Kimberly Hill

Kimberly Hill is an Associate Professor of U.S. and African American History at the University of Texas at Dallas (UTD), affiliated with the Harry W. Bass Jr. School of Arts, Humanities, and Technology. Her work focuses on African American Christian internationalism during the Jim Crow era, particularly the activities of Southern Presbyterian missionaries and YWCA/YMCA leaders. She holds a Ph.D. in History from UNC Chapel Hill (2008), following a B.A. from UT Austin Plan II Honors Program (2002) and an M.A. in History (2004).

• Education Highlights:
  • Ph.D., History, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (2008)
  • M.A., History, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (2004)
  • B.A., Plan II Interdisciplinary Honors, University of Texas at Austin (2002)

Her research examines intersections of race, religion, and global activism, including the transnational work of Alonzo and Althea Brown Edmiston in Central Africa (detailed in her book A Higher Mission). She has presented at major conferences like the American Historical Association and Association for the Study of African American Life and History, focusing on topics such as YWCA responses to racial violence and missionary imperialism.

Dr. Hill has received multiple teaching awards including UTD's President's Teaching Excellence Award (2020) and the Victor Worsfold Outstanding Teaching Award (2018). She actively contributes to curriculum development through initiatives like the Bridging Cultures program (2013-2016), which globalized community college history courses. Her work bridges historical scholarship with public engagement, including virtual book launches and AP U.S. History exam scoring roles.

Professional activities include affiliation with the American Academy of Religion’s International Connections Committee (2020-2023) and the Center for Asian Studies at UTD. Her funded projects include a Texas Conference on Introductory History Courses supported by Humanities Texas (2019).