Elaine Marie Nelson

Elaine Marie Nelson is an Assistant Professor in the History Department at the University of Kansas and Executive Director of the Western History Association. Her research focuses on the North American West, Women and Gender Studies, Native American and Indigenous histories, and United States history. She holds a Ph.D. in History from the University of New Mexico, with prior appointments at the University of Nebraska at Omaha and the University of Minnesota, Morris.

Education:

• B.A. in English and History Education, University of Nebraska at Kearney
• M.A. in History, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
• Ph.D. in History, University of New Mexico

Research interests include Indigenous resistance, environmental history, borderlands, and cultural preservation. Her book manuscript examines memory, monuments, and tourism. She has received fellowships and grants from multiple institutions and curated the award-winning exhibit Women in Omaha, recognized with the Alice Smith Public History Prize (2019).

Teaching focuses on U.S. history, Women and Gender, and the American West. Advises M.A. and Ph.D. students, accepting new advisees in 2026. Active in professional organizations and public engagement projects.