Matthew Heaton

Matthew Heaton serves as Professor in the Department of History at Virginia Tech's College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences, based in 409 Major Williams Hall at 220 Stanger St., Blacksburg, VA 24061. His contact information includes email mheaton@vt.edu and phone 540-231-8361.

His research centers on 20th-century Nigerian history with specialized focus on Islamic practices and colonial legacies. Key areas include Nigerian pilgrimage traditions to Mecca, race and medicine in colonial contexts as explored in Black Skin, White Coats, and comprehensive historical frameworks through A History of Nigeria and The Oxford Handbook of Nigerian History. This work intersects African history, religious studies, and medical anthropology within broader colonial and post-colonial narratives.