Erik Scott named inaugural John P. Black Professor of History

LAWRENCE — The University of Kansas Department of History has announced Erik Scott as the inaugural John P. Black Professor of History.

A KU faculty member since 2012, Scott is a leading scholar of modern Russia, the Soviet Union and the global Cold War whose expertise has led to appearances on MSNBC, NPR and C-SPAN. He serves as the editor of “The Russian Review” and is the author of “Familiar Strangers: The Georgian Diaspora and the Evolution of Soviet Empire” (2016) and “Defectors: How the Illicit Flight of Soviet Citizens Built the Borders of the Cold War World” (2023). In 2023, Scott was recognized with a University Scholarly Achievement Award.

His book “Defectors” was awarded the Robert H. Ferrell Book Prize from the Society for Historians of American Foreign Relations, the Tonous & Warda Johns Family Book Award from the Pacific Coast Branch of the American Historical Association and an honorable mention for the Theodore Saloutos Book Award by the Immigration and Ethnic History Society.

In addition to producing award-winning scholarship, Scott is an esteemed teacher of graduate and undergraduate courses in Russian, Soviet and global history. He also serves as the primary researcher and co-researcher on multimillion-dollar grants and is the director of KU’s Center for Russian, East European & Eurasian Studies. Through the center, Scott created the digital humanities project Cold War in the Heartland.

“It is truly an honor to serve as the inaugural John P. Black Professor of History at KU,” Scott said. “The generous and timely gift of the Black-Cheslik family will enable me to pursue my research on the global legacies of the Cold War and offer classes that give students the historical skills and context needed to understand the world around them. As an author and teacher, I am a firm believer in the importance of history for making sense of complex issues such as migration, decolonization and international law.”

The Black Professorship was endowed through a generous gift by the Black-Cheslik family of Kansas City, Missouri. Julie Cheslik and Paul M. Black established the professorship in honor of the teaching excellence their son John P. Black, of Fairway, experienced while earning a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a minor in history in 2022. The professorship provides the opportunity for more students to be taught by inspiring historians and affirms the vital role of humanities courses and research at KU.

“The history department is lucky to have Erik as a teacher, researcher and campus leader,” said Laura Mielke, KU professor of English and interim chair of the Department of History. “We are delighted to draw on the generosity of the Black-Cheslik family to recognize an excellent scholar who gives so much to the KU community — and beyond.”

Arash Mafi, executive dean of the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences, expressed his appreciation as well.

“I deeply thank the Black-Cheslik family for their generous support of educational causes in Kansas and beyond,” he said. “We are truly appreciative of their commitment. I also want to praise Professor Scott for his exceptional scholarly work, which greatly enriches our academic community. The history department excels in fostering positive educational experiences, shaping the next generation of citizens and leaders. Their dedication is truly commendable.”