When the stories of developing economies and urban centers are told, the main characters are often landowners, architects, politicians.

What about the thousands of water carriers, porters, rickshaw pullers and laborers that kept day-to-day life moving forward?

That’s the focus of the latest Texas A&M University- Kingsville Faculty Lecture, “Shadow Work” and the Making of the Modern World, presented by history professor Dr. Dean T. Ferguson at 7 p m. Wednesday, April 21, in room 115 of the Texas A&M Health Science Center Irma Lerma Rangel College of Pharmacy Building.

The public is invited to attend this free event.

The annual Faculty Lecturer is selected by a Faculty Senate committee from a group of faculty nominees.

Ferguson has been a faculty member at Texas A&MKingsville since fall 1998.

He holds a B.A. from Spring Arbor College, an M.A. from Central Michigan University and a Ph.D. from Purdue University. His specialties include Early Modern Europe, France, Sub- Saharan Africa and Labor History.

He has been published in Global Migration in the 20th Century: An Encyclopedia; World Eras: The Industrial Revolution in Europe; Proceedings of the Western Society for French History; and French Historical Studies.

Ferguson has presented papers for the international conference of the Society for the Study of French History.

He has presented at national conferences for the National Council for History Education; the American Historical Association; the Society for French Historical Studies; and the Western Society for French History.

He is a member of a number of professional societies, including the American Historical Association, the French Historical Society and the Western Society for French History.

During his time at Texas A&M-Kingsville, Ferguson’s grants and honors received include being a co-recipient of two Quality Enhancement Plan grants, and earning the Outstanding Faculty Advisor Award.