PhD Candidate in the Department of History 

(Spring 2026)

My dissertation investigates the intersection between imperial warfare, society, and the environment in the seventeenth-century English Atlantic and Caribbean. It argues that environmental forces were not simply a backdrop for human activity, but active agents that shaped military decisions, affected the outcomes of imperial campaigns, and influenced the development of England’s trans-Atlantic empire. Simultaneously, warfare drove significant environmental change and the production of new ecological knowledge. By examining English-led military expeditions between 1625 and 1685, this study reveals how environmental pressures and ecological exploitation were central to England’s rise as a global power. 

Ultimately, my project contends that war and environment were symbiotic forces in developing the seventeenth-century English trans-Atlantic Empire. It challenges traditional military histories that credit outcomes to individual leadership or tactical prowess alone. Instead, it shows that natural forces expanded and constrained strategic options, often influencing success or failure. Simultaneously, human actors reshaped the environments they invaded (either deliberately or as a side-effect of conflict) leading to ecological degradation, displacement, and the reformation of landscapes. By bringing environmental history into conversation with military and imperial history, my project provides a new framework for understanding the ecological dimensions of warfare and empire.