William Summerhill

William Summerhill is Professor of History at UCLA, specializing in Brazilian economic history with focus on sovereign debt, railroads, and inequality. He holds a Ph.D. from Stanford University and has held visiting appointments at Insper, Universidade de São Paulo, and École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales.

Research Focus: Economic history of Brazil examining credit markets, infrastructure development (particularly railroads), agricultural productivity, and institutional economics from imperial to modern periods.

Publication Trends: Major works analyze railroad economics' role in Brazilian development, sovereign debt management, and quantitative assessments of agricultural productivity. Recent publications increasingly address human capital and education impacts.

Awards: Alexander Gerschenkron Prize from Economic History Association recognizing contributions to economic history scholarship.

Grants & Advising: Extensive doctoral student supervision with 10 completed PhDs. Current collaborations include São Paulo Economic History Workshop. Research supported by National Science Foundation, Social Science Research Council, and Fulbright-Hays Program.