Toby C. Jones

Toby C. Jones is an Associate Professor of History at Rutgers University, specializing in the Modern Middle East, Environmental History, and History of Science and Technology. He has been affiliated with Rutgers since 2007 and previously held positions such as a fellow at Princeton University (2008-2009) and a Persian Gulf political analyst for the International Crisis Group (2004-2006).

• Ph.D., Stanford University (2006)
• M.A., Auburn University (1998)
• B.A., Auburn University (1994)

Jones's research focuses on the intersection of environment, energy, and technology in the Middle East. His work critically examines how resource politics, particularly oil and water, have shaped modern Saudi Arabian development and broader Gulf geopolitics. He also investigates the role of technology in dissent and state control, and the historical roots of environmental crises in the region.

His publications span books, journal articles, and policy reports, with recurrent themes of resource scarcity, technological intervention, and sectarian dynamics. Recent works include analyses of U.S.-Saudi relations, Saudi Arabia's environmental and political challenges, and Gulf regional instability.

Scientific Awards

• Rutgers Chancellor’s Scholar (2015)
• Mellon Post-Doctoral Fellowship, Swarthmore College
• Fulbright-Hays Fellowship to Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and Jordan (2003-2003)

Jones is actively involved in academic networks such as the American Historical Association, Society for History of Technology, and Middle Eastern Studies Association. He teaches courses on the Modern Middle East, Oil and Empire, and environmental history, and his upcoming book project, America's Oil Wars, is under contract with Harvard University Press.