David Bello

David Bello is a Professor of History and Director of East Asian Studies at Washington and Lee University. He is currently on sabbatical for the 2024-2025 academic year. His office is located in Newcomb Hall 206, and he can be contacted at bellod@wlu.edu.

• Education:
  • Ph.D. in Chinese History, University of Southern California (2001)
  • Certificate in Chinese Studies, Nanjing University-The Johns Hopkins University Center (1993)
  • M.A. in Far East Area Studies, School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London (1989)
  • B.A. in History, University of Dayton (1985, magna cum laude)

Bello specializes in Qing China (1644-1912) and borderland environmental history, examining how ecological factors shaped imperial governance in frontier regions. His teaching covers Chinese borderlands, gender, environmental history, and Japanese imperialism.

His scholarly work explores intersections of environment, identity, and empire through case studies in Manchuria, Yunnan, and Inner Asia. Recent publications address Qing ecological management, resource exploitation, and disease-driven administrative adaptations.

Bello directs the East Asian Studies program and has held research affiliations with Stanford University's Center for East Asian Studies. His career focuses on long-term environmental transformations in imperial China.