Michael C. Hawkins, PhD

Michael C. Hawkins, PhD, is a historian and professor of Asian history at Creighton University, specializing in American imperialism and Islam in Southeast Asia. Hawkins has served as a tenured full professor and department chair at Creighton University and has held faculty positions at Grand Valley State University and Boise State University. His research focuses on empire, Islam, and agency in Asia, with particular attention to historical time and its impact on colonial experiences.

Hawkins is the author of two historical monographs: "Making Moros: Imperial Historicism and American Military Rule in the Philippines Muslim South, 1898-1913" and "Semi-Civilized: The Moro Village at the Louisiana Purchase Exposition, 1904." These works examine the colonial experience of Moros, or Filipino Muslims, analyzing the interplay between ethnological discovery, organization, and colonial engineering, as well as the collaborative roles of Moros in shaping their identities as modern subjects. His publications also include co-authored language resources, such as "Filipino Tapestry: Tagalog Language Through Culture" and "Tagalog Verb Dictionary," both developed with Rhodalyne Gallo-Crail.

A former Fulbright Fellow to the Philippines, Hawkins has lived in the region for several years and is fluent in Tagalog. His regional expertise has informed his scholarship and public service, including consulting for the U.S. military and delivering lectures on topics related to Southeast Asian history, American colonialism, and Islamic studies. Hawkins has participated in academic organizations such as the American Academy of Religions and the Association of Asian Studies.

Hawkins's research includes a collection of true crime stories from the Southern Philippines during the American colonial period. His work combines archival research, linguistic proficiency, and historical analysis to provide insight into the complexities of American empire in Asia for academic, military, and public audiences.