Faculty/Staff

• Associate Professor, History
• Assistant Professor, Honors Programs

First Year at Xavier University:

2003

Degrees:

• PhD (University of Notre Dame)
• Master of Medieval Studies (University of Notre Dame)
• MPhil (Cambridge)
• BA (Vanderbilt)

Expertise:

medieval History, Central Europe

Biography:

Dr. Mengel specializes in the history of medieval Europe. Since arriving at Xavier, he regularly teaches a two-semester survey of European History as well as a range of upper-level courses, including a seminar on the Black Death. A long-time interest in technology inspired another course, “History of Communication Technologies.” Mengel’s current research focuses on later medieval Central Europe, particularly on the city of Prague under the rule of Emperor Charles IV (1346-78). His interests include cultural and religious history, urban history, topography, and the cult of saints. For more on his teaching and research, including select recent publications, see his website.

Both his teaching and his research are informed by an interdisciplinary background in the study of the Middle Ages, first at Vanderbilt, then at Cambridge on a British Marshall Scholarship, and finally at Notre Dame, where he earned his PhD from the Medieval Institute. In the course of his doctoral studies, he also spent a year studying in Prague and another in Germany.

Dr. Mengel is also currently serving as the Faculty Director of the Center for Teaching Excellence, which opened at Xavier in 2010.