Robert W. Zens, Ph.D.
- Professor History
I received my B.A. in History with a concentration in Medieval and Renaissance Studies from the University of Dallas. As an undergraduate I had the pleasure of studying abroad in Rome, allowing me to experience the Mediterranean world first hand. My time in Rome spurred my interest in further exploring this area of the world. This interest eventually led me to the study of the Ottoman Empire. I received an M.A. and Ph.D. (2004) in Ottoman History with subfields of Byzantine, Imperial Russian, and Spanish history as well as South Asian Studies at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. Prior to teaching at Le Moyne College, I taught at Indiana University of Pennsylvania for three years. I was drawn to the Jesuit liberal arts tradition of Le Moyne which is very similar to the undergraduate institution I attended because of the emphasis on providing a wide ranging education and the close student teacher relationship. It is my desire to create in the classroom a passion for acquiring knowledge. My research interests lie within the eighteenth and early nineteenth century Ottoman Empire. Presently I am working on a monograph on Ottoman provincial elites. I conduct most of my research at the Ottoman archives in Istanbul, Turkey.
Areas of Specialization
Ottoman Empire, Middle East, Islam, Balkans
Publications
The Subjects of Ottoman International Law, coeditor with Lale Can, Michael Christopher Low, and Kent Schull. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 2020.
Law and Legality in the Ottoman Empire and Republic of Turkey, coeditor with Kent F. Schull and M. Safa Saracoglu. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 2016.
Hoca, ‘Allame, Puits de Science: Essays in Honor of Kemal H. Karpat, coeditor with Kaan Durukan. Istanbul: Isis Press, 2010.
Ottoman Borderlands: Issues, Personalities and Political Changes, co-editor with Kemal H. Karpat. Madison: University of Wisconsin Press/Center of Turkish Studies, 2004.
“Some Approaches to Ottoman History as Part of a World History Curriculum.” World History Connected 10:3 (2013).
“In the Name of the Sultan: Haci Mustafa Pasha of Belgrade and Ottoman Provincial Rule in the Late 18th Century,” International Journal of Middle East Studies 44:1 (2012): 129-46.
“Provincial Powers: The Rise of Ottoman Local Notables (Ayan),” History Studies: International Journal of History 3:3 (2011): 433-47.
“Turkish Historiography in the United States,” Turkiye Arastirmalari Literatur Dergisi 8/15 (2010): 149-77.
“Ottoman Provincial Notables in the Eighteenth Century: A Comparative Study,” in Ekrem Causevic & Nenad Moacanin, eds., Perspectives on Ottoman Studies. Berlin: LIT Verlag, 2010, 245-52.
“Pasvanoglu Osman Pasa and the Pasalik of Belgrade, 1791-1807,” International Journal of Turkish Studies 8:1-2 (2002): 89-104.
Problems in the Provinces: Rogues, Reforms and Rebellions in the Ottoman Empire (ongoing project).
