Rodney Thomson

Research

A Chico State alumnus, Mr. Thomson’s academic interests include the Medieval Middle East and Islam, the socio-cultural history of the U.S., military history, and culinary history, particularly in regard to how food has influenced the creation and evolution of cultural identities. He has produced a history of the Chico State campus in the 1960s and 1970s, a period of continuous unrest and activism at this previously sleep-rural campus (and for which he hopes to find a publisher soon). His published works to date include book reviews for the journal Food, Culture and Society, and an article on the struggle for greater social justice by Butte County’s African American community in Diggins, the journal of the Butte County Historical Society. Beside his teaching responsibilities, he is director of the History Writing Cooperative, a program he founded with his friend and colleague, Jerrad Benedict. Outside of the academy, Mr. Thomson enjoys training in a variety of martial arts, gaming, spending time with his pets, and traveling with his awesome wife, Lisa.