Environmental

Environmental history students work in almost every geographical field offered by Georgetown’s history graduate program, but at present are especially numerous in the transregional, Middle East, and Latin American fields. Typically, environmental history students rely on the regional expertise of other History Department faculty for courses, seminars, and field preparation to complement their environmental history education. All these students work under the supervision of Professor John McNeill, Professor Dagomar Degroot, or Professor Timothy Newfield, normally in conjunction with other professors. Current students are working on dissertation projects ranging from typhoons in late imperial China to uranium mining in the Cold War decades.

At Georgetown, graduate students in environmental history have access to the rich institutional resources of Washington, D. C. Through workshops and online resources provided by Lauinger Library, they can learn how to use digital tools that have become increasingly important within environmental scholarship, such as Geographic Information Systems. Environmental history students may also pursue unique volunteer opportunities in the history of climate change, which could include working with scientists and historians to expand the Climate History Network or HistoricalClimatology.com.

The environmental history program has a strong tradition of mutual support. Regular workshops provide opportunities for students to present their works-in-progress for informal review, discuss professional development, and learn from each other and faculty. These gatherings frequently include researchers from other universities in the Washington area, as well as visiting scholars.

View a list of Faculty specializing in Environmental History.

View a list of PhD Students specializing in Environmental History.