Timothy Parsons

Timothy Parsons is a Professor of History and African & African-American Studies at Washington University in St. Louis. He specializes in social history of colonial Africa, empire legacies, and urban development. His research explores how ordinary Africans navigated colonial and post-colonial systems. Currently, he is completing a global history of the 20th century focusing on cross-cultural exchanges.

Education:

• PhD in History, Johns Hopkins University (1996)
• MA in History, George Washington University (1991)
• BA in History, Wesleyan University (1985)

Research Interests: Colonial social structures, urban inequality, identity formation through ethnicity and Islam, comparative empire studies. Current projects include Patterns of Inequality (Liverpool/Nairobi urban history) and a world history of the 20th century.

Awards:

• Fulbright Scholar Award
• PROSE Honorable Mention (The Rule of Empires)
• John M. Olin Fellowship

Grants & Leadership: Directed International and Area Studies (2010–2015), taught 40+ courses, and secured grants from Fulbright, Spencer, and others. Advised numerous Mellon Mays fellows.

Labs/Teams: Collaborates on projects blending archival research, oral histories, and spatial analysis to study colonial/metropole dynamics. Active in global history networks.