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Kyle Thompson

About Michael Kyle Thompson

Dr. Thompson is an associate professor and graduate director of History. He first joined the faculty at PSU as a visiting professor before taking up his current post in the autumn of 2014. He received a PhD in Scottish history from the University of Edinburgh in December 2012. He teaches a variety of undergraduate courses including World History surveys and Modern Europe, but the majority cover British History. He also teaches graduate seminars covering Modern Britain and Ireland since 1800 and directs MA students researching Modern British political and social history.

Dr. Thompson’s primary research is in late-Victorian and Edwardian political history and he has focused on political identity and local politics. He is interested in the interplay between candidates and their constituents and the way they both navigated politics and influenced each other. His current research project looks at English Liberal carpetbaggers in Scotland from Gladstone’s arrival in 1880 to the Great War. This will speak to the relationship between England and Scotland and address Liberal politics and political identity during the late-Victorian and Edwardian eras. Beyond this, he is interested in modern Scottish political history, particularly devolution, the Scottish Independence debate, and Brexit, all of which deal with local politics and political identity.

Dr. Thompson is a committee member of the Scottish History Network which aims to spread the study of Scottish history and help connect the field. He is also interested in the presentation and teaching of Scottish history to North American audiences. Besides teaching a course on Modern Scotland, he gives public talks on Scottish history and has led study abroad trips to Scotland.

Education

  • Ph.D., Scottish History, University of Edinburgh, November 2012
  • M.A. History, Pittsburg State University, May 2007
  • B.S. History & Political Science, Rogers State University, May 2005

Courses Taught

  • HIST-102 World History since 1500
  • HIST-501 Black Death
  • HIST-501 Modern Ireland
  • HIST-546 European Imperialism
  • HIST-548 French Revolution and Napoleon
  • HIST-610 Early Modern Europe
  • HIST-642 Britain to 1688
  • HIST-643 Britain since 1688
  • HIST-646 Modern Scotland
  • HIST-648 Modern Britain: Politics and Society
  • HIST-695 History as Profession
  • HIST-820 Victorian Politics
  • HIST-820 Brexit: Britain & Europe

Teaching Emphasis

  • British History
  • Modern Europe
  • Modern Scotland

Areas of Interest

  • Victorian & Edwardian Politics
  • Political Associations and Pressure Groups
  • Parliamentary Reform
  • Modern Scotland

Publications

  • “Brexit, Scotland, and the Continuing Divergence of Politics.” Midwest Quarterly 60, no. 2 (January 2019)
  • “Defining Liberalism: The First Home Rule Crisis in the Scottish Capital.” Innes Review 67, no. 1 (May 2016): 6–30.

Presentations

  • “Gladstone and Edinburgh”
    • Western Conference on British Studies, Salt Lake City, UT, 2019
  • “English Carpetbaggers in Liberal Scotland: A Case Study of Edinburgh”
    • Scotland and Ireland Conference, University of St. Andrews, 2018
  • “Brexit, Scotland, and the Continuing Divergence of Politics”
    • Western Social Science Association, San Antonio, TX, 2018
  • “The Effect of the Independence Referendum and Brexit on Scottish History” The Future of Scottish Studies in North America (roundtable)
    • North American Conference on British Studies, Denver, CO, 2017
  • “Democracy and Home Rule: The Case for and against the Irish in Edinburgh”
    • American Conference for Irish Studies, Kansas City, MO, 2017
  • “Brexit and Scotland: A Renewed Case for Independence”
    • Pacific Coast Conference on British Studies, Victoria, BC, 2017
  • “Edinburgh’s Liberal Tradition and Irish Home Rule”
    • Scottish History Network Conference, Edinburgh, UK, 2016
  • “Caucus and Party Politics in Edinburgh, 1885”
    • Scottish History Seminar Series, University of Edinburgh, 2012

Recent Honors, Awards, and Fellowships

  • Faculty Research Summer Fellowship, Pittsburg State University, 2019
  • Outstanding Emerging Scholar Award, Western Social Science Association, 2018
  • Summer Teaching Innovation Grant, Pittsburg State University, 2016
Kyle Thompson
Dr. Kyle Thompson
Associate Professor of History/British History; Modern Europe; Modern Scotland/Master Advisor

Phone: (620) 235-4318

Office: 323 Russ Hall

E-mail Kyle Thompson