Ruma Chopra

Ruma Chopra is a Professor of History at San José State University, specializing in American Revolutionary-era history, slavery, and colonial studies. She holds a Ph.D. in History from the University of California, Davis, alongside advanced degrees in Linguistics and English from Albany and Carnegie Mellon Universities.

Her research focuses on themes such as loyalist communities during the American Revolution, maroon societies in the Caribbean and Africa, and the intersection of climate understanding with religious and scientific thought in early modern periods. She has authored four books exploring these topics, with her latest work, Between God and Darwin, under contract with Columbia University Press.

• Education:
• Ph.D., History, University of California, Davis
• M.A., Linguistics, University at Albany
• M.A., English, Carnegie Mellon University
• B.S., English, Carnegie Mellon University

Dr. Chopra has held prestigious fellowships at institutions including the John Carter Brown Library, Max Planck Institute, and the Huntington Library. Her work bridges transnational perspectives on colonial history, emphasizing marginalized voices in revolutionary and slavery contexts.

Her research outputs reflect a commitment to interdisciplinary approaches, linking environmental history with political and social dynamics. Ongoing projects likely explore further intersections of climate, religion, and colonial governance.