Damon Akins, a faculty member at Guilford College since 2007, has been named Lincoln Financial Professor of History. His appointment was approved by the Board of Trustees at their meeting in February.

Damon teaches on Native America, California and the American West. He became a full professor in 2021 and has served as clerk of the Faculty and chair of the History Department.

“I am delighted that Damon is our newest endowed professor,” said Provost Maria Rosales. “He is an exemplary educator with a commitment to excellent teaching and to the welfare of students that is a hallmark of the liberal arts education at Guilford College.”

In addition to his teaching and faculty and departmental leadership at Guilford, Damon has been coordinator of the College’s Quality Enhancement Plan (associated with accreditation), “Speak Up: Unifying Presentations for an Inclusive, Connected World.”

Damon has served on Clerks Committee and the Liberal Arts General Education Revision, Curriculum and Education Studies committees, among other commitments.

He was an instructor in the History Department at the University of Oklahoma for four academic years and a graduate teaching assistant for two. He taught social studies for a number of years in the Los Angeles Unified School District.

Damon earned a bachelor’s degree in American History from Oklahoma City University in 1993, a master’s degree in Latin American Studies from UCLA in 1995 and a Ph.D. in American History from the University of Oklahoma in 2009.

He is the co-author, with William J. Bauer Jr., of We are the Land: A History of Native California (2021). 

Damon is one of 20 current Guilford faculty members who hold endowed professorships, funded by generous individual, family and corporate benefactors of the College.

Read more about Damon on his website.