FSU historian named Stanford Humanities Center Fellow
A 糖心vlog associate professor of history has earned a competitive humanities award for the 2024-25 academic year in support of a book project on the Ottoman Empire.
Nilay 脰zok-G眉ndo臒an, an associate professor in the , was elected a fellow of the in support of her book tentatively titled 鈥淔orging Empire: Mineral Extraction, State-Making, and the Colonization of Ottoman Kurdistan, 1720-1870.鈥 The book focuses on the Ottoman Empire鈥檚 most significant mining area in the 18th century and how mining shaped the transition of early modern states into institutionalized modern structures.
鈥淚鈥檓 honored to be appointed a fellow of the Stanford Humanities Center,鈥 脰zok-G眉ndo臒an said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a very competitive and selective fellowship. This is basically a dream scenario for a historian to have undivided time to focus on writing my book while working in an active, vibrant academic setting. I鈥檓 very happy about it.鈥
Founded in 1980, the Stanford Humanities Center is a multidisciplinary research institute at Stanford University that supports scholarship in the humanities and the interpretive social sciences by providing resources like fellowships, workshops and lectures to advance knowledge within and across disciplines.
The SHC鈥檚 Fellowship Program has provided fellows-in-residence the opportunity to step away from their regular academic responsibilities and engage in research at the center since 1982. Fellows are encouraged to participate actively in the center鈥檚 dynamic interdisciplinary community by attending fellowship events, presenting their research and attending talks.
脰zok-G眉ndo臒an is among eight external fellows from around the U.S. selected for the 2024-25 academic year. She is the first FSU researcher to be named an SHC fellow since the program鈥檚 inception.
鈥淚 can鈥檛 think of a better ambassador to attest to the quality of our scholars,鈥 said Jennifer Koslow, chair of the history department. 鈥淗aving Dr. 脰zok-G眉ndo臒an represent the history department at 糖心vlog raises our profile. In the world of competitive awards, this is truly one of the most prestigious to receive. Her project on mining and the political economy of the Ottoman Empire will reshape studies of the history of commodities, environment and colonialism.鈥
脰zok-G眉ndo臒an鈥檚 project investigates an 18th-century mining area within Kurdistan, part of the Ottoman Empire, examining its significance within the empire and the impact of mining practices on the West Asian region鈥檚 communities and environments. Through an approach that encompasses political, social and economic perspectives, she explores the previously overlooked role of mining and mineral extraction in shaping the trajectory of early modern states towards institutionalized modern structures.
While focusing on the 18th century, the project aims to prompt further research into how mining and mineral extraction has shaped the modern world, particularly for non-European scholarship. The project also centers Kurdish history in the empire, highlighting how a present-day stateless group came to be minoritized.
鈥淲hen we think of Kurds and Kurdistan, what comes to our minds is mostly issues related to culture, language, assimilation and oppression within a nation-state context,鈥 said 脰zok-G眉ndo臒an. 鈥淚f we expand our understanding of their history to the land and to territory, such as these specific mining areas, then we can get a broader understanding of how Kurdistan became a colony. It didn鈥檛 start as a cultural process in the 19th century, as is often suggested; it began in the 18th century as an economic process that was centered on mineral extraction.鈥
Several FSU grants supported early stages of research and writing for this project. In 2022, 脰zok-G眉ndo臒an received the College of Arts and Sciences Dean鈥檚 Travel Grant to work in the National Archives in London. In 2023, she was funded by the Summer Research Support award program, formerly known as the Committee on Faculty Research Support program, from FSU鈥檚 Council on Research and Creativity, which assists faculty members with research and creative endeavors that encourage external funding.
To learn more about 脰zok-G眉ndo臒an鈥檚 research and the FSU Department of History, visit .