Ruth Mostern is named World History Association vice president

Ruth Mostern has been named the new vice president of the World History Association (WHA). As vice president, she is also the group’s president-elect and will succeed the current president in 2026 for a two-year term.

Mostern, director of Pitt’s World History Center and professor in the Department of History, specializes in spatial and environmental history focusing on imperial China and the world.

“I am honored to have been elected as vice president and president-elect of the World History Association, which is the leading professional organization in my field,” said Mostern. “This recognition is not only about me. It’s also a sign of esteem for leadership from many Pitt historians and from the Pitt World History Center in studying history through global and transregional frameworks.”

WHA is a professional association of scholars, teachers and students organized to promote world history by encouraging teaching, research, publications and personal interactions.

Each year, the WHA’s annual meeting brings together more than 300 academic historians, college instructors and secondary school teachers to share innovative research and teaching in the field of world history. In the summer 2023, the World History Center hosted the WHA’s annual conference at the University of Pittsburgh.

— Nick France, photography by Johnathan Wright