Focus of Teaching
- U.S. History I and II
- America in the Contemporary World
- Origins of the Urban Crisis
- The War on Drugs and Mass Incarceration
- The Crack Era in Context
- Rise of Black America
- The Long Civil Rights Movement
- Introduction to Research
- World Civilizations I and II
Current Research
Dr. Michael Durfee completed his dissertation entitled: “Crack Era Reform: A Brief History of Crack and the Rise of the Carceral State, 1985-1992” in the Spring of 2015. His work analyzes grassroots activism preceding and following the Anti-Drug Abuse Acts of 1986 and 1988 engaging the politics of respectability, media at the height of the crack panic, antagonisms between police and Bronx residents, as well as the troubling rise of Mass Incarceration in the Crack Era. Additionally, he currently serves as a Contributing Editor to Points: The Blog of the Alcohol and Drugs History Society.
Current Involvement
- American Historical Association
- Urban History Association
- Alcohol and Drugs History Society
- Social Science History Association
- Contributing Editor – Points: The Blog of the Alcohol and Drugs History Society
Educational Background
- Ph.D., History, SUNY Buffalo, 2015
- M.A. History, SUNY Buffalo, 2010
- M.A. Teaching, Lewis and Clark College, 2007
- B.A. History, SUNY Buffalo, 2006