Zachary Schrag

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Zachary Schrag is an associate professor of history at George Mason University. He received his PhD in history from Columbia University in 2002. He then taught at Baruch College and Columbia University. In 2004, he came to Mason, earning tenure in 2009.

Schrag's first book, The Great Society Subway: A History of the Washington Metro, examines the politics, planning, engineering, architecture, finance, and operations of the nation's second-largest rail transit system, arguing that Metro is best understood as the concrete manifestation of Great Society ideals. One chapter describes the origins of Metro's famous underground station architecture, including the contentious role of the Commission of Fine Arts in shaping that design.

Schrag's second book, Ethical Imperialism: Institutional Review Boards and the Social Sciences, 1965-2009, will be published in fall 2010. He is at work on a third book, on the role of the National Guard in urban riots.

Schrag's articles and essays have been published in The Journal of Policy History, The Journal of Urban History, Technology and Culture, Washington History, and the Washington Post. He has served as editor of Washington History and has received fellowships from the National Science Foundation, the Gerald Ford Foundation, and the Library of Congress.

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