Emma Armstrong

Ph.D. candidate, History

Research Interests: Emma studies 20th-century American history. She is interested in environmental history and extreme environments, how scientific developments impact foreign relations and national policy, and the understudied role of Native North Americans in Cold War history. Encompassing these themes, her dissertation focuses on U.S. military development in the Arctic during the Truman and Eisenhower years.

Road to the Moody School: Before receiving an M.A. in History from SMU, Emma earned a B.A. in History and English from Angelo State University in 2020. Her undergraduate research focused on systemic poverty and urban development in 20th-century America. Prior to her academic career, Emma studied ballet and Russian language at the prestigious Bolshoi Ballet Academy in Moscow. Outside of her research, Emma is an avid reader and enjoys long walks in nature.