Dr. Christopher Snyder, a 1994 graduate of the Emory History doctoral program with a concentration in medieval history, has been named a William L. Giles Distinguished Professor at Mississippi State University. The Giles professorships award outstanding research, teaching, and service and are among the highest honors given to faculty at MSU.

Snyder is a professor of history and director of British studies in the Judy and Bobby Shackouls Honors College at MSU, where he served as the college’s founding dean. He has authored ten books and numerous articles in the fields of archaeology, history, literary criticism, ethics, and medieval studies. His most recent book is Hobbit Virtues: Rediscovering Virtue Ethics through J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings (New York and London: Pegasus/ Simon & Schuster, 2020).

Snyder’s graduate work at Emory was advised by Tom Burns and Steve White.