Paul Lerner

Candidate statement

I am a Professor of History at the University of Southern California where I direct the Max Kade Institute for Austrian-German-Swiss Studies. A historian of modern Central Europe, I have particular interest in German Jewish history, the history of the human sciences, and consumer culture. I have written two books and co-edited four volumes and two journal special issues and am currently researching two new book projects. I joined the GSA when I was a graduate student and have attended and presented at the conference whenever possible in the intervening years. I have not yet held a leadership position at GSA, but recently served as history co-chair for the Association for Jewish Studies and am part of the academic advisory board of the Leo Baeck Institute. I also co-founded and organized the Southern California German Studies workshops and am now a host on the New Books in German Studies podcast series.

As Kade Institute director I have partnered with many institutions in LA and beyond to create scholarly exchange, cultural programming, and educational content and to enrich the broader community’s intellectual and cultural life. I hope to bring this energy, organizational experience, and public-facing spirit to the GSA.