has directed the New Brunswick/North Brunswick High Schools Public Memory Project since 2021, working with students, artists, and community stakeholders to create public art and programming on school segregation. He previously served on the Executive Board of the Immigration and Ethnic History Society and as Vice President of the Rutgers AAUP-AFT union. His work with Deep Springs College as a Visiting Professor in 2016 further highlights his commitment to innovative pedagogy.

Urban leads several collaborative initiatives, including the Monuments to Migration and Labor project funded by the Mellon Foundation, which engages public stakeholders in creating art that celebrates immigrant and migrant workers. He also partners with coLAB Arts and the Seabrook Educational and Cultural Center to conduct oral histories and develop community murals that critically interpret difficult histories of race, labor, and displacement.