New Relase:
Cartographic America: Selections from The J. Kyle Spencer Map Collection
This book is co-authored with David Owings (Columbus State University Archives) to offer the public a glimpse at the extensive collection of early North American maps from the Age of the European Explorers to the late 19th century. The Spencer Map Collection documents the emergence and evolution of the American colonies, specifically Georgia, and the formation of the United States as a whole, ranging from the late 1500s to the late 1800s. Mr. Kyle Spencer generously donated his private map collection to Columbus State University. This book has a two-fold purpose: to extend public history to a larger audience and to use the proceeds to support the historical work in the CSU archives.
Scholarship
Political Economy of Brazil and China
Political Ecology of Brazil and the US Southeastern Coastline
Current Research:
"Place, Memory, and Urban Politics: State Violence and Resistance in São Paulo During Dictatorship" (Research in Progress)
"The Production of Space in Beijing's Olympic Park (and the Contradictions that Lie Within)" (To be presented at the Asian Studies Development Program (ASDP) national conference in Washington, DC (March 2025)
New Research:
Place, Memory, and Urban Politics: State Violence and Resistance in São Paulo During Dictatorship
My present research focuses on the roles that place, memory, and urban resistance to the Brazilian military dictatorship had during the period 1964-1985. Specifically, I am researching how these spaces in São Paulo framed alternative pathways to democratic transition and whether or not they serve as a reminder of autocracy in present-day Brazilian urban politics. Fieldwork will commence in the spring of 2025 through spring of 2026. Anticipated submission for publication is later in 2026.
Forthcoming Article & Presentation
The Production of Space in Beijing's Olympic Park (and the Contradictions That Lie Within)
This paper explores the complex dynamics of spatial production within Beijing's Olympic Park, a site initially designed to symbolize global sport and diplomatic cooperation. Since its construction for the 2008 Olympics, the park has evolved into a contested space where contradictions among public access, state hegemony, political memory (Chinese Communist Party Museum), and capitalist interests converge. While the park is framed as a public space, the state's pervasive surveillance apparatus limits its openness, reflecting broader trends of spatial control in China. Additionally, the park bears the imprint of China’s political memory, particularly its association with the communist revolution, coexisting with the rise of capitalist forces like the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), whose headquarters is adjacent to the park. These contradictory forces shape the park as a microcosm of China's broader urban development and global ambition, where notions of publicness are increasingly redefined by political and economic power. This paper critically examines how these conflicting narratives interact within the park, revealing the tensions between state control, global capitalism, and the symbolic legacy of China’s political history.
This article submission journal is TBD but the research will be presented at the East West Center's Asian Studies Development Program (ASDP) annual academic meeting in Washington, DC in March 2025.