Jared Gaitan, M.A.
Assistant Professor of Practice, History
Bio
Fall 2024 Office Hours: Contact by email for an appointment: Jared.Gaitan@utsa.edu
Jared Gaitan is a proud San Antonian, and was born and raised here in the Alamo City. He grew up on the East Side, and moved to his current home in the Northwest shortly before graduating high school. He enrolled at UTSA in 2010 and initially struggled with college courses, but thanks to mentorship from faculty and the availability of support services, he recovered from a low starting GPA to earn the Nau Undergraduate Research Award in History in 2013. He subsequently began graduate courses, earning the Nau Graduate Research Award the next year with work on the critical importance of toponymic reform to the Meiji regime in 1870s Japan. He graduated from UTSA with an M.A. in History in 2016.
Currently, Jared teaches a variety of undergraduate courses at both UTSA and Northwest Vista College, including US History, Mexican American History, and World Civilizations. He maintains a student-first approach to education, and an emphasis on classroom excellence over research interests. In addition to class work, you can find Jared enjoying hikes through Government Canyon with his wife of 7 years, or sitting on his back porch at home with a good book in hand. In the future, Jared plans to pursue a Ph.D. in history and continue his research on 19th century East Asia, as well as his work in higher education.
Research Interests
- Japan to the 19th century
- Imperial China
