Dr. Alvita Akiboh

Biography

Alvita Akiboh is a historian specializing in the history of overseas colonies in the Caribbean and the Pacific. She earned her PhD in History from Northwestern University and her BA in History from Indiana University. Before joining Yale, Akiboh was a postdoctoral fellow with the Michigan Society Fellows. Her book, 'Imperial Material: National Symbols in the Colonial Empire,' published by the University of Chicago Press in 2023, examines the story of objects that carry national symbols—such as flags, money, and postage stamps—and how they became arenas of contestation for national identity during the colonial empire from the turn of the twentieth century through the post-World War II era of global decolonization. Akiboh has conducted research in the continental United States and various overseas territories, including American Samoa, Guam, Hawaii, the Philippines, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands. Her work has been published in 'Diplomatic History' and 'Modern American History.' She teaches courses related to history, national identity, colonialism, and empire at Yale University.

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Awards