Matthew Pauly

Matthew Pauly is an Associate Professor in the Department of History at Michigan State University, affiliated with the College of Social Science. His research focuses on Ukrainian, Eastern European, and Russian history, particularly nationalism, childhood studies, education, and Soviet-era social policies. He is core faculty at the Center for European, Russian, and Eurasian Studies and Peace and Justice Studies, and an affiliate of the Serling Institute for Jewish Studies and Modern Israel.

Education: Ph.D., Indiana University. Current projects include a textbook Traversing Europe: Key Moments in 20th-Century History and a monograph City of Children: Juvenile Poverty, Crime, and Salvation in Odesa, exploring Odesa’s welfare systems under Soviet rule. He has authored Breaking the Tongue: Language, Education, and Power in Soviet Ukraine (2014) and multiple articles on Soviet nationalities policy.

Research Interests:

• National identity formation
• Childhood and youth in imperial/Soviet contexts
• Educational reforms and language policies
• Medical philanthropy and social welfare

Professional Awards: Recipient of fellowships from Fulbright, IREX, SSRC, and the U.S. Department of Education’s FLAS Program. Served as a Fascell Fellow at the U.S. Embassy in Kyiv, reporting on human rights and rule of law.

Grants & Affiliations: Member of H-Ukraine advisory board, Shevchenko Scientific Society, and Problemy istoriï Ukraïny editorial board. Active in transnational academic networks across Ukraine and North America.