New historians bring insight to ASU students
The intersection of religion and economics has made a significant impact on the development of cultures throughout the world. The New College of Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences at Arizona State University’s West campus has recruited two historians who possess expertise in different facets of this compelling topic and its effects on South American and European history.
Julia Sarreal and Stefan Stantchev are newly minted Ph.D. recipients from Harvard University and the University of Michigan, respectively. Both are now assistant professors of history in New College’s Division of Humanities, Arts and Cultural Studies (HArCS).
Sarreal’s academic interests focus on Latin America’s social and economic history. Her doctoral dissertation challenged traditional theories about causes of the 18th-century collapse of Spanish Jesuit missions in the heart of South America. Stantchev, meanwhile, focuses on the religious and economic factors that shaped power relations within Europe and throughout the Mediterranean in medieval times. He used his dissertation to advance his assertion that papal embargoes were less about foreign policy objectives than they were a tool of the papacy to maximize its control over Christians.
“We are fortunate to have attracted these two outstanding scholars to the HArCS division,” says Monica Casper, HArCS director. “Julia adds important regional and temporal expertise, and she will expand our teaching resources with courses focusing on Mexico, colonial Latin America, conquests and encounters, and world history since 1500. Stefan’s appointment will help us to staff our popular Western Civilization courses, as well as bring new offerings such as a course about the Crusades.”
Both Sarreal and Stantchev speak multiple languages. Sarreal took a year off during her undergraduate studies at Swarthmore College to volunteer at a homeless shelter in Mexico City, which helped spark her interest in Latin America. “I was impressed by the warmth and generosity of the people, and fascinated by the history,” Sarreal says.
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Julia Sarreal and Stefan Stantchev are newly minted Ph.D. recipients from Harvard University and the University of Michigan, respectively. Both are now assistant professors of history in New College’s Division of Humanities, Arts and Cultural Studies (HArCS).
Sarreal’s academic interests focus on Latin America’s social and economic history. Her doctoral dissertation challenged traditional theories about causes of the 18th-century collapse of Spanish Jesuit missions in the heart of South America. Stantchev, meanwhile, focuses on the religious and economic factors that shaped power relations within Europe and throughout the Mediterranean in medieval times. He used his dissertation to advance his assertion that papal embargoes were less about foreign policy objectives than they were a tool of the papacy to maximize its control over Christians.
“We are fortunate to have attracted these two outstanding scholars to the HArCS division,” says Monica Casper, HArCS director. “Julia adds important regional and temporal expertise, and she will expand our teaching resources with courses focusing on Mexico, colonial Latin America, conquests and encounters, and world history since 1500. Stefan’s appointment will help us to staff our popular Western Civilization courses, as well as bring new offerings such as a course about the Crusades.”
Both Sarreal and Stantchev speak multiple languages. Sarreal took a year off during her undergraduate studies at Swarthmore College to volunteer at a homeless shelter in Mexico City, which helped spark her interest in Latin America. “I was impressed by the warmth and generosity of the people, and fascinated by the history,” Sarreal says.