About the Global Security, Technology, and Violence Lab
What do we do?
How do states and societies make decisions about their collective security? Who becomes involved in the implementation of foreign policy? What technological changes, from digital crime prevention systems to nuclear arsenals, have shaped how societies understand violence? transformed violence in our present moment? How might a closer understanding of historical processes enhance our approach to pressing issues of security and peace-building in our own communities and around the globe?
The GSTV Lab takes a collaborative approach to such questions through a series of concerted research clusters. Research groups for AY 2025/2026 include Purdue in the Cold War, Military Service and Political Partisanship in the United States, and Mapping Global Hate Crime. We employ both digitized repositories of sources as well as on-campus resources, including the Purdue University Archives, to investigate historical processes. Students involved in the lab not only contribute to faculty research at Purdue, but learn transferable skills of critical analysis through the use of cutting-edge software and produce concrete research outputs. Lab research is spotlighted on our website through research posts and ArcGIS story maps.
What is a history lab?
A history lab is an experimental model of conducting historical research. Like any lab, we design research projects, test hypotheses through evidence-based research, and present our findings to a wider audience. Our goal is twofold: to enhance historical research at Purdue and provide an inquiry-based model of historical education.
Who can participate?
Faculty from across the university working on relevant projects are invited to collaborate with the lab. Although our current research focuses on the period between 1945 and the present, we welcome projects that address contemporary problems from faculty working outside of history, as well as historical projects that predate 1945 yet still resonate in the present.
Students interested in participating in the lab can opt to enroll in HIST 590: Global War, Technology, and Violence, a one-credit course led by Dr. Ewing that meets weekly to train students in applied historical research.
Interested in learning more? You can contact us here.