معرفی
James McQuaid serves as Extension Program Coordinator II at Labor@Wayne within Wayne State University's College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, holding appointments in History, Employment and Labor Relations, and Labor@Wayne. He teaches interdisciplinary courses including Work and Democracy across History (HIS), Employment and Labor Relations (ELR), Political Science (PS), and Gender Studies (GSW) departments.
His educational credentials comprise:
- Ph.D. in History, Wayne State University (2023)
- World History Bridge Certificate, Wayne State University (2023)
- M.A. in History, Wayne State University (2018)
- B.A. in English Language and Literature, Grand Valley State University (2012)
McQuaid specializes in Modern North American History with concentrated expertise in Queer (LGBTQIA+) History and Labor History. His dissertation This Union Cause: The Queer History of the United Auto Workers, 1935-2000 pioneers research on LGBTQIA+ identities within labor movements, examining how queer individuals navigated union spaces during World War II and the 1970s UAW activism. His scholarly work consistently bridges labor studies, gender/sexuality history, and urban politics through intersectional frameworks.
His publications reveal a cohesive trajectory analyzing labor-queer solidarity in Detroit's industrial landscape, with emphasis on pre-Stonewall alliances and pandemic-era community resilience. The 2025 chapter in The Liberal Heartland extends this focus to Midwestern political history, while his blog scholarship in The Metropole demonstrates public engagement with labor archives.
McQuaid's scholarly recognition includes:
- 2024 Honorable Mention, Herbert G. Gutman Prize for Outstanding Dissertation
- 2021-2022 Thomas C. Rumble University Graduate Fellowship
- 2021 Kruman-Lion Endowed History Graduate Student Award
- 2021 Dr. Louis Jones HGSA Award
- Multiple departmental awards from Wayne State's History Department (2019-2020)
As Graduate Teaching Assistant (2018-2021), he developed pedagogical expertise now applied to teaching Queer American History and labor-focused curricula. His research is sustained through competitive fellowships targeting gender/sexuality history and labor studies. McQuaid actively contributes to the Michigan Labor History Society as Secretary, leveraging the Walter Reuther Archives for community-engaged scholarship on Detroit's labor heritage and contemporary worker advocacy.
