Julie Mell

Julie Mell is an Associate Professor of History at North Carolina State University’s Department of History, affiliated with the College of Humanities and Social Sciences. She specializes in medieval Jewish communities in Europe, particularly their economic, legal, and religious roles. Mell holds a B.A. from Columbia University (1990), an M.A. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (1997), and a Ph.D. in Religious Studies (Jewish Studies, 2000).

Her research challenges stereotypes about medieval Jewish moneylenders, as detailed in her two-volume work The Myth of the Medieval Jewish Moneylender (2017–2018). She has received fellowships from Yad HaNadiv, the Memorial Foundation for Jewish Culture, and the AAUW.

Mell co-founded NCSU’s Jewish Studies program and coordinates interdisciplinary initiatives like the Triangle Medieval Studies Seminar. She advises graduate students in medieval European studies and has taught courses on medieval origins of modernity, Jewish-Christian relations, and digital humanities. Her presentations address topics like medieval economic thought, Viking art, and Hannah Arendt’s critiques of antisemitism.