Research Associate, History
- PhD, University of Heidelberg
- MA, University of Heidelberg
- BA, Darmstadt University of Applied Sciences
Dr. Sandra Rebok is a historian and social scientist specializing in 18th- and 19th-century intellectual networks, scientific exploration voyages, and the political contexts in which they occurred, with a particular focus on the complex entanglements between the pursuit of politics and of science. Trained in Germany, Spain and France, she has held academic appointments and fellowships at leading institutions in Europe and the Americas, where she has also gained curatorial and advisory experience through international exhibitions and cultural diplomacy projects. Committed to interdisciplinary dialogues and global approaches, along with a strong interest in science diplomacy, history diplomacy, and culture & foreign policy, she seeks to illustrate how historical knowledge contributes to a better understanding of the challenges of today’s societies. With more than 20 years of experience in Humboldtian scholarship, with a particular focus on his connections to the Spanish Empire and the United States, she is currently working on a new book project that analyzes Thomas Jefferson’s strategic pursuits regarding the Southwest under Spanish and Mexican governance.
Learn more about Sandra by visiting her personal website.
Areas of Expertise
Exploration voyages (18th-19th century), European and American expansion, Enlightenment sciences, American Revolution, U.S. nation-building process, formation period of U.S. sciences, American Southwest, New Spain and Mexico, U.S.-Mexican border region, Science Diplomacy, International Relations and Foreign Cultural Policy.
Scholarly Work
Dr. Rebok's current book project is Increasing Entanglements: Jefferson’s Empire of Liberty and the Spanish and Mexican Southwest (1776-1846).
The overall goal of this book project is to illustrate how, from the American Revolution onward, the U.S. nation-building process and the developments in the Spanish and later Mexican Southwest became increasingly intertwined, culminating in the U.S. annexation of this region in 1848. It does so by analyzing, on the one hand, Thomas Jefferson´s policy and strategies concerning the Southwest, focusing on how his political pursuits were interconnected with his commercial goals and scientific concerns. On the other hand, it examines the strategic pursuits of the Spanish Empire and, subsequently, independent Mexico from 1821 onwards, with a particular focus on the security concerns and reactions on the Spanish/Mexican side that resulted. The project aims to expose the global impact of developments in the Southwest and to integrate early U.S. history into the broader tapestry of world history by situating it within a trans-imperial framework. Furthermore, it addresses the urgent need to better understand the Hispanic presence in the U.S. today by tracing the historic legacy of the Southwest as a space that has generated a common culture, identity, and history, which is still visible in this area, both within and beyond the U.S. border.