Ralph D. Mershon Distinguished ProfessorEmeritus FacultyRobert J. McMahon joined the History Department in Fall 2005. He previously taught at the University of Florida (1982-2005) and has held visiting positions at the University of Virginia and University College Dublin. A specialist in the history of U.S. foreign relations, Professor McMahon has a joint appointment with the Mershon Center. He is the author of several books, including Colonialism and Cold War: The United States and the Struggle for Indonesian Independence, 1945-49 (1981); The Cold War on the Periphery: the United States, India, and Pakistan (1994); and The Limits of Empire: The United States and Southeast Asia since World War II (1999). In 2000, McMahon served as president of the Society for Historians of American Foreign Relations. Areas of Expertise US History since 1877 Diplomatic History Human Conflict, Peace, and Diplomacy