Nate Plageman

Nate Plageman is an Associate Professor in the Department of History at Wake Forest University, specializing in urban history of colonial and post-colonial Africa with a focus on Ghana. He employs social historical approaches and examines popular music alongside written and oral sources to analyze Ghanaian urban life. His research has been supported by Fulbright and the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Education:

• B.A. Saint Olaf College (2000)
• M.A. Indiana University-Bloomington (2003)
• Ph.D. Indiana University-Bloomington (2008)

Research Interests: Urban history focuses on colonial infrastructure development and social transformation; African studies emphasize cultural expressions through music and community formation; historical methodology combines archival research with ethnomusicology to reconstruct lived experiences in African urban spaces during periods of colonial and post-colonial transition.

Publications: His scholarly articles consistently explore themes of urbanization, cultural identity, and colonial legacies in West Africa. Recent work analyzes music as political expression and urban planning as contested territory between colonial ambitions and local agency, with particular attention to Ghana's socio-cultural evolution.

Awards & Grants:

• Fulbright Fellowship
• National Endowment for the Humanities grant

Academic Service: Coordinates Wake Forest University's African Studies Minor since 2016, fostering interdisciplinary engagement with African histories and cultures across campus.