Clare A. Lyons

Clare A. Lyons is an Associate Professor in the Department of History at the University of Maryland. She earned her Ph.D. from Yale University in 1996, where her dissertation received the Egleston Prize for best in American History. Her research examines social hierarchies through the lenses of gender, sexuality, and power transformations from colonial to modern society.

Research interests focus on the constitution and transformation of social systems, particularly:

• Comparative colonial histories across British imperial ventures
• Intersections of sexuality, gender, and political empowerment
• Global dimensions of early American cultural exchange
• Development of modern sexual identities

Her publications demonstrate consistent exploration of sexuality and power dynamics across temporal and geographic contexts, with recent work emphasizing global colonial encounters and their impact on self-conception.

Awards and fellowships include:

• James Broussard Best First Book Prize (2006)
• Lester A. Cappon Article Award (2003)
• NEH Fellowship for current book project
• Grants from Mellon Foundation, Pew Foundation, and leading research institutions

She currently leads a public history project with The Woodlands, investigating eighteenth-century sexual identities through archival research. Her forthcoming book examines global influences on Anglo-American sexual concepts.

Professional service includes editorial roles for the Journal of American History and committee leadership for OAH and JER prizes.