Rick Halpern

Interim Director, Centre for the Study of the United States
Bissell-Heyd Chair, American Studies
Director, American Studies Program

Trinity College
1 Devonshire Place 
Toronto, Ontario, M5S 3K7 Canada

Picture of Rick Halpern in front of a window wearing glasses and a grey sweater.

Areas of interest

  • Food
  • United States
  • U.S. Social History
  • Comparative History
  • Labour and Working Class History

Biography

Main Bio

Rick Halpern is a social historian whose work has focused on race and labour in a number of national and international contexts. He has written about meat and meatpacking, sugar and plantations, and regionalism. Currently he is at work on two major projects: a book on race and class in 20th century photography, and a study of the year 1919 in Chicago. He is the Bissell-Heyd Chair of American Studies and, until July 2015, was the Dean at UTSC. Prior to that he was the Principal of New College on the St George campus. Professor Halpern works with graduate students in a number of fields.