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Research Interest
Mongol Empire; medieval China and Central Eurasia; networks of exchange; the practice of history; historians in the public sphere
I completed my PhD at the University of Chicago’s Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations under the direction of Professor John E. Woods. I also studied at the University of Chicago’s Center for Middle Eastern Studies and finished my BA at Truman State University. I am a specialist in Central and East Eurasian empires from the medieval to the modern period. Particular areas of interest are state formation, identity, and networks of exchange.
Bechtel, Michael J. “The Steppe and the Sea: Pearls in the Mongol Empire.” Central Asian Survey (2020): 1-2. https://doi.org/10.1080/
HST 100 History of Kazakhstan program
HST205 The Mongol Empire
HST206 Age of the Dragon Throne: Chinese Civilization from the Mongols through the Qing