معرفی
Spencer Duncan is a PhD candidate in History at George Mason University (expected 2024) and an Adjunct Professor at J Sargeant Reynolds Community College. He specializes in Medieval European history and the premodern Muslim world, with a focus on the Almohad Caliphate in Spain and Christian-Muslim interactions during the Crusades.
His educational background includes an MA in Middle Eastern Studies from the University of Chicago (2013) and a BS in History from Brigham Young University-Idaho (2010). Duncan has received several academic scholarships, including the University of Chicago Academic Scholarship (2012-2013) and multiple scholarships from Brigham Young University-Idaho.
Duncan's research centers on how Muslim dynasties established authority after the collapse of the politically unified Muslim world, particularly in medieval Spain. His dissertation, "Religious Legitimacy and Political Intrigue: The Almohad Caliphate's Contest for Spain in the Writings of Ibn Ṣaḥib al-Ṣalāt", explores the writings of Ibn Ṣaḥib al-Ṣalāt to understand the Almohad Caliphate's contest for Spain.
He has taught a variety of history courses at George Mason University (HIST 125) and J Sargeant Reynolds Community College (HIS 101, 102, 111, 112, 121, 122, and 203). Outside academia, Duncan enjoys traveling, snowboarding, and running, with a goal to run a marathon in all fifty U.S. states.
His scholarly awards include:
- University of Chicago Academic Scholarship (2012-2013)
- Brigham Young University-Idaho Academic Scholarship (2008-2010)
- Brigham Young University-Idaho Research Scholarship (2010)
Duncan has been a teaching assistant at George Mason University since 2017 for courses HIST 100, 125, 301, and 323. Prior to his graduate studies, he participated in Teach For America in Dallas, Texas, and taught in China.
