Tom Durwood

Tom Durwood is an accomplished teacher, writer, and editor with a deep interest in history. He most recently taught English Composition and Empire and Literature at Valley Forge Military College, where he was honored with the Teacher of the Year Award five times. In addition, Tom has served as a guest lecturer in Public Speaking and Basic Communications for the Naval Special Warfare Development Group at the Dam’s Neck Annex of the Naval War College.

As the editor of The Journal of Empire Studies, an online scholarly publication, Tom has received praise from notable figures in academia. Peter Suber, Berkman Fellow at Harvard University and advocate for open access, commended the journal as “a new opportunity for overcoming access barriers to knowledge and research.” Dr. Julian Fisher of Scholarly Exchange has also lauded Tom's efforts, noting that The Journal of Empire Studies breaks the traditional scholarly publishing mold by making valuable academic content accessible to all, rather than hiding it behind financial barriers.

Tom’s column “Shelter” ran for seven years in the North County Times. He holds a Master’s degree in English Literature from San Diego, where he also served as Executive Director of San Diego Habitat for Humanity. Tom completed his undergraduate degree at Harvard University, where he edited an arts journal and studied with renowned scholar David McClelland.