Biography

Dr. Darrin Cox joined the faculty at West Liberty University in 2008. His scholarly interests span from the Viking Age, to the intersection of gender and war, and to the efficacy of material history in the classroom. He is the driving force behind the Viking Living History Project, a student volunteer driven reenactment group at WLU that performs hands-on history demonstrations while studying its perceived impact in local learning communities. Additionally, he continues to present and publish on many facets of aristocratic masculinity in France from the end of the Hundred Years’ War to the beginning of the French Wars of Religion. Dr. Cox primarily teaches the European component of the history major, ranging from Ancient History to the History of the British Empire, while arranging internships for WLU students at local institutions like the American Defenders of Bataan and Corregidor Museum, the Elbin Library, and more.

Education

2008 Ph.D. in Early Modern History, Purdue
2002 M.A. in Medieval History, West Virginia University
1997 B.S. in Journalism, West Virginia University

Professional Experiences

2008 Ph.D. in Early Modern History, Purdue
2002 M.A. in Medieval History, West Virginia University
1997 B.S. in Journalism, West Virginia University

Most Recent Publications and Presentations

Articles
“Pedagogy,” Guidebook to Reenactment: Visiting the Past, Routledge, Dec. 2026
“The Efficacy of Living History in an Educational Setting,” The History Teacher, Vol. 56, No. 2 (February 2023)
“All About the Audience,” Reconference 2018: Papers and Summaries, Dec. 2020

Presentations
“Material History in the Classroom: Fifteen Years of Results,” Leeds International Medieval Congress, July 2026
“Pedagogy in Living History,” Malmö University, Oct. 2023
“Advocating Re-Enactment and Living History as Dissemination Methods (Panel),” Reconference, Danish National Museum, Nov. 2018
“War as Sport,” The 34th annual Sports Literature Association Conference at West Liberty University, June 2017