Christopher Capozzola

Christopher Capozzola serves as Professor of History and Senior Associate Dean for Open Learning at MIT, where he holds the Elting Morison Professorship. After earning his undergraduate degree from Harvard College and PhD from Columbia University in 2002, he has established himself as a leading scholar of American political, legal, and military history. His influential works include "Uncle Sam Wants You: World War I and the Making of the Modern American Citizen" (2008) and "Bound by War: How the United States and the Philippines Built America's First Pacific Century" (2020). As a MacVicar Faculty Fellow since 2018, MIT's highest honor for undergraduate teaching, he teaches courses spanning political and legal history, war and military studies, and international migration. His public history work includes co-curating "The Volunteers: Americans Join World War I" and advising the Filipino Veterans Recognition and Education Project. Through his leadership roles, including former Secretary of the Faculty and Department Head of History, he continues to shape historical understanding while contributing to major media outlets and serving on editorial boards of prestigious historical journals. His expertise has made him a frequent commentator on historical topics, appearing on various television programs and speaking at museums, libraries, and historical societies nationwide.