Environmental history is the study of human beings interacting with the natural world over time. It considers the role of non-human factors in history, simultaneously emphasizing that human beings both produce and are part of the natural environment. While drawing on the frameworks and methods of the diverse disciplines that aim to study the natural world, environmental historians also examine the sociocultural construction of notions such as “nature” and “environment.” For these reasons, environmental history is closely related not only to the study of ecology and climate in the sciences but also to disciplines such as social and cultural history, political and economic history, geography, philosophy, and history of science and medicine. In addition to the omnivorous methodological approaches that comprise the environmental humanities in the United States, environmental history at the University of Virginia reflects the global tendencies of the field today, with researchers and instructors specializing in Latin America, the Middle East, Africa, and transnational questions. UVa courses in environmental history bring history majors together with students from other programs on campus related to the study of the environment, especially the Environmental Thought & Practice interdisciplinary program.
Environmental History
Faculty

Associate Professor of German and History, Director, European Studies Program, Director, Center for German Studies
Office Hours: T, 10:00AM-12:00PM

Associate Professor Emeritus

Professor, Co-Director, UVA Early American Seminar, Co-Director, MapScholar
431 Nau Hall
Office Hours: W, 11:00-1:00pm and by appointment

Associate Professor
Nau 356
Office Hours: T/TR, 2:00-3:00PM

Professor
282 Nau
Office Hours: W, 1:30-3:30PM

Associate Professor
Nau 235
Office Hours: On leave 2023-2024

Professor and Chair
Nau Hall 281
Office Hours: Mondays and Wednesdays, 1:00-2:00PM, and by appointment.

Assistant Professor, General Faculty
Nau 436
Office Hours: sign-up appointments via Canvas's calendar tool

Professor
483 Nau Hall
Office Hours: MW, 4:00PM-5:00PM and by appointment

Assistant Professor
452 Nau Hall
Office Hours: Thursdays 1pm-3pm

Assistant Professor of History and American Studies
484 Nau Hall
Office Hours: On Leave

Associate Professor
Nau 433
Office Hours: M, 3:00-4:30PM and by appointment

Visiting Assistant Professor
356 Nau Hall