Aims McGuinness serves as provost of Crown College and Merrill College. A historian whose research explores U.S. empire, Latin America, California, and global history, he provides academic leadership for both colleges and works closely with students, faculty, and staff to support engaged, inclusive learning communities.

McGuinness is an associate professor in the Department of History and an affiliated faculty member in the Latin American and Latino Studies Department. His scholarship examines the history of the Americas through themes of migration, empire, democracy, and social movements. He is the author of Path of Empire: Panama and the California Gold Rush (Cornell University Press, 2008), and his current research explores the history of democratic socialism in the United States from a transnational perspective.

As provost, McGuinness is committed to supporting students’ academic success, intellectual curiosity, and sense of belonging. He has served as provost of Merrill College since 2024 and as provost of Crown College since 2026.

He works to sustain Crown’s traditions of excellence in the sciences and engineering and fosters Crown’s special relationship with the Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurial Development (CIED). He is a bagpiper and can often be heard playing the Star Wars theme, Crown’s traditional commencement song.