Dr. Mateo Jarquín

Wilkinson College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences is thrilled to announce that Dr. Mateo Jarquín, Assistant Professor of History and Director of the MA in War, Diplomacy, and Society, has been honored with the prestigious Arnold L. and Lois S. Graves Award in the Humanities. Administered by the American Council of Learned Societies (ACLS) and Pomona College, the Graves Award in Humanities is designed to recognize and support early-career faculty who demonstrate exceptional skill and enthusiasm in teaching the humanities. The awards provide funding to enable faculty members to pursue transformative projects that enhance their teaching and scholarship.

Dr. Jarquín’s award is one of thirteen awards bestowed on early-career humanities faculty across California, Oregon, and Washington in 2025. This recognition is a testament to Dr. Jarquín’s outstanding contributions to the field of Latin American history and his dedication to teaching and research.

Dr. Jarquín’s scholarship focuses on the historical connections between revolutions, international relations, and democracy in Latin America, with a particular emphasis on Central America. His first book, The Sandinista Revolution: A Global Latin American History, published by the University of North Carolina Press, has received strong reviews and highlights the transnational context of Nicaragua’s Sandinista revolution.

The Graves Award will support Dr. Jarquín’s scholarship at a critical juncture in his career, where research in Nicaragua – his country of origin – has become difficult due to political conditions. This award will enable him to expand his scholarly focus to the broader Central American region. Specifically, the funding will support two three-week research trips in the summers of 2025 and 2026 to Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, and Costa Rica, where Dr. Jarquín will conduct archival research and oral history interviews.

“One of the many tragedies of Central American history is that the region emerged from European colonialism as a unified entity, only to fracture into smaller states over time. In many ways, it remains one people, divided by artificial borders and the passage of time. While the interconnectedness of Central America is widely acknowledged, barriers to travel and scholarly exchange persist. Few scholars have the resources to collaborate across national lines. The generous support of the Graves Award will help me defy some of these obstacles by funding research travel to four different countries in the region.” – Dr. Mateo Jarquín

During his research trips, Dr. Jarquín will work on two major article projects. The first, “Central America and the World during the Past 50 Years,” will explore how social relations and politics across Central America have been shaped by international shifts, particularly during the late Cold War. The second project, “Re-Thinking Central American Democracy,” will investigate the interconnectedness of the region’s countries and their shared challenges in the context of rising authoritarianism.

In addition to advancing his research, the Graves Award will significantly enhance Dr. Jarquín’s teaching at Chapman University. The insights gained from his research trips will inform his course syllabi on Latin American history, Cold War history, and U.S. foreign relations. This will enable him to provide a more nuanced and comprehensive education to his students, many of whom are of Central American origin.

Dr. Jarquín’s commitment to fostering globally oriented learning at Chapman is evident in his approach to teaching. He designs project-based courses that challenge students to explore connections between domestic and international politics and encourage them to view U.S. history from a global perspective. His dedication to mentoring and supporting student research aligns with Chapman’s mission to promote academic excellence and inclusivity.

We are proud to celebrate Dr. Jarquín’s remarkable achievement and look forward to the continued impact of his work on the Chapman community and beyond.