Meg Gudgeirsson

Meg Eppel Gudgeirsson is an Assistant Teaching Professor of History and Director of the Silicon Valley Studies Initiative. She had been a member of the SCU faculty since 2016. Her work centers on 19th-century United States history, with a specific focus on the intersections of race, religion, and childhood. Additionally, Gudgeirsson is a coordinator for the Digital Humanities Initiative and the History Department’s Pre-Law Advisor. 

Gudgeirsson’s research is driven by an interest in the role of “everyday” people in US history: how they experienced and shaped the nation, particularly those who challenged oppression and marginalization for themselves and/or others. Her current research investigates the history of the abolitionist community of Berea, examining the complex overlap of education and white supremacy. She seeks to connect these historical patterns to broader trends throughout the United States, including the American West.

This research formed the basis of her article, "'We do not have any prejudice, but...': Racism in the interracial Berea Literary Institute, 1866-1904," which was published in Ohio Valley History (Fall 2020).

Gudgeirsson teaches a wide range of courses on American history, including topics such as Slavery and Unfreedom, the Civil War, Reconstruction, Childhood, Public and Digital History, and California History, among others.

Outside of her role at SCU, she served as a visiting lecturer at the University of California, Berkeley and taught at Cabrillo College.