Queens College History Professor Wins Dan David Prize

Dr. Kristina Richardson, an associate professor of history at Queens College and the CUNY Graduate Center, is one of nine early- and mid-career scholars awarded Dr. Kristina Richardsonthe Dan David Prize. The world’s largest history prize, the Dan David is sometimes described as the Nobel for history. It recognizes outstanding scholarship that illuminates the past and seeks to anchor public discourse in a deeper understanding of history. A committee of eminent scholars in the historical fields assessed hundreds of nominations from around the world as part of a rigorous process to select the winners, who will each receive $300,000 to recognize their achievements to date and support their future work.

“It is deeply gratifying to see Professor Kristina Richardson’s work recognized with the top academic history prize,” says Queens College President Frank H. Wu. “It is external validation of what we have long known at Queens College—that our students are learning from world-class faculty.” ​

Richardson studies the medieval Islamic world and the Roma. Her investigation of Arabic manuscripts highlights the importance of understanding the lives of non-elites and marginalized groups when seeking to gain a complete view of a society as a whole."I feel exceptionally lucky to have top historians recognize my work in this way,” says Richardson. “And I am grateful for the support of CUNY along the way, as I've built my career."