Jeffrey S. Ravel named head of MIT History
Deborah Fitzgerald, the Kenan Sahin Dean of the School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences, has named Jeffrey S. Ravel, a professor of history, as head of the MIT History section, effective July 1. “I’m delighted that Jeff has agreed to take on this post," Fitzgerald says. "He is an outstanding historian, committed both to the mission of MIT History and to its members, and I am confident he will ensure the continued excellence of the section." Ravel, who holds a secondary appointment in Global Studies and Languages, researches French and European political culture from the mid-17th through mid-19th centuries. He is author of "The Would-Be Commoner: A Tale of Deception, Murder, and Justice in Seventeenth Century France" (Houghton Mifflin, 2008) and "The Contested Parterre: Public Theater and French Political Culture, 1680-1791" (Cornell University Press, 1999). “I am privileged to be able to serve as head of this dynamic section,” Ravel says. “Our...