Joshua Hollands

Elon University Award - U.S. History

Josh is a historian of the United States, specialising in the study of sexuality, political economy, and social movements. He completed his doctorate at UCL’s Institute of the Americas in 2019, where he is now a lecturer in US history. His research considers the history of homophobic workplace discrimination in the US South and Southwest and the movements that arose to challenge this discrimination. Josh’s research seeks to understand the role of the workplace in the rapid expansion of LGBTQ rights over the past two decades. Prior to his doctorate, Josh completed an MA in US history and politics at UCL and received a BA in American Studies from the University of Hull. At Elon, a university committed to engaged and experimental pedagogies, Josh will be teaching classes in US and LGBTQ history. He will also undertake research for his next project which is a history of the Cracker Barrel restaurant chain. As a historian of the US South, Josh is looking forward to a traveling through the region for both research and leisure. He is particularly keen to sample some of the region’s many craft breweries, as well as the South’s distinctive cuisine.