Profile
Jill Rosenthal is an Associate Professor of History at Hunter College. Her research examines the history of migration, identity, and international aid in sub-Saharan Africa—with a specific focus on the legacy of colonial borders and illicit migration (often termed “refugee” flows). At Hunter College, Jill teaches courses on 19th and 20th century African history, refugees and the nation-state, violence and healing, and the Cold War. Her research and teaching both examine the diverse interconnections between global and local spaces, as well as the ongoing relevance of historical events and memories.
Jill received a PhD from Emory University in 2014 and was the William H. Bonsall Acting Assistant Professor of African History at Stanford University from 2014 to 2016.
Jill’s first book, From Migrants to Refugees: The Politics of Aid Along the Tanzania-Rwanda Border (Duke University Press, 2023), argues that transnational aid to Rwandan refugees unfolded as part of a global project of nation state formation and regulation--one which deeply affected local narratives of community and belonging. The book also explores the colonial legacies that continue to influence humanitarian aid projects. From Migrants to Refugees utilizes over one hundred multi-sited interviews and archival research conducted in Geneva and throughout Tanzania.