Kerry Smith

Kerry Smith is a Professor of History and East Asian Studies at Brown University, and Interim Chair of Sociology. He joined the Brown History Department in 1997. His research focuses on modern Japan, disaster history, and the intersections of science, technology, and environment. He holds a BA and PhD from Harvard University. His major works include Predicting Disasters: Earthquakes, Scientists, and Uncertainty in Modern Japan (2024) and A Time of Crisis: Japan, the Great Depression, and Rural Revitalization (2001). He teaches courses on modern Japan, the atomic age, and Tokyo's history.

Research interests include disaster planning, colonial history, and the sociopolitical impacts of scientific uncertainty. Awards include the Karen T. Romer Award for Excellence in Advising (2021) and the G. Wesley Johnson Prize (2003). His funded research includes fellowships from the National Endowment for the Humanities and the Max Planck Institute for the History of Science.

His publications analyze post-earthquake violence, colonial dynamics, and the role of science in disaster preparedness. Recent work explores the legacy of the 1923 Great Kantō Earthquake, emphasizing misinformation and vigilante actions. He is affiliated with Brown's East Asian Studies and Sociology departments, contributing to interdisciplinary studies of Japan's modern trajectory.