Brian Van Wyck

Brian Van Wyck

Biography

Originally from Maine, Brian earned a BA in history from Williams College. After graduating, he taught English in Turkey, worked in college admissions, and spent a year as a Fulbright scholar in Germany. In 2012, he completed an MA in Nationalism Studies at Central European University in Budapest, Hungary, before beginning doctoral studies in the History Department at Michigan State. In his graduate career, Brian has focused on European and Middle Eastern history, particularly the history of migration from Turkey to West Germany after the Second World War. His work on Turkish teachers and imams in West Germany intersects with the history of Islam, education, nationalism, and race in both countries. 

As an RCAH fellow, Brian hopes to investigate the use of methods from the digital humanities in creating collaborative, community-based projects in history courses.