William Urban is a crusader historian specialising in Baltic Crusades and the Teutonic knights, and is one of the leading experts on the matter in the US. He is the Lee L. Morgan Professor of History and International studies at Monmouth College. In 2000, for his efforts on the crusades, Urban won the Vitols Award for the best article of 1998 in the Journal of Baltic Studies. He is also the former editor of the Journal of Baltic Studies from 1990–1994 and the former book review editor from 1994-2000. Prior to beginning his teaching career at Monmouth College in 1966, he taught as an Assistant Professor at the University of Kansas 1965-1966.