Biography
Taylor came to MPC in 2011 after having taught at various colleges across the Bay Area in Northern California. As chair of the MPC History Department, he teaches modern Western Civilization, but also instructs courses on early and modern World and U.S. History as well as World Religions. He studied history at Brigham Young University, San Jose State University, and Oxford University and has a B.A. in History and an M.A. in Modern European History.
For his graduate work, Taylor studied a group of American chemists who worked for the U.S. Army during the First World War. His research followed them through the development of the U.S. Army’s first gas masks and precautionary measures for chemical warfare. He specializes in late 19th/early 20th century British, French and U.S. Diplomatic, International, and Military History.
Above all else, Taylor focuses on examining history on an individual level when tackling broad historical questions. His courses inspire students to empathize with people from the past on their own terms while avoiding presentism whenever possible.