Joseph Kotinsly

Joseph E. Kotinsly joined the St. Edward’s University faculty as a historian of the modern Middle East and a scholar of world history. He earned his Ph.D. in Middle Eastern History from the University of Texas at Austin in 2024. While his regional expertise is centered on the Persian Gulf and the Levant, Dr. Kotinsly identifies as a world historian whose research aims to highlight larger global trends that transcend national and regional boundaries.

Dr. Kotinsly’s doctoral research, titled The Politics of Shī‘ī Suffering, investigated the evolution of Iraqi Shī‘ī political mobilization against Saddam Hussein. In this work, he demonstrates how subnational identities and religious narratives gain heightened socio-political power in response to global political shifts.

His scholarship has been featured in The Journal of the Middle East and Africa, including his article "Brave New World Order: The Supreme Council for Islamic Revolution in Iraq and the Rise of Iraqi Shī‘ī Identity Politics." In this piece, he analyzes how exiled political groups adopted the international language of human rights and post-Cold War democratic discourse to frame their identity-based claims to power. In addition to his work on religious identities and politics, Dr. Kotinsly researches the history of nuclear weapons and the global politics of oil.

Dr. Kotinsly brings deep regional experience to the Hilltop. He has lived in both Israel and Lebanon and speaks Arabic and Persian. At St. Edward’s University, he emphasizes a world history perspective in the classroom, encouraging students to understand the Middle East not in isolation, but as a region that is not only subject to, but also a driver of, larger global trends that affect parts of the world differently.

A strong believer in the transformative value of undergraduate research, Dr. Kotinsly is deeply committed to mentoring the next generation of scholars. He has advised numerous honors theses and independent research projects on diverse topics and frequently accompanies students to regional and national conferences to present their work. Dr. Kotinsly is also dedicated to providing one-on-one guidance for students navigating the transition to life beyond the Hilltop, whether they are applying to competitive graduate programs or seeking professional opportunities.

In 2025, Dr. Kotinsly co-authored a successful $750,000 American History and Civics (AHC) – seminars grant from the U.S. Department of Education. This federal award supports the launch of the American Civic Explorers (ACE) program, an innovative civics education initiative developed by the Kozmetsky Center of Excellence to advance constitutional literacy and civic engagement for K-12 students and educators.

Dr. Kotinsly also serves as the advisor for the History Honors Society, Phi Alpha Theta, the History department's Internship Coordinator, and as the Co-Chair of SOURCE (the Symposium on Undergraduate Research and Creative Expression), the university's premier showcase for student scholarly achievement.

Courses Taught

Modern World Civilization

Pre-Modern World Civilization

Religious Politics and Violence in the Modern Middle East

History of Oil

History of the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict

Islam in Global Perspective

Nukes, WMD, and Rogue States

The Global War on Terror

Rebels and Revolutionaries of the Cold War (Focus on 20th century Africa)

Modern China

Raiders of the Lost Archive (History of St. Edward's University)

Internship in History

Grants

U.S. Department of Education, American History and Civics (AHC) – Seminars Grant, "American Civic Explorers (ACE) Program," $750,000 (Co-PI), 2025–2028.

Stanford University,  Silas Palmer Research Fellowship, 2023-2024

Graduate School Continuing Fellowship, UT Austin, 2022

Research Grant, Association for the Study of the Middle East and Africa, 2021

Research Grant, Center for British, Irish and Empire Studies, 2021

Foreign Language Area Studies Scholarship (Persian,) UT Austin, 2021

Research Fellowship, The Academic Research Institute in Iraq , 2021

Association for the Study of the Middle East and Africa Research Grant, 2021

Fall 2020 Foreign Language Area Studies Scholarship (Persian,) UT Austin, 2020

Fall 2020 Research Grant, Association for the Study of the Middle East and Africa, 2020

Summer 2019 Foreign Language Area Studies Scholarship (Arabic,) UT Austin, 2019

Professional Development Award, UT Austin, 2018

Outstanding Graduate Student Research Award, Tel Aviv University, 2016

Research Languages

English (Native)

Arabic (Superior)

Persian (Advanced)