Jonathan Okoe
About:
Jonathan Okoe is a doctoral (PhD) student in the History Department at the University of Texas at Austin. His research specialization looks at the history of psychiatry and therapeutic pluralism in colonial and postcolonial West Africa (Ghana), with a focus on how medical knowledge functions as a tool of governance. His dissertation will look at imperial lunacy in Greater Asante and how it was linked to the British Empire during the colonial period. He will be drawing heavily on interviews, oral tradition, and archival materials. The dissertation will take an interdisciplinary approach.
Expertise
Research Architecture
Health and Medicine
Investigating the intersection of biomedical practices and indigenous healing systems across British West Africa from the 18th to the 21st centuries.
Science and Technology
Investigating science and technology innovations and impacts in the British Empire from the 18th to the 21st centuries.
Medical Anthropology
Exploring the cultural, historical, political, and biological forces that shape how health and medical knowledge are constructed and contested in global contexts.
Digital Humanities
Utilizing computational methods and digital archives to reconstruct the social history of the British Empire and its global health impacts.
Publications
Published a selection of scholarly articles and monographs focusing on African history, British imperial dynamics, and the intersection of medicine and digital humanities.
SCHOLARSHIP(S) AND AWARD(S)
University of Texas at Austin Professional Development Fellowship (2025)
Awarded in support of professional development, enabling participation in academic conferences, research dissemination, and scholarly advancement within the field of history.
University of Texas at Austin Departmental Summer Fellowship – History (2025)
Competitive fellowship granted to my support dedicated summer research, facilitating focused study, archival work, and progress toward advanced historical scholarship.
University of Texas at Austin Departmental Fellowship – History (2024–2025)
Merit-based departmental funding awarded to support my graduate study in history, recognizing academic excellence and potential for significant scholarly contribution.
Funding for Master of Arts in History – VT History Department (2022–2024)
Comprehensive graduate funding package supporting the completion of my Master of Arts in History, awarded on the basis of academic achievement and research promise.