Randy Bergstrom

Randy Bergstrom is an Associate Professor in the Department of History at the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB). His research focuses on the history of U.S. public policy and public history, particularly examining racial justice and legal frameworks in New York City from the 1860s to the 1920s. He is currently working on a book project exploring these themes. Bergstrom teaches undergraduate courses in public policy (History 7, 170A&B, 172A&B), public history (192, 192R), and has instructed in the World History (2C) and American People (17C) series. He advises graduate students in the Public History Ph.D. program and serves as a senior consulting editor for THE PUBLIC HISTORIAN journal.

• Office: HSSB 4216
• Upcoming Teaching: Winter 2026

His research interests intersect with the UCSB History Department’s clusters in Public History and Theory, and Race, Blackness, & Abolition. Bergstrom collaborates with the National Council for Public History and encourages public historians to engage with THE PUBLIC HISTORIAN’s editorial process.