The Emory History Department is excited to welcome five new doctoral students to the department in the fall 2025 semester, along with one graduate exchange student from the University of Augsburg, Germany. Read abridged profiles of the new graduate cohort below and follow the links to read their full biographies on the History Department website.
Savanna Courtney-Durrett received her B.A. and M.A. from the University of North Florida. Her research examines African American women’s entrepreneurship and activism in the funeral business during the early twentieth century. Her graduate work will be advised by Drs. Crystal Sanders, Jason Morgan Ward, and Kali Gross
Maren Fauth is an exchange student from the University of Augsburg, Germany. She received her B.A. in English and American Studies with a minor in Philosophy in 2024 and is currently pursuing a M.A. in North American Studies. Her research interests include women’s history, African American history, and the history of social protest movements. Fauth’s work will be advised by Drs. Astrid M. Eckert and Laura Nenzi.
Ziying Lin received her B.A. from the University of Minnesota – Twin Cities and M.A. from the University of Pennsylvania. Lin studies social history, environmental history, and gender studies, with a particular research interest in the material culture of dowries in Edo Japan. Drs. Laura Nenzi and Julia Bullock will advise her work.
Mary Elizabeth Marquardt received her A.B. from Princeton University in history and African American studies and her M.A.R. from Yale University. She studies religion, race, and legal history in the U.S. South, with a focus on 20th century interactions between churches and the state. Drs. Joseph Crespino, Mary Dudziak, and Alison Collis Greene will advise Marquardt’s work.
Yerbol Munai earned a bachelor’s degree in Kazakh Language and Literature and a master’s degree in Turkology from Minzu University of China. He specializes in the modern history of Central Asia, with a focus on the Kazakh and other Central Asian Turkic communities in the early 20th century. Drs. Matthew J. Payne and Hwisang Cho will advise Munai’s work.
Jayden Trawick-Junta is a native of Portland, OR, and earned his B.A. from Berea College in History and African & African American Studies. He studies race, culture, and sports in the U.S. during the twentieth century, focusing on how Negro League baseball teams interacted with Black communities in their cities. Drs. Carl Suddler and Jason Morgan Ward will advise his work.