Christopher Otter

Christopher Otter is a Distinguished Professor in the Department of History at The Ohio State University's College of Arts and Sciences. His research focuses on environmental history, food systems, and the intersection of technology with societal structures. Otter holds a BA from the University of Oxford (1991), MA from the University of Exeter (1996), and PhD from the University of Manchester (2002).
His work examines historical transformations in diet, urban development, and technological systems, with a particular emphasis on British and global contexts. Current projects include a political history of the Earth's technosphere, exploring material structures shaping modern challenges like inequality and climate change.

Research Interests

• Food systems and ecological impacts
• History of technology and material culture
• Public health and dietary change
• Colonial and imperial resource networks

Awards

• Recipient of major historical awards including the Bentley Prize and Forkosch Prize
• Recognized for teaching excellence with the Paul W. Brown Award

Advising & Grants
Received fellowships from NEH and Guggenheim Foundation. Current research explores planetary technosphere dynamics through multi-scalar analysis from tools to anthromes.