معرفی
Joshua First is the Croft Associate Professor of History & International Studies at the University of Mississippi, affiliated with the Department of History within the College of Liberal Arts. His research focuses on Soviet and post-Soviet history, particularly Ukraine and Russia, with specialties in film studies, cultural institutions, and Soviet healthcare systems. He joined the university in 2010 after earning a Ph.D. in Philosophy from the University of Michigan (2008) and a B.A. in History from the University of Missouri-Columbia (2001).
His research explores intersections between cultural production and institutional frameworks, including Ukrainian film studios and Soviet welfare policies. Notable works include Ukrainian Cinema: Belonging and Identity during the Soviet Thaw (2014) and a study of Sergei Parajanov’s Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors (2016). Current projects include a history of Soviet medicine (1960–1990), examining biotechnology and cybernetics within healthcare.
Recent articles analyze Carpathian ecology in Ukrainian cinema, Donbas war narratives, and Soviet-era film audience dynamics. Teaching focuses on modern Russia, Soviet history, and European studies, with courses like History of the Holocaust and Contemporary Russia. No specific grants or labs are noted, though his work engages deeply with archival and interdisciplinary methodologies.
