Matt Connelly

Matthew Connelly is a prominent professor of international and global history at Columbia University. He was born on November 25, 1967, and completed his Bachelor of Arts degree at Columbia in 1990 before earning his PhD from Yale University in 1997. His doctoral dissertation focused on the Algerian War for Independence, which later became the basis for his influential book, A Diplomatic Revolution: Algeria's Fight for Independence and the Origins of the Post-Cold War Era (2002) .12

Connelly's academic work spans various topics, including the global Cold War, official secrecy, population control, and decolonization. His notable publications include Fatal Misconception: The Struggle to Control World Population (2008) and The Declassification Engine: What History Reveals About America’s Top Secrets (2023) .123 He has contributed articles to several esteemed journals and media outlets, such as The Atlantic Monthly and The New York Times.

In addition to his teaching role, Connelly is the principal investigator at History Lab, a project that utilizes data science to analyze historical documents, particularly focusing on issues of state secrecy and intelligence .23 He has also directed the Hertog Global Strategy Initiative, which examined catastrophic threats like nuclear proliferation and pandemics .3

Throughout his career, Connelly has received several awards, including the George Louis Beer Prize and the Guggenheim Fellowship, underscoring his significant contributions to the field of history .23