Directory

Originally from Cambridge, Matt Bell studied history at the University of Oxford, receiving a First Class degree in Summer 2023. Since then, he has been teaching English as a Foreign Language at a language school in Cambridge.

While his studies at Oxford covered a wide range of history and geography, from the fall of the Aztecs to the Stalinist purges of the 1930s, his main focus was on US history where possible. He took papers on civil rights pioneers of the late 19th early 20th centuries and US history from the American Revolutionary War to the Philippine-American War, and carried out an undergraduate dissertation on civil unrest in Detroit in 1967. His main areas of interest are popular unrest, the evolution of the civil rights movement, and economic history. He is particularly looking forward to studying the complex economic, cultural, and political links that have spanned and continue to span the Atlantic Ocean.

In his spare time, he listens to music, plays the piano and guitar, and reads in cafes and pubs.

Barak Boswell is from St. Robert, Missouri. He graduated from Ozark Technical Community College in 2022 with an Associate’s Degree in General Studies and from Mizzou in 2024 with a Bachelor of Arts in History and a minor in Black Studies.

He is interested in a variety of historical topics from the colonization of the Americas to the rise of the Soviet Union and the United States as global superpowers in the 20th century. In his spare time, he enjoys reading, watching movies, and studying history.

Originally from Wrexham in Wales, Rhian Davies graduated from Cardiff University in 2024 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in History. She joins the Atlantic History and Politics MA cohort as the 2024-25 Kinder-BrANCH Fellow.

Rhian’s research interests are broad, having completed her undergraduate dissertation on tribalism in the postcolonial Kenyan developmental state, particularly its impact on Maasai communities. Her interests lie in global histories, having previously explored Kenyan, British, French, German, US, and Indian history. At Mizzou, Rhian would like to explore pan-African histories.

In her free time, Rhian enjoys reading political and social science books on black British history, listening to music, sports, and singing.

Maeve Ewing is a PPE graduate from the University of Oxford, coming to Mizzou for the MA in Atlantic History and Politics after receiving a Kinder Fellowship. She lives in Manchester in the United Kingdom, a place well-known for its polarized football, incredible music scene, and gritty aesthetics.

She is incredibly interested in politics, especially social politics surrounding the welfare state and the history of socialism and communism around the world. Some of her key academic interests are International Relations, Political Sociology, Politics in Post-Soviet Russia and China, Ethics and Feminist Philosophy. She also has many hobbies that she enjoys in her spare time, including playing as a second row in women’s rugby, a keen interest in photography, and a love for singing and music.

Richard Gregory graduated from the University of Warwick with a BA in History and Politics with an integrated year studying abroad at McMaster University, Canada. His prime areas of academic interest include maritime history, American foreign policy, and Atlantic trade and economic history. His undergraduate dissertation explored British trade in the Baltic Sea, using the Sound Toll Registers Online database to stress the Baltic’s key role in Britain’s success in the early modern period.

Richard worked as a heritage assistant at the Lord Leycester Hospital Museum and as a research assistant in the transcription and publishing of Sir William Norris’ diaries (Ambassador to the Mogul Emperor Aurangzeb, 1699-1702). Among his many areas of historical interest, Richard is keen to look further into the networks of exchange, cooperation, and conflict which have characterized the history of the Atlantic Basin. After being introduced to North American Indigenous history, specifically the Mississauga and Haudenosaunee nations on whose land McMaster is built, he is looking forward to expanding his knowledge through studying different Indigenous cultures and the history of first contacts.

Outside of his studies, Richard enjoys spending time outdoors, travelling, and supporting Coventry City FC!

From Little Rock, Arkansas, William Hout graduated from the University of Missouri with Honors in Spring 2024, earning a BA in History and Religious Studies.

In the MA program, he hopes to study the political economy of pre-WWI Europe and the consequent formation of military alliances. After completing the degree, William plans to pursue a PhD in History with a focus on the development of 20th century imperialism and eventually start a career in academia.

Hailing from Kirkwood, MO, Jack Leonhardt-Smith graduated from the University of Missouri in 2024 with a Bachelor of Arts in History and minors in German and Political Science. His primary academic interest as an undergraduate focused on the history and economics of Germany and Great Britain and the interplay of the two nations.

Outside of his studies, Jack enjoys travelling, reading, immersing himself in sports statistics, and the occasional Lego set.

Greg Pekurney is from North Richland Hills, Texas. He graduated from the University of Missouri with a Bachelor of Arts in Constitutional Democracy and History and minors in Political Science and Latin American Studies.

Greg currently works as a graduate research assistant for the Kinder ASH Scholars program. In his free time, Greg likes to run, hike, watch sports, and build the occasional Lego set when available.

After completing his graduate studies, Greg plans on pursuing a career in public history, focusing on historical research and museum education.

Originally from St. Louis, Sarah graduated cum laude from the University of Missouri in May 2024 with her Bachelor of Arts in Political Science (pre-law emphasis), along with minors in Psychology and Constitutional Democracy. She also received a Certificate in Multicultural Studies.

During her time as an undergraduate, Sarah interned for President and Dr. Jill Biden in the Office of the First Lady at the White House, worked at the Council on Foreign Relations as the National Program and Outreach Intern, was involved with campaigning in local politics, and was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa.

Sarah works as Missouri’s Regional Organizing Fellow for EC4EC and is passionate about reproductive justice, bodily autonomy, intersectional feminism, and LGBTQ+ rights.

C.J. Scott graduated from the University of Missouri in Spring 2024 with bachelor’s degrees in History and Economics and minors in Constitutional Democracy and Ancient Mediterranean Studies. He also received a Certificate in Multicultural Studies.

As an undergraduate, C.J. served as president of the Mizzou Undergraduate Society of History whilst being a member of the Mizzou Debate Union and Mizzou’s President Council. He was also inducted into both Omicron Delta Epsilon and Phi Sigma Theta.

In his pursuit of historical knowledge, C.J. enjoyed studying a myriad of historical eras with a prime fascination with the late Roman Republic. C.J. hopes to learn much about the 18th-century world in his pursuit of an MA in Atlantic History and Politics, with an emphasis on the Seven Year’s War, The American Revolution, and the British West Indies.

Outside of his studies, C.J. enjoys reading, gaming, and hiking.

Hailing from Grain Valley, Missouri, Victoria Seever is an incoming MA student in Atlantic History and a 1L at University of Missouri School of Law. She graduated from Mizzou’s College of Arts and Science in May 2024 with a double major in History and Constitutional Democracy. She also earned a Political Science minor and a Multicultural Studies Certificate.

While studying at the law school and for her master’s, she will be coaching the university’s undergraduate Mock Trial Association and Model UN teams. Victoria is very excited about these positions, as she had a wonderful experience herself in Mock Trial, having competed for four years and acted as a captain and president for the association.

Originally from Lee’s Summit, Quinn Sheppard graduated summa cum laude from Mizzou in Spring 2024 with degrees in Constitutional Democracy and History along with a minor in Political Science.

During her time as an undergraduate, she spent a semester at University College London, conducted research through the Honors College, interned at the State Historical Society of Missouri, and served as President of It’s On Us.

In her free time, Quinn enjoys reading and traveling.

Braden Taylor graduated from Culver-Stockton College in May 2024 with a degree in History. He played baseball while studying at Culver Stockton, as well.

Outside of the classroom, Braden enjoys playing video games, coaching baseball, and spending time with his dogs.