Robert Karl, Ph.D.

Professor

College of Arts and Humanities

Accomplishments

  • Previously held teaching and research positions at Princeton University, Harvard University, and the Institute for Advanced Study
  • Has served as an expert country-conditions witness for Colombian asylum seekers in over 60 cases, and is also Senior Advisor to the Princeton Asylum Project, an initiative that provides undergraduate research support in asylum cases
  • Produces videos on qualitative research methods that are used in undergraduate and graduate courses throughout the Americas

Robert Karl is a historian of modern Latin America and the Caribbean. His book Forgotten Peace: Reform, Violence, and the Making of Contemporary Colombia (California; Spanish translation Librería Lerner) is a critical reference point in academic and public debates in both Colombia and the United States about Colombia’s current peace process. He holds a Ph.D. in History from Harvard University and a B.A. from Dartmouth College.

Professor Karl is passionate about helping students learn how to apply historical methodologies to real-life situations. His interest in bringing digital methodologies to teaching, research, and storytelling aligns with Minerva’s innovative approach to the study of history. Karl teaches Historical Forces courses on global history, public and applied history, the craft of historical research, and comparative history; as well as tutorials on the digital humanities and history & activism.