AHA members are involved in all fields of history, with wide-ranging specializations, interests, and areas of employment. To recognize our talented and eclectic membership, AHA Today features a regular AHA Member Spotlight series.

Ellen Carol DuBois is a distinguished professor of history and gender studies at UCLA. She lives in Los Angeles, California, and has been a member since 1998.

Alma maters: BA, Wellesley, 1968; PhD, Northwestern, 1975

Fields of interest: Women’s history, 19^th-century US history, US transnational history

When did you first develop an interest in history?

I first became interested in history in my senior year of high school.

What projects are you currently working on?

1. History of international feminism between world wars with emphasis on Asia, Middle East and Latin America
2. Transnational synthesis of US history, with Jeremi Suri and Kathy Brown
3. Collection of writings by and about Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay, Indian feminist, with Vinay Lal

Have your interests changed since graduation?  If so, how?

They have gotten more international.

What do you value most about the history profession?

I value the importance of writing and teaching to create citizens of the world; and the pleasures of research, learning, and sharing with others.

Why have you continued to be a member of the AHA?

As my interests have gotten more international, I consume everything about the AHR, all the way down to (especially) book reviews, voraciously.

Do you have a favorite AHA annual meeting anecdote you would like to share?

Wearing my mother’s mink coat a few years ago at Chicago meetings.

Other than history, what are you passionate about?

Human rights activism

This post first appeared on AHA Today.