Emerging Scholars

The Emerging Scholars Committee (ESC) of the Business History Conference focuses on introducing junior scholars to the possibilities of researching and teaching business history. The committee also works to integrate new talent into the BHC community. The ESC invites junior scholars to various events that provide a space for engaging with business history and meeting members of the BHC community. These events include a mentoring program (virtual) ahead of the annual meeting and workshops and an evening reception at the conference (see events from BHC 2023). All are opportunities for new scholars to network with BHC-affiliated members with a wide range of experiences within the field. Following the conference, the committee also follows up with attendees to gauge their experience in order to improve future events and continue to expand the network of business historians.

The following program refers to activities to be organized ahead of BHC 2026

The BHC’s Emerging Scholars Committee is once again organizing an in-person book proposal workshop during the 2026 conference in London. To be held on Thursday, March 26th, this is an exciting opportunity for up to five emerging scholars to improve their first book proposals under the guidance of senior faculty. We are very happy to announce that award-winning historian (and past BHC president) Sharon Murphy will convene the workshop. A Bloomsburry Press editor will also join the workshop.

Participants will pre-circulate and read all book proposals ahead of the conference. On the day of the workshop, they will meet in a group with the faculty director to discuss each proposal in detail. Workshop participants may also have the opportunity to engage with university press and/or series editors. We’re happy to share that participating in the workshop in the past has directly led to a book contract.

This initiative aspires to support a new generation of historians working on topics related to business history in innovative ways. We invite applications from those working in business history broadly defined and welcome proposals on a wide variety of topics, including but not limited to political economy, labor history, consumption studies, financial history, and the history of science and technology, among others.

We envision being able to provide successful workshop applicants with additional funding to help defray the cost of attending. Additional conference sessions related to careers and publishing questions will be open for all to attend; please check the conference program closer to the date. To apply for a place in the book proposal workshop, please send the following documents to emerging.scholars.committee.bhc@gmail.com with the subject line “London Book Proposal Workshop Application” by December 15th, 2025:

• A cover letter, max. 1 page, that briefly summarizes your dissertation and states why you would benefit from the workshop. 

• A writing sample, max. 20 pages, that shows promise for your first book. This could be part of your introduction, a concept document, an article, etc. 

• A brief academic curriculum vitae, max. 2 pages.

We strive to notify applicants by late January 2026. If accepted, workshop participants should be prepared to circulate their draft book proposals in advance of the conference meeting.

Selection criteria and eligibility: Our primary interest lies in helping early career scholars develop great dissertations into convincing book proposals. We will therefore first consider the quality and novelty of the scholarship as reflected in the application materials. We are seeking well-researched work with strong analysis. In light of the ESC’s mission to help the career development of all recent graduates as well as the BHC’s DEI guidelines, we may also consider the applicant’s level of available institutional support and the diversification of BHC membership. Applicants must hold a Ph.D. by the time of the workshop and must be writing their first book.

Learn more about our first Book Proposal Workshop: 

The BHC’s Emerging Scholars Committee put together the first edition of the Book Proposal Workshop during BHC’s annual conference in Atlanta in 2025. Historian Seth Rockman and University of Chicago Press editor Timothy Mennel acted as convenors. 

The participants were: 
Adam Hefetz (Title of Book Proposal: “Capitalizing Zionism: The Anglo-Palestine Bank and the Commercial Economy of Interwar Palestine”) 
Joshua Lappen (Title of Book Proposal: “Cultures of Power: Electrification, Politics, and Visibility in Greater Los Angeles”) 
Tracy Mensah (Title of Book Proposal: “Shopping for all Pocket: A Business History of Indians in Ghana, 1890-1980”) 
Meng Wu (Title of Book Proposal: “Silver Remittance Across the Empire: Growth, Governance Structure, and Business Strategy of the Chinese Shanxi Piaohao Banks, 1820s–1930s”) 
Che Yeun (Title of Book Proposal: “Finishing Touch: Technologies for the Modern American Body, 1880-1980”) 
Faculty director Seth Rockman has called the workshop “valuable for the five early career scholars, intellectually enriching for me as the convener, and important for the BHC in opening doors for new scholars and promoting the quality of business history scholarship in print.”

The following program refers to activities organized ahead of BHC 2025.

• Mentoring Week (Online)

• Mentor-Mentee Program

• Online Workshop: Teaching Business History

• Conference Workshops (In Person)

• BHC Emerging Scholars Book Proposal Workshop

• Emerging Scholars Ice Cream Social

Mentoring Week (Online)

The Business History Conference (BHC) is excited to announce the return of the Mentoring Week, organized by the BHC's Emerging Scholars Committee. Taking place from March 3rd to March 7th, 2025, the Mentoring Week precedes the annual BHC meeting and offers a platform for emerging scholars to engage in skills development, networking, and career orientation.

Don't miss this opportunity to connect with fellow scholars in the field of business history. We look forward to welcoming you to Mentoring Week! For any questions, please contact emerging.scholars.committee.bhc@gmail.com.

Mentor-Mentee Program

Connecting Experienced Scholars with Emerging Scholars

The core program of Mentoring Week is our mentor-mentee scheme, which facilitates exchanges between experienced scholars and graduate students, early-career academics, and whoever else self-identifies as emerging scholars. Mentors will be paired with mentees and will then meet online for a one-on-one meeting between the 3rd and the 7th of March.

The meeting is an opportunity for the mentee to ask any questions they might have about pursuing a career as a business historian, ranging from teaching to publishing, applications, the job market, and other topics. It is also hoped that the meeting might be the starting point for further exchanges in the future, be that at the BHC Conference the following week, or elsewhere. In addition, mentees are strongly encouraged to attend the Online Teaching Workshop on March 5.

Online Workshop: Teaching Business History

One of the key features of the Mentoring Week is an online workshop designed to equip emerging scholars with the necessary skills for a successful career in business history.

This year’s workshop is scheduled for March 5th, 2025, at noon eastern time, addressing the teaching of business history. Emerging scholars attending the session will gain insights into a number of different ways in which the broad field of business history is tackled from the instructors’ side, including the use of the case method, the integration of material culture, and the history of capitalism.

Three panelists, whom participants will have the opportunity to engage with through Q&A at the end of the session, will share their insights: Sophus A. Reinert (Harvard Business School), Marina Moskowitz (UW-Madison), and Sharon Murphy (Providence).

To register for the workshop, please fill out this form, by February 24th, 2025.

Conference Workshops (In Person)

BHC Emerging Scholars Book Proposal Workshop

As part of the annual meeting, the BHC’s Emerging Scholars Committee is hosting an in-person book proposal workshop on Thursday afternoon, March 13th. This is an exciting opportunity for up to five emerging scholars to improve their book proposals under the guidance of a senior BHC member.

The workshop is not limited to those who identify as business historians. We conceive of business history broadly and welcome proposals on a wide variety of topics, including but not limited to political economy, labor history, consumption studies, financial history, the history of science and technology, and many more across eras and regions.

Funding is available to defray the costs of attending the conference for successful applicants. Workshop participants will have the opportunity to meet university press and/or series editors.

Emerging Scholars Ice Cream Social

The Emerging Scholars Committee (ESC) invites you to be part of the welcoming activities for early career scholars at the BHC Conference.

Please join us at the Ice Cream Social on Friday March 14th. Generously sponsored by TBC, this is a social gathering open to both emerging and senior scholars. No registration is necessary - please see the conference program for the exact timing. We hope to see you all there!

Please note that conference attendees will be able to self-identify as emerging scholars through their conference badges. We hope this will open up conversations. Don’t be shy and join us in welcoming new members into the BHC community!

Dr. Ashton Merck's interviews with emerging scholars are available on H-Business. Check out the first season here:

Interview with Peter Labuza

Interviews with Daniel Rowe

Interview with Elizabeth O'Brien Ingleson

Interview with Grace Ballor